Apple to integrate Japan's FeliCa tap-to-pay standard in next-gen iPhone, report says

Apple is reportedly working to release a special iPhone model for the Japanese market that will integrate a specific iteration of Sony-developed FeliCa technology, a longstanding tap-to-pay solution for smartphones.

Citing sources familiar with Apple's plans, Bloomberg reports the company is looking to support FeliCa systems serving public transportation payment terminals. As in other countries, many of Japan's railways and buses accept smart card payments at the gate.

FeliCa was initially rolled out as an RFID chip solution embedded into so-called "smart cards" used in tap-to-pay transactions. A hybrid version developed by Japan's leading cellular provider NTT DoCoMo made its way onto smartphones. Dubbed Mobile FeliCa, or more commonly Osaifu-Keitai (roughly translated as "cellphone wallet") in Japan, the technology allows users to provision multiple FeliCa cards on their device. Accounts can also be recharged directly from an interface on the smartphone.

Apple's integration will presumably use Mobile FeliCa, not the original version, though Bloomberg failed to make the distinction between the two technologies. The report suggests Apple intends to install a Mobile FeliCa chip and supporting hardware into iPhone alongside its own Apple Pay NFC solution.

It should be noted that third-party accessory makers have for years marketed iPhone-compatible FeliCa adaptors, such as Panasonic's Osaifu-Keitai jacket seen above.

As one of the leading tap-to-pay solutions in Japan, FeliCa is an accepted mode of payment at many brick-and-mortar shops, as well as vending machines, though Apple is focusing on transit cards based on the standard like those offered by Suica and Pasmo. The company is, however, in talks to with a major financial institution to enable commercial transactions, the report said.

Support could show up in this year's iPhone revamp expected to debut in September, though integration might be pushed back as discussions with transit card providers are ongoing.

11 Comments

jfc1138 3090 comments · 12 Years

About 8 years ago

I wonder if this portends anything re the Australian fuss over NFC access?

lolliver 497 comments · 10 Years

jfc1138 said:

I wonder if this portends anything re the Australian fuss over NFC access?

Why would this have anything to do with the banking sector in Australia? This is about the rumoured inclusion of additional technology in the iPhone for the Japanese market to cater to public transport and potentially payments. The article clearly states that Apple is rumoured to be including this alongside NFC. This is completely unrelated to negotiations with the banks in Australia to support ApplePay.

entropys 4302 comments · 13 Years

I doubt the FeliCa solution contains enough information for banking purposes. Eg no tokenisation. This is for transport and kiosk transactions.

mattinoz 2473 comments · 9 Years

jfc1138 said:

I wonder if this portends anything re the Australian fuss over NFC access?

If anything it makes the Banks case weaker.

After all this system exists in Japan because someone built it. Australian Banks are trying to argue for something they haven't bothered to make before now although it was possible. Why would they change their behaviour now and build a "consumer choice" product when they haven't in the past. Nothing about Apple giving them access really changes the fact they are slow to adopt tech and mostly have to it forced on them.

Apple can point to this and say we work with others where other have real things not just ideas.

FeliCa is similar in function to ApplePay: but Apple is accommodating it, so why not accommodate the Australian Banks with a similar side by side accommodation, made even easier as its not additional hardware but simply software access to the iPhone's NFC chip. Or Apple could have insisted the Japanese change over their FeliCa terminals to ApplePay compatibility?

Apple ls making a localized solution. Seems quite similar to Australia to me: paying for a train ride or paying for groceries: still "paying".