Apple Expands Tap to Pay on iPhone to Users in the United Arab Emirates

Weeks after launching Tap to Pay on iPhone in New Zealand, Apple announced Tuesday that it is expanding the feature. Starting today, merchants in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) can accept contactless payments directly on their iPhones without the need for additional hardware.

Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available in the UAE

Tap to Pay on iPhone is now available to users in the United Arab Emirates, Apple announced. Adyen, Magnati and Network International are the first payment platforms in the UAE to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone. These partnerships make it easier for app developers and merchants to integrate, facilitating industry adoption.

The announcement comes a month after Apple launched Vision Pro in the UAE.

Tap to Pay on iPhone lets businesses accept contactless payments using their iPhone and a partner-supported iOS app. The feature works with iPhone XS or later running the latest version of iOS. At checkout, merchants simply ask customers to tap their contactless credit or debit card, iPhone, Apple Watch, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone to complete the transaction.

Like any Apple Pay transaction, Tap to Pay is securely processed using NFC technology, and no additional hardware is required to facilitate contactless payments. In countries where the feature is available, developers can use the API available in iOS 15.4 and later to implement support for Tap to Pay.

Tap to Pay on iPhone supports contactless credit and debit cards from leading payment networks, including American Express, Mastercard, and Visa.

The feature first debuted in the U.S. in 2022 and has expanded to other countries, including the U.K., France, Taiwan, Australia, the Netherlands, Brazil, Ukraine, Japan, Canada, Italy, and more.