14 DAY TRIAL // Apple has opened up a new category of apps on the iTunes App Store. Dubbed “Buy with Apple Pay,” this new section is home to but a handful of apps that support the new system, but we expect the list to grow as developers begin to support it.
“Apple pay is the easy, secure, and private way to check out in apps using Touch ID on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Discover apps that let you buy with Apple Pay and come back as more are added,” says Apple.
Apps you can use today
It isn’t clear why Apple doesn’t mention the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, as both these new devices support Apple Pay for purchasing stuff online. The company clearly states in a recent press release that “iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 will be able to use Touch ID on their devices for Apple Pay within apps.” It may be that the promo materials were written before the tablets came about.
Anyway, as you can imagine, the official Apple Store app is first on the list of apps to support Apple Pay. Customers can employ it to buy iPhones, iPads, Macs, and accessories right within the app on their existing iDevice, simply by selecting a product then authorizing the acquisition with their fingerprint.
Apps that have similar functionality – but a different range of product offerings – include Target, Uber, OpenTable, Groupon, Fancy, Lyft, Panera Bread, Houzz Interior, Instacart, Spring - Go Shopping, Staples, Hotel Tonight, Chairish (home decor app), Indiegogo, and Threadflip.
To access these titles, simply visit the App Store and scroll through the carousel at the top to find the "Buy with Apple Pay" banner.
Apple’s partners
In a press release announcing the upcoming availability of the service, Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Internet Software and Services, said, “Our team has worked incredibly hard to make Apple Pay private and secure, with the simplicity of a single touch of your finger.”
“The reaction to Apple Pay has been amazing. We continue to add more Apple Pay ready banks, credit card companies and merchants, and think our users will love paying with Apple Pay,” Cue added.
In addition to supporting more than 260 Apple retail stores across the United States – you do know it’s US-only for now, right? – the Apple Pay system is said to be integrated in roughly 220,000 retail locations nationwide.
Partners include (but are not limited to) high profile names such as Bloomingdale’s, Champs Sports, Chevron, Texaco, Foot Locker, Macy’s, McDonald’s, Nike, Office Depot, RadioShack, SUBWAY, Toys”R”Us, Walgreens, Whole Foods Market, and dozens of others.
There are also some companies that have announced support but are yet to implement it, including Sephora, Staples, Urban Outfitters, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, and more.