Apple in talks regarding NFC-based transit payments and building access for iPhone 6/Plus and Apple Watch

“Though the near-field communications chip in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is currently exclusively for Apple Pay, the wireless functionality may be expanded to new uses such as replacing a public transit card or a secure building access keycard,” Neil Hughes reports for AppleInsider.

“Apple is said to have spoken with NFC technology providers HID Global and Cubic about potential future plans, according to The Information,” Hughes reports. “In one example, an iPhone 6 could replace the ‘Clipper’ card used for California’s Bay Are Transit System, which relies on the same NFC-based technology used by Apple Pay.”

“Apple hasn’t indicated any plans to open up NFC access in the future, and Monday’s report suggested Apple may selectively partner in offering NFC support,” Hughes reports. “But Apple initially restricted Touch ID support until the launch of iOS 8, which now allows developers to offer fingerprint-based access to their applications.”

Read more in the full article here.

12 Comments

  1. I just unsubscribed from CVS. Will be happy to give up on their coupons and will be giving Walgrens our business. It is 2 miles farther but that is where we will be shopping. Never do Walmart, but now will double down not doing Walmart. And Bestbuy too. Screw em.

    1. Please take the time to send them a hand written letter, and anyone else in your family affected, that will go a lot further than just not going which they won’t have any way to know about.

  2. In theory I love this, and I wouldn’t mind using an Apple Watch (something attached to me), but I wouldn’t feel happy about getting out my expensive iPhone when being jostled around at the turnstiles on the underground. It would be so easy to drop it if nothing else.

  3. A note on QR code-based payment systems:

    A Boston startup called LevelUp has an app that lets you pay via credit card by presenting a unique QR code in front of a small scanner terminal. As I understand it, with CurrentC -you- may have to scan a QR code presented to you by a store’s terminal. LevelUp works quite well in my experience. I haven’t yet gone to a local Walgreens to use Apple Pay with my iPhone 6+.

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