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Apple in talks to expand NFC in iPhone 6 beyond Apple Pay, replace building keycards and transit tickets

The Information is reporting that Apple is actively scouting out partnerships to increase the utility of the NFC chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Right now, the chip can only be used for payments through Apple Pay as the API is not available to third-party developers.

The Information says that the company is talking to potential partners about using the technology for things like building security, public transit tickets and more. The report names that Apple has already been in talks with HID Global and Cubic, who make electronic ‘keycard’ secure building access and transit fare systems.

The Apple representatives have talked to technology providers like HID Global and Cubic, which enable secure access to buildings and transit fare systems, respectively, said people briefed on the discussions. Spokespeople for the companies declined to comment about any discussions with Apple, but executives there discussed how they could integrate their systems with the iPhone.

In fact, Apple has already announced a similar partnership with Starwood Hotels, where Apple users can replace hotel keycards with their Apple Watch, although this uses Bluetooth rather than NFC technology.

Naturally, none of the companies wanted to speak on record about the discussions. However, it is not difficult to see how the iPhone could replace transit tickets used on the BART trains. Information could be safely stored in the Secure Element where credit card data is stored today.

Apple is already facing some backlash in the payments department by merchants, but this report shows that the company is undeterred in making the iPhone an even bigger part of everyday life.

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Comments

  1. myke2241 - 9 years ago

    if successful this would put another nail in the coffin of CurrentC.

    • levifig - 9 years ago

      Does CurrentC even have a coffin? I have a feeling it’s going to be one of those unaccounted deaths, no funeral, no mourning…

  2. 89p13 - 9 years ago

    And make the apple Infrastructure that much more prevalent. IF Apple Pay is as secure as it’s being bandied about – this will thin out my wallet! :)

  3. shareef777 - 9 years ago

    That would be amazing. I currently have a keycard for the office, another two for our datacenter, and yet another one for a parking lot. The only other item remaining in my wallet is my drivers license.

  4. driverbenji - 9 years ago

    who cares about “CurrentC” or any other payment system. This is so stupid, for businesses to turn off NFC or not “support” Apple Pay…this is like taking VISA, but not MasterCard .

    “…where Apple users can replace hotel keycards with their Apple Watch, although this uses Bluetooth rather than NFC technology.”

    …this tech has been in place in iPhones since iOS 7, no one has taken full advantage of iBeacons yet, here’s a first step.

    • driverbenji - 9 years ago

      comments are very limited here…no symbols? must only alllow punctuation?

      my (rolls eyes) didn’t show because I used “”

  5. Would love to use the phone instead of the HID Keycard at work.
    This way I don’t need to put my phone away and pull my wallet out.

  6. Teco221 (@Teco221) - 9 years ago

    That would be fantastic!!!! Really don’t need a wallet!!!!

  7. Brent Howatt - 9 years ago

    It would be really great if I could have my Clipper Card on my iPhone.

    • Rigor Mortis - 9 years ago

      i held my iPhone 6 to a clipper reader. the iphone wanted me to scan my fingerprint. i was too afraid it would go through, so i didn’t do it!

      i saw a parking meter with the nfc logo in san francisco and i held my iPhone to a couple of them around the 4th and king Caltrain station but nothing happened

    • Rigor Mortis - 9 years ago

      i got a disabled clipper card , i have to keep renewing it every few years because of my placard. i really should just get a doctors note. so every few years i have to get a new clipper card and transfer the balance. having it a new clipper card plus the iPhone would make it easer

  8. Cory © (@Nardes) - 9 years ago

    That would be awesome not having to worry about having a card for the train… scan my phone when I go in and the $2.50 is automatically charged to me. No having to remember my card, reloading the card at the machines… super simple.

  9. Steffen Jobbs - 9 years ago

    Goodbye, NYC MetroCards. I can’t wait to see them go away. That payment system should have been replaced a long time ago. The more Apple Pay gets used the better it is for consumers if they can standardize payments all over.

  10. shahny786 - 9 years ago

    Would they be able to enable the NFC in the iPhone and iPad to assist in pairing with other devices? Such as tapping either the iPad or the iPhone with a Beats Pill to pair that way as opposed to having to manually go in and pairing it yourself? I think that would be pretty neat!

  11. mobileseeks - 9 years ago

    Getting rid of ATM cards would also be a huge benefit. Hopefully since Apple is partnered with many of the major banks, using your phone as an ATM “card” is coming soon.

    • WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

      You kind of already can in some places. Here in the UK a lot of banks allow an emergency cash withdrawal using your banking app on your phone. You enter a special PIN it generates and it will spit out the cash. It’s great if you lost or left your card at home for example. Using it as an actual replacement entirely though as you suggest would be fantastic. Go up to ATM, hold near transmitter (it’d need to be fairly close to reduce the chance of someone else intercepting the signal), Touch ID is used to verify you instead of your PIN, you enter amount into either the ATM or your phone and then it spits out your cash.

  12. acslater017 - 9 years ago

    Apple Watch seems like a natural extension of this, but I wonder if it will require TouchID and NFC to operate securely.

  13. Jurgis Ŝalna - 9 years ago

    Buses and metro in London is already working with NFC cards. Apparently Apple Pay works in UK shops, so I guess it should already working in metro as well?

    • WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

      It’s a different part of NFC, but I can’t imagine why it wouldn’t once it’s opened up. I’m sure here are a good number of people who’d be happy to have their Oyster card in their phone rather than having to carry the physical card around with them. The Touch ID aspect of it makes it safer too, though I’d guess there’d be certain transactions that would be automatic simply based on walking by as it currently is with the card.

      • Jurgis Ŝalna - 9 years ago

        >It’s a different part of NFC

        Huh?

        What I meant is that every new credit card has been NFC’d in UK for past year and TFL has recently opened their systems to use your credit card in the tube.
        I don’t see how it couldn’t work with Apple Pay.

  14. al0963 - 9 years ago

    Using the iPhone to pay for the subway in New York City will be huge, if Apple strikes a deal with New York transit authority this will make a huge impact, most of the time people make lines to buy a subway ticket

  15. Using ApplePay on the London Transport Network would be so easy to implement as they already use your contactless card as a form of their oyster card.
    Looking forward to it coming to the UK… although if iTunes Radio is any wait to go by I might never get the chance to use ApplePay!

    • WaveMedia (@WaveMedia) - 9 years ago

      Apple Pay is entirely different to iTunes Radio. iTunes Radio is being held up by the greedy, stubborn record labels. Apple Pay already works on an existing standard and just requires banks and card issuers to support their backend, which mostly hooks into the existing infrastructure anyway. I can’t imagine it’d be that long before we get it in the UK. I bet we have more NFC ready POS terminals in the UK than the US too given it’s been here for years now and a standard part of the newer Chip & PIN machines.

      • Jurgis Ŝalna - 9 years ago

        According to some reports NFC POS in UK already work with Apple Pay with american cards attached.

  16. Lennie Fox - 9 years ago

    I also support Apple Pay and myself and family will boycott any merchant that deliberately blocks Apple Pay. It should be our choice, not theirs. I have no problem switching all my business from CVS which I have been using for years, to Walgreens.

  17. Chris Page - 9 years ago

    #about_bloody_time

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Avatar for Benjamin Mayo Benjamin Mayo

Benjamin develops iOS apps professionally and covers Apple news and rumors for 9to5Mac. Listen to Benjamin, every week, on the Happy Hour podcast. Check out his personal blog. Message Benjamin over email or Twitter.