Google Chrome

Google Chrome for iOS to disable Payment Requests in March

Kyle Bradshaw | Jan 30 2020 - 9:36 am PT

When making a purchase on the web, one of the ways you can provide credit card details is through your browser’s built-in Payment Request API. However, due to mounting security and user experience challenges, Google is disabling the Payment Request API on Chrome for iOS.

The Payment Request API is capable of transmitting payment information from a service like Google Pay or Apple Pay (on Safari) as well as directly sharing one of your saved credit cards. However, Google has found over the past two years that sharing your credit card info via Payment Requests doesn’t always offer an experience that inspires confidence and trust from most people. Additionally, more modern payment methods like Google Pay are able to complete a transaction without a website ever receiving your true credit card info.

For the sake of security, Google has announced that Chromium (and therefore Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge) is moving away from Payment Requests and especially its ability to transmit your credit card details directly, a method called “basic-card.” In its place, Google is putting focus on the upcoming “Payment Handler” API, which allows both native apps and web apps to be registered with the browser as your preferred way to pay.

To start this transition, Google will soon disable “basic-card” Payment Requests on the platform where they see the least use, Chrome for iOS. However, unlike all other platforms where Chrome uses its own Blink engine, Chrome for iOS must use Apple’s WebKit just like every other third-party browser.

Due to the current limitations of WebKit, Google was only able to offer “basic-card” as the sole Payment Request method on Chrome for iOS. That means starting with version 81, currently scheduled for late March, Chrome for iOS will no longer offer Payment Requests.

To get the browser back on track, feature-wise, Google is looking into ways for native iOS apps to integrate with Chrome’s Payment Requests, but in the meantime, you’ll need to handle your online transactions the old fashioned way. Or just make your purchase through the normal Safari app which natively supports Apple Pay.