Apple Continues Pursuing Mobile Payment Solution, Seeking to Hire Industry Executives

applestore.pngApple is continuing with its plans to introduce a mobile payments service and has began interviewing senior payments industry executives to take on roles within the company, reports Re/code.

Apple is looking to fill two new positions, focused on building an electronic payment service based on the company's existing iTunes accounts. Millions of customers have personal accounts that already store credit card information, allowing them to make purchases within the Apple Store app, in retail stores, and through iTunes. Apple hopes to expand this to third-party avenues as well, both online and at retail locations.

The company has been meeting with potential applicants for two new positions at Apple focused exclusively on building a business around the hundreds of millions of credit cards it already has on file. Apple is seeking to fill head of product and head of business development positions, one of these people said.

"Their ambitions are very, very serious," one of the sources said.

Apple's interest in the mobile payment arena has been rumored for years but gained renewed attention in early 2014, when The Wall Street Journal announced the company was working on a new mobile payment service, hoping to allow people to use their iOS devices to make purchases for physical goods in apps and on the web as well as in retail stores using payment info stored in iTunes accounts.

Apple has also been in talks with Paypal about a possible partnership and reportedly mulled an acquisition of mobile payments company Square, though it appears an acquisition did not pan out.

The company's mobile payment system will possibly be tied to Touch ID, the fingerprint scanning home button built into the iPhone 5s and reportedly slated for the upcoming iPhone 6 and future iPads. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in January that mobile payments were "one of the thoughts" behind Touch ID. He has also said that Apple is "intrigued" with mobile payments and noted there's a "big opportunity on the platform."

Apple has promised new hardware, software, and services across 2014, and it's possible that a mobile payment solution could come later this year, though a set date is unclear as the company is clearly still in the hiring stages.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro 34ths Perspective

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Expected Next Week - Here Are the Release Notes

Friday March 28, 2025 2:01 pm PDT by
With the second release candidate of iOS 18.4 that Apple seeded out today, the company finally provided us with release notes that give a full rundown on what to expect. There's an Apple Vision Pro app, new Apple Intelligence features for notifications and additional language support, plus an Apple News Food feature for Apple News+ subscribers, and several updates that should improve the...
macbook pro blue green

When Will Apple Release the M5 MacBook Pro?

Wednesday March 26, 2025 4:53 pm PDT by
Apple regularly refreshes the MacBook Pro models, and a new version that uses M5 series chips is in the works. Apple just finished refreshing most of the Mac lineup with M4 chips, and now it's time for the M5. Rumors suggest that we could see the first M5 MacBook Pro models this fall. Design There have been no rumors of a design update for the M5 MacBook Pro models that are coming this...
Facebook Feature

Facebook's New iPhone App Feature Turns the Clock Back to 2007

Thursday March 27, 2025 1:59 pm PDT by
In the mid-to-late 2000s, Facebook was all about staying connected with friends and family. However, as the social media platform added new features and grew over time, that core experience began to get drowned out. That changes starting now, according to Meta, which today introduced a new feature that will "bring back the joy" of classic Facebook. Specifically, Meta has redesigned the...
Magic Mouse Green

What to Expect From the Magic Mouse 3

Saturday March 29, 2025 10:15 am PDT by
Apple is reportedly working on a new Magic Mouse. Below, we recap what to expect. The two key rumors for the Magic Mouse 3 so far include a relocated charging port, along with a more ergonomic design. It was briefly rumored that the Magic Mouse 3 would also feature voice control, but that was misinterpreted information. Relocated Charging Port While the Magic Mouse switched from...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Homescreen

Six Things to Know About Apple's Upcoming Foldable iPhone

Friday March 28, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
We've been hearing rumors about a foldable iPhone for almost a decade now, but it looks like we might finally see the device come to fruition in 2026. We're going to be waiting many more months for the foldable iPhone, but so far we're hearing good things. Apple wants to make it creaseless. It's taken Apple multiple years to design a foldable iPhone that it's satisfied with because Apple ...
top stories 2025 03 29

Top Stories: WWDC 2025 Announced, iPhone 17 Pro and iOS 19 Rumors, and More

Saturday March 29, 2025 6:00 am PDT by
Apple's big developer event is a little over two months away, and rumors about what we can expect to see in Apple's next major operating system updates are becoming increasingly frequent. A public release of iOS 18.4 is also imminent with a number of updates and improvements, although we won't be getting the major Apple Intelligence Siri upgrades that had reportedly been planned for this...
iOS 18 4 Ambient Music Control Center

How to Use iOS 18.4's New Ambient Music Feature in Control Center

Thursday March 27, 2025 7:45 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone adds an Ambient Music feature to Control Center. Below, we take a closer look at how it works. iOS 18.4 is currently in beta, so the Ambient Music feature is not widely available yet. The update will likely be released to the general public next week. To use the feature on iOS 18.4, open Control Center and tap on the plus sign in the top-left...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

'iPhone Fold' to Feature Metallic Glass Hinge That Resists Deformation

Thursday March 27, 2025 4:21 am PDT by
Last week, we covered a report claiming that Apple's book-style foldable iPhone (or "iPhone Fold," as we are provisionally calling it here) will use liquid metal hinges to improve durability and help minimize screen creasing. Today, a Chinese leaker provided more details on the properties of this hinge material that help to clarify why Apple chose it for its first foldable device. According...

Top Rated Comments

Dulcimer Avatar
143 months ago
How will this differ from using Paypal on a mobile?
You won't have to deal with Paypal.
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tjl3 Avatar
143 months ago
To buy groceries or widgets or something, you rest your thumb on the Home button, and.. you're done.

Think of it like this. Walk into a grocery store, you can check in via iBeacon. Why check in? Well, bring up your grocery list, or their deals/coupons, your previous purchases, stock, etc. Once you're done, you get in the checkout line, say line 13. You click line 13 on your phone, once the cashier is done scanning, you rest your thumb on the home button, and you're done.

--

What I am surprised at is Apple hasn't built their retail store around this type of a concept, b/c I think it would be really nifty. Walk into an Apple Store and check in. Once checked in, you can make purchases, line up for help, browse products, get deals. Have all their in store devices connected on this system so prospective buyers can also line up. If you need assistance, you just get in line via the app. When a genius is ready to help, he pings you with a location (i.e. by the iPads), and maybe his profile pops up so you know who you're looking for. So it gives you an ETA so you can go play, go get a coffee, whatever.

If you're there to make a simple purchase, you go inside, buy on phone, and a genius brings it out to you, much like how their Apple Store app works now, except you have to go get in line and verify your identity.

Why would this be good? Well, Apple Store has a lot of traffic. People will want to be on that cool system too! Instead of awkwardly walking the store for a genius, just get in line via the app. Brand the whole system, and sell it to other retail stores. For clothing store, looking for a specific size or to try something on? Ping an employee using this retail system. Sitting down at Sbux and want to buy a latte, buy through the app and pick it up when its done.

This would all be made simple b/c of Apple's iBeacon technology. And who benefits the most? Small startup retail stores. Go in, check in on social media and get a daily deal! Apple would also benefit, everyone would 'want' to be on Apple's retail system, using Apple devices.

End of rant that went on a huge tangent.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
decimortis Avatar
143 months ago
Pun intended in the heading? ;)

D.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
taptic Avatar
143 months ago
Oh, please. Not PayPal... the only pal they are is the one that always needs to borrow money indefinitely.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MellowFuzz Avatar
143 months ago
Meaning they haven't done anything yet. Expect rumors for the next 5 years.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tdtran1025 Avatar
143 months ago
How will this differ from using Paypal on a mobile?

Apple takes the commission fee instead of Paypal; billion $ business.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)