14 DAY TRIAL // Apple and Samsung have already launched their mobile payments apps and Microsoft just can’t stay away from this business, so the company is also working on its very own alternative that would be available on Windows 10 devices.
A modern version of Windows Wallet, the new mobile payments app will allow you to store credit card information on your device and make in-store payments just like rival services from Apple and Samsung, so functionality won’t be much different.
In an interview with The Verge, Joe Belfiore, corporate VP of the Microsoft’s operating systems group, confirmed that such a service in the works, but he refused to provide any specific dates when it might be released.
Deep integration with Windows Hello
Windows 10 Mobile is just around the corner and the PC version of Windows 10 is already on the market, but it turns out that we might have to wait a little bit longer until Microsoft actually completes development of this new feature.
The mobile payments solution will be integrated with Windows Hello for biometric authentication, which would obviously add a new security layer to the whole experience. Right now, it’s not yet clear if NFC is the preferred choice for this new app, but it’s very likely to be given the fact that it’s currently the most convenient way to make a secure payment with a mobile device.
“Windows is going to have a wallet concept. You’ve seen it on phones before. We’re going to continue to iterate it,” Belfiore was quoted as saying. “[Windows Hello] is the kind of technology we’ll build into devices for authentication to make… payments better.”
Most likely, the app will be available in the United States at launch, and Microsoft confirms that bringing this to the market will be a huge challenge.
“[Mobile payments] is just one of these things that is a massive network of complexity,” Belfiore continued. “I think the biggest challenge is, What effect will cause enough of the right things to align that you’ll get a good experience with all the places that you want it to happen in? And that’s kind of a world problem.”
A payment solution for Windows 10 would support Microsoft’s mobile overhauling efforts and make its smartphone operating system a stronger rival for Android and iOS, both of which already come with such capabilities. Microsoft could be late to the party if it needs too much time to develop the app, but given the fact that mobile payments are yet to take off, there’s still a chance it could succeed.