Tap to Pay: Apple Confirms Australians Won’t Receive Game-Changing iOS 18 Feature

Apple has unveiled a new feature for sending money to friends and family, but unfortunately, Australians may not be able to take advantage of this “game-changing” cashless innovation.

Imagine finishing a meal with friends and simply tapping your devices together to split the bill, bypassing awkward exchanges of BSBs, account numbers, or phone details. That’s the promise of Tap to Cash.

However, according to a spokesperson from Apple speaking to Yahoo Finance on Wednesday, there are currently no immediate plans to bring this innovative update to Australia, despite its announcement at the Worldwide Developers Conference on Tuesday.

What is Tap to Cash? It’s a feature set to debut with the upcoming iOS 18 and WatchOS 11 updates. Similar to AirDrop, Tap to Cash enables two devices to physically interact, instantly transferring money from one to the other. No need for banking apps, account numbers, or even PayIDs.

Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of software engineering, explained during WWDC, “Continuing our journey to replace your physical wallet, we’re introducing Tap to Cash, a quick and private way to exchange Apple Cash without sharing phone numbers or email addresses. With Tap to Cash, you can settle debts just by holding your phones together.”

However, according to Apple’s spokesperson, this feature will initially only be available in the US, with no definite timeline for its introduction in Australia.

This news follows the introduction of Apple’s Tap to Pay feature in Australia last year, allowing small businesses to accept digital payments through an iPhone, bypassing traditional EFTPOS or POS terminals.

Why does this matter? Australians are currently burdened by significant surcharges on digital payments, totaling up to a billion dollars annually. According to Canstar finance expert Steve Mickenbecker, Australians are eager for more payment alternatives.

“[Tap to Pay] is a solution for many micro-businesses, like traveling tradespeople, who want to avoid giving away 2% of their earnings to surcharges,” he remarked. “It’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

In summary, while Apple introduces innovative payment solutions elsewhere, Australians must wait to see if and when these advancements will arrive Down Under.