Apple’s Square rival, Tap to Pay, has launched in Australia

Australia is the third country in the world to offer Apple’s Tap to Pay, which lets small businesses accept payments via in-person contactless payments on the iPhone.

Retailers, restaurants and other merchants can now use an iPhone to accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets with no extra hardware or payment terminal needed. Tap to Pay works on iPhone Xs or later devices running iOS 16.4 or later.

Westpac and Tyro Payments are the first payment platforms in Australia to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their business customers. Additional payment platforms and apps, including ANZ Worldline Payment Solutions, Stripe, Till Payments, and Zeller, will make this secure and convenient capability available in the coming months.

Ironically, you won’t be able to use it at Apple Stores in Australia until later this year.

Tap to Pay on iPhone is available for any payment platform or app developer to enable that is able to meet the technical requirements to enable Tap to Pay on iPhone. While some have described it as a “Square killer”, the payments fintech has been working with Apple on the introduction.

Last month Square launched Square today launched Tap to Pay on Android for sellers in Australia with the same parameters – contactless payments on compatible Android devices for no additional cost.

Westpac’s chief executive of Consumer and Business Banking, Chris de Bruin, said Tap to Pay on iPhone was another flexible and fast payment option for the bank’s business customers.

“Our business customers can be onboarded and start accepting quick and secure payments on the go within minutes, with only an iPhone and the Westpac EFTPOS Air iOS app — no additional hardware needed,” he said.

“This new capability is particularly beneficial for any business that takes payments on the road or needs its staff to be more mobile on the shop floor. It’s a game changer for tradies, delivery drivers, businesses like hairdressers, mechanics or florists, and many more.”

Jon Davey, CEO of fintech Tyro, said it was “a fantastic, simple, and secure way” to accept payments. It also works with American Express merchants using Tyro.

“We are excited to introduce this new offering to our customers, providing greater flexibility when staff are working onsite or are on the move. It couldn’t be simpler. Just download the Tyro BYO App to start accepting customer payments on your iPhone in minutes.”

Businesses can also sign up for Tap to Pay on iPhone through distribution partnerships, including via Telstra.