Merchants in Japan can finally use Tap to Pay for iPhone

Apple Tap to Pay has rolled out in another country, with Japanese users now able to take card payments directly from their iPhone.

Tap to Pay is Apple's system to allow iPhone users to take contactless payments from phones and contactless credit and debit cards, without requiring a separate physical card reader. After a lull of a few months, the expansions have continued, with Japan the latest country to receive the feature.

Announced late on Thusday, Apple writes that merchants can start using the feature with a number of payment platforms. Initial launch partners include GMO Financial Gate, Recruit Co's Air Pay Touch, and Square, with Adyen arriving within a few months.

Consumers may also be able to actually try out Tap to Pay at an Apple Store before other retailers roll it out, with it being used to perform in-store transactions.

"In Japan, a country where innovation and tradition combine, new payment methods are being introduced across the country, and at the same time, consumers are rapidly transitioning from cash to electronic payments," said Apple VP of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet Jennifer Bailey. "We are excited to partner with the platform to offer iPhone touch payments that seamlessly support contactless payments for millions of merchants, adding additional hardware to nearly every iPhone in the country."

Apple's most recent expansions of Tap to Pay include the Ukraine and France in November, and the Netherlands in August 2023. It first launched in May 2022.