Apple Pay for Websites Is Almost Here – And You Need It On Your eCommerce Website

Payment at your fingertips

Apple Pay for in-store transactions and in-app payments launched in Australia in April. But in a few short months, you’ll be able to purchase anything from any integrated website with the touch of your thumb.

Although the initial rollout of Apple Pay hasn’t been a huge game changer – there’s little difference between pulling out your credit card or using your phone at the EFTPOS terminal – paying online is a different story.

Unless a website has previously stored credit card information, each payment transaction requires manually filling out credit card details and personal information (and then triple checking to make sure everything is perfect before hitting ‘submit’).

Apple Pay for websites, however, takes that barrier away from your customer, making the entire experience of money changing hands more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Official word is that Apple Pay for websites will be rolling out in ‘Fall 2016’, which could be guestimated at September. However, word on the sly is that the API has been released for developers only, so those in the know could be ahead of the curve ready to start accepting Touch ID payments once Apple Pay drops in the last quarter of the year.

One of the biggest questions has been: how will this work for desktop users?

After selecting ‘pay with Apple Pay’, the information is sent to the users’ phone where confirmation is made via Touch ID. Although this is not quite as seamless as mobile transactions, it’s still easier than rummaging through your wallet for a credit card and entering personal details.

It’s even easier than using PayPal, which means integrating it into ecommerce websites is vital for merchants to ensure conversions. Fortunately, a large range of payment platforms (such as eWay, Braintree and Stripe) have adopted the technology and made it easy for merchants to add the feature to their websites. Alternatively, custom payment gateways will require a developer to integrate the API.

The introduction of Apple Pay for web highlights the need for mobile-optimised websites, as a surge of purchases made via mobile browser requires fluid user experience. There has never been a better time to ensure your website design and functionality complements adjacent technologies, with updated web design that is best suited to increase conversions through Apple Pay.

Jess Kumanovski, JTB Studios Account Manager
JTB Studios, Digital Agency Melbourne