Apple has been telling potential partners that it is looking to bring its Apple Pay payments service to websites later this year, Re/code has reported multiple sources as stating.Apple Pay will be available via the Safari browser on iPhones and iPads with Touch ID fingerprint technology, Re/code reported its sources as stating, with Apple having also considered making the service available on Apple laptops and desktops.
Re/code, however, has reported that it is not clear if the service will find its way to laptops and desktops.
Apple Pay, which is available for compatible models of the iPhone and iPad along with the Apple Watch, currently allows users to pay in-store or within participating apps.
Competition is intensifying in the growing digital payments market, with a variety of players looking to consolidate a niche.
Juniper Research expects the annual transaction value of online, mobile and contactless payments to rise 20 per cent this year, with digital payments to reach US$3.6 trillion, up from US$3 trillion in 2015.
Juniper has noted the growing presence of social media companies in the eRetail space, with Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram among those to have introduced “buy” buttons, allowing users to make purchases directly from the companies’ mobile apps.
Re/code has reported that an announcement could be made at WWDC, the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference, which in previous years has been held in June, with its sources however stating that the announcement’s timing could change.
