Prior to Monday's announcement, users could only use Apple Pay in some physical retail stores or in certain apps like Lyft and Uber. In brick-and-mortar stores, Apple device owners were able to hold up their mobile phones to certain credit card readers to pay for goods or services.
Apple's expansion of this payment feature may have a significant impact on mobile-based shopping. Many people browse for items but often do not execute purchases on their phones or tablets because they find it too cumbersome to enter billing and shipping information. The introduction of Apple Pay to the web will also put the Cupertino, Calif.-based iPhone maker in direct competition with
Apple said it has already begun signing up online merchants to use the checkout flow but did not disclose exactly how many. On websites that have enabled the experience, users on Safari, whether on their desktop computer or mobile device, will receive the option to check out via Apple Pay. Once they do that, Apple will ping a nearby iPhone or Apple Watch, prompting the shopper to verify the purchase with their fingerprint and complete the transaction.
Apple Pay is currently available in the U.S., United Kingdom, China, Canada, Australia and Singapore, said Apple Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi, who delivered the news on Monday. The new Apple Pay feature will be part of the company's new Mac operating system, Sierra, which will be available by the fall.
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