Apple Pay is now available as a payment option at over two million locations, according to Apple.
The announcement comes as high-profile new merchants prepare to roll out support for the mPayment platform. Au Bon Pain, Chick-fil-A, and Crate & Barrel have all recently announced upcoming support, while other big brands including KFC and Chili’s promised last fall that they would be offering Apple Pay support in early 2016.
Meanwhile, online retailer Zappos has just enabled in-app purchase functionality to its iOS apps, taking advantage of a feature that is growing increasingly popular; Apple says in-app purchases more than doubled in volume during the latter half of 2015. This kind of functionality could ultimately offer a gateway for users into in-store mPayments, and Apple’s rivals are seeking to emulate the approach as well.
The growing merchant support helps to solidify Apple’s hold on the US market as it seeks to fend off competitors like Android Pay and Samsung Pay, but there should be room for all to benefit, with recent reports predicting significant growth in mPayments over the coming year.
Sources: Bloomberg, AppleInsider
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