Apple Said to Be Using Tokenization Technology to Secure Mobile Payments Service

Apple may be integrating tokenization technology in its forthcoming mobile payments solution, reports Bank Innovation. Citing sources close to the matter, the report notes that the company will look to utilize token technology to address security and fraud concerns as integrates the service with the iPhone 6 and iWatch.

Financial institutions — card issuers and networks — prefer token technology because it replaces primary account numbers, those 16-digit card numbers on the front of credit and debit cards. Instead, the tokenization technology uses complex codes that are easily transmittable over the air and between devices, but that are used only once, so even if they are intercepted, are of no use to fraudsters.

An Apple patent discussing token technology has also been discovered, as the application was granted last month and filed for in 2009. In its example, Apple discusses a token system as a method for two devices to communicate sensitive data with disposable, one-time use codes.

easypay_concept

EasyPay mobile payments concept by Ricardo Del Toro

The report also once again discusses the NFC capabilities in the iPhone 6 and iWatch, stating that chip-maker NXP will be rolling out NFC chips to the iWatch and the iPhone 6. Apple Stores and Apple retail partners are also said to be gearing up to utilize NFC technology, as a number of retail locations will be using the NFC-enabled Verifone MX 915 terminal.

Prior reports have stated that Apple's payment service will be supported by a number of credit card companies including Visa, MasterCard, and American Express. The company is also said to be partnering with a number of retailers for the service, including Walgreens, CVS, Nordstrom, and more.

Apple is expected to announce its mobile payments solution at this Tuesday's media event, which will likely be shown off alongside the iPhone 6 and iWatch.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro models 1

17 Reasons to Wait for the iPhone 17

Thursday June 12, 2025 8:58 am PDT by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models simultaneously, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 17 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect from Apple's 2025 smartphone lineup. If you skipped the iPhone...
iPadOS 26 App Windowing

Apple Explains Why iPads Don't Just Run macOS

Friday June 13, 2025 7:46 am PDT by
iPadOS 26 allows iPads to function much more like Macs, with a new app windowing system, a swipe-down menu bar at the top of the screen, and more. However, Apple has stopped short of allowing iPads to run macOS, and it has now explained why. In an interview this week with Swiss tech journalist Rafael Zeier, Apple's software engineering chief Craig Federighi said that iPadOS 26's new Mac-like ...
iOS 26 Screens

Here Are All the iOS 26 Features That Require iPhone 15 Pro or Newer

Thursday June 12, 2025 4:53 am PDT by
With iOS 26, Apple has introduced some major changes to the iPhone experience, headlined by the new Liquid Glass redesign that's available across all compatible devices. However, several of the update's features are exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, since they rely on Apple Intelligence. The following features are powered by on-device large language models and machine...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple 'Sherlocked' These Apps at WWDC 2025

Wednesday June 11, 2025 7:14 am PDT by
Apple at WWDC previewed a bunch of new features coming in its updated operating systems, but certain changes will have been met with dismay by third-party developers who already offer apps with equivalent or similar features. In other words, their product has been "sherlocked" by Apple. When Apple creates an app or a feature that has functionality found in a third-party app, it is referred...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

Hate iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design? Here's How to Tone It Down

Wednesday June 11, 2025 4:22 pm PDT by
iOS 26 features a whole new design material that Apple calls Liquid Glass, with a focus on transparency that lets the content on your display shine through the controls. If you're not a fan of the look, or are having trouble with readability, there is a step that you can take to make things more opaque without entirely losing out on the new look. Apple has multiple Accessibility options that ...
maxresdefault

Everything Apple Announced at WWDC 2025 in 10 Minutes

Monday June 9, 2025 5:21 pm PDT by
At today's WWDC 2025 keynote event, Apple unveiled a new design that will inform the next decade of iOS, iPadOS, and macOS development, so needless to say, it was a busy day. Apple also unveiled a ton of new features for the iPhone, an overhauled Spotlight interface for the Mac, and a ton of updates that make the iPad more like a Mac than ever before. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel ...
CarPlay Liquid Glass Dark

Apple to Let iPhone Users Watch Videos on CarPlay Screen While Parked

Thursday June 12, 2025 6:16 am PDT by
Apple this week announced that iPhone users will soon be able to watch videos right on the CarPlay screen in supported vehicles. iPhone users will be able to wirelessly stream videos to the CarPlay screen using AirPlay, according to Apple. For safety reasons, video playback will only be available when the vehicle is parked, to prevent distracted driving. The connected iPhone will be able to...
Logitech Logo Feature

Logitech Announces Two New Accessories for WWDC

Friday June 13, 2025 7:22 am PDT by
Alongside WWDC this week, Logitech announced notable new accessories for the iPad and Apple Vision Pro. The Logitech Muse is a spatially-tracked stylus developed for use with the Apple Vision Pro. Introduced during the WWDC 2025 keynote address, Muse is intended to support the next generation of spatial computing workflows enabled by visionOS 26. The device incorporates six degrees of...

Top Rated Comments

Michael Scrip Avatar
141 months ago


Apple can you please include the sears store. I shop a lot at sears.

Ah... so you're the one!

:D
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tattooedyuppie Avatar
141 months ago
1 more day... This is going to be epic on so many levels.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bradl Avatar
141 months ago
Tokenization is one of the best ways to protect PCI data.

Prime example: PCI standards allows someone handling such data to only display the first six and last 4 digits of a PAN (your credit card) in their database. For a merchant to retrieve the full data for research (your full card number), the people holding the data would encrypt the middle digits of your PAN number, create a token, store it in a database with your encrypted card information.

The merchant then would be presented with a token. They submit the token, the entity holding the PCI data has their application check the token against what they have in their database. If they match, the people holding your data returns back the full card number to use. That way, at no point does either the holder or the merchant have all 16 digits of your credit card number.

I've maintained PCI databases, and it's one of the easiest, and secure ways to store your data. For Apple to be looking at this is a good thing, especially if rumors are true about using NFC in their next iPhone.

BL.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jacquesvw Avatar
141 months ago
.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kebabselector Avatar
141 months ago
I misread it and thought it was going to be a Hobbit based payment system, but that's Tolkienization.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MentalFloss Avatar
141 months ago
Just to scare everyone, I could easily setup a capture at the fuel pump and grab your swipe. I'm curious on how 'they' can make this secure, possibly include a manual PIN?

You state that you have been writing token payment code for two years, yet you don't know how it can be secure? You mean you write code for a technology that you don't understand?

Wut?!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)