Tap to Pay on iPhone now expands to users in New Zealand

Apple's useful and convenient Tap to Pay payment technology is now coming to users in New Zealand. Merchants can now use their iPhone or Apple Watch to accept payments from contactless debit and credit cards, Apple Pay, or other digital wallets.

In order for the tech to work, merchants would need a partner-enabled iOS app on the iPhone for payment processing. Customers can use Tap to Pay with an iPhone Xs or later, running the latest iOS version. Tap to Pay can also be used by customers with an Apple Watch with no additional hardware required.

Apple said that Adyen, ANZ Bank, Stripe, Windcave, and Worldline are the first payment platforms in New Zealand that will offer Tap to Pay on iPhone. Payment apps in New Zealand (including me&u and Timely), will also have Tap to Pay on iPhone available at launch.

The technology uses NFC to ensure a secure completion of payment. Contactless debit and credit cards are supported by leading payment networks, such as American Express, Discover, JCB, Mastercard and Visa.
 
Just like in other countries that support the feature, all transactions made with Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and processed using the Secure Element (a certified chip that securely stores sensitive information on the device).

New Zealand is joining Canada which recently implemented Tap to Pay on iPhones. Currently, Tap to Pay is supported in Australia, Brazil, Taiwan, the UK, and most countries in the EU, as well as in the US where it initially launched.

Tap to Pay on iPhone launched in 2022 in the US, and earlier this year, was made available for Zettle and Venmo users.

I find such features super useful and I really love to be able to use an iPhone for almost anything. I'm hyped about this feature although I'm not a merchant just because I like how mobile tech can simplify things in daily life, and I like that very much.