Apple Pay will be moving beyond app purchases later this year
Apple Pay is beginning to move beyond the world of applications. For some time, Apple has been informing potential partners that its new mobile payments service will be expanding to websites later this year. The service is expected to evolve, harnessing the power of the mobile web, which consumers have become increasingly reliant on when shopping online with a smartphone or tablet. Moving to the mobile web may help Apple Pay find more success in a space where it has struggled in the past.
Expanding into the mobile web may help Apple Pay connect with more consumers
Those with iPhones and iPads will be able to use the Safari browser on their mobile devices. Apple is also considering making its mobile payments service available on its laptops and desktop computers, though whether or not this will be the case is currently uncertain. Apple Pay is expected to begin supporting mobile websites before this year’s holiday season. This may help retailers provide better services to consumers, as many had experienced problems shopping with mobile devices during last year’s holiday season.
Apple set to compete directly with PayPal
Expanding into the mobile web will put Apple in more direct competition with PayPal, which has established itself as the leading alternative for those shopping on retail websites. PayPal’s One Touch service is used by more than 250 of the top 500 online retailers, but some have criticized the service for its relatively slow checkout process. Apple Pay features a much faster checkout option, which may allow it to combat PayPal on the mobile payments front when it comes to retail websites.
Apple continues to look for success in the mobile payments space
The mobile payments space is growing quickly, as are consumer demands with it. Consumers want more convenient and secure services, which Apple Pay has managed to provide. Despite this, Apple is still having trouble finding momentum in this market. Apple is expanding into new markets with its payment service in the hopes of providing consumers with a new alternative to payment services that they are already using. This endeavor may find success, if Apple does expand into the mobile web.
