Target Joins The Retailers Integrating Apple Pay
By Megan Zielinski, contributing writer
Target announced they will be integrating Apple Pay, a secure and convenient mobile payment service available with the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, into the Target app, simplifying the mobile shopping experience for customers.
Now customers will be able to shop online through the Target app, purchasing products effortlessly with Apple Pay—the one-touch payment platform enables Target customers to place online transactions without ever needing to enter shipping or billing information. Unique touch ID or a special passcode verifies the user’s identity to approve of transactions. With credit card information stored into customer’s personal apple account—Apple Pay allows customers to keep all of their valuable information private, while enjoying the speedy checkout process.
Target is among a handful of leading U.S companies to offer mobile Apple Pay—brands including Sephora, Tickets.com, Starbucks, Panera, and other restaurants will be launching Apple Pay this fall.
Retailers including Staples, Macy’s, and Walgreens are also incorporating Apple Pay technology into their brick-and-mortar stores—with just a tap on their eligible smartphone, customers can purchase items right on the spot, as their encrypted mobile device connects with NFC-tagged merchandise.
Apple Pay serves as a virtual safeguard, protecting customer’s wallets from hackers—the perfect solution at a time when more retailers find themselves under attack from sudden credit card data breaches. This new payment method allows customers to safely shop for items throughout stores and online, keeping personal data locked as their credit card information is stored into a secure element chip or virtually in the cloud.
“We know mobile is becoming the front door to Target, and we’re focused on creating the best possible mobile experiences for our guests,” says Jason Goldberger, senior vice president of Target.com and Mobile. “We’re thrilled to support Apple Pay to streamline how our guests pay in the Target app—this absolutely makes purchasing from Target’s mobile app easier than ever.”
By October, customers can seamlessly shop using Apple Pay—the service will be included in the Target iPhone app and available as a free iOS 8 update.