Apple Pay is about to come to Mac computers, a full two years after it first launched on the iPhone. However you’ll still need your iPhone in order to authenticate Mac based purchases.
With the latest Sierra operating system, Apple Mac users will be able to browse the web to make purchases from any website that accepts Apple Pay, and then so long as you’re logged in to the same iCloud account on both devices, the Touch ID fingerprint reader on the iPhone will authenticate the purchase. You’ll also be able to authenticate purchases using the Apple Watch or iPad with Touch ID if you have one.
Naturally comparisons are immediately being made with PayPal with predictions that Apple Pay will take over the world. Naturally most of these comparisons are over egged as not too many sites support Apple Pay, certainly no where near as many websites as those that accept PayPal.
It’s also worth pointing out that Apple Pay has been around for two years and whilst it’s convenient for Londoners to pay for their Underground ticket or morning coffee with their iPhone, payment in shops by mobile (Apple or other) hasn’t exactly taken the world by storm. Not yet anyway, PayPal have a few more years before they need to worry.
