A few weeks ago we informed you of Apple's interest in reaching an agreement with Sony's FeliCa payment technology that allows all users in the country to pay on most public transport throughout the island. But it seems, according to the latest rumors, that the talks have gone further and now Apple's interest is focused on not adopting FeliCa technology in its devices, but instead wants to partner with Sony to be able to offer its electronic payment system in the country. It wouldn't be the first time that Apple has struck a deal with a company that has the technology and implementation necessary to rapidly expand Apple Pay in one country. China is a good example of what I am talking about.
The FeliCa payment platform has expanded rapidly throughout the country and is currently the most widely used electronic payment method thanks to its simplicity of use and its size, very similar to that of a credit card. In addition, money refills are very easy to do and are available in almost all stores. FeliCa is mainly used for urban transport by train and bus, coffee machines and other establishments.
FeliCa is capable of processing operations in thousandths of seconds and is ideal for places where user traffic is very high and where waiting and queues are not well seen by anyone. The next iPhone could arrive in Japan with a special version of the NFC chip that allows users of this card to make payments in all businesses that have a terminal from this company.
Today Apple Pay is available at United States, United Kingdom, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France and Singapore. Future expansion plans for Apple Pay include expanding into Europe and Asia, the main countries where this technology has a lot to say.
