The role is for an expert (at least 5 years prior) in unconventional payment systems, capable of conducting and guiding screening of potential partners, preparing agreements or launching new programs and features to be integrated into the “pay” functions of Apple. And even if there is no talk of products or partners, the announcement lists a series of systems that the Cupertino house would be interested in, namely digital wallets, schemes BNPL (buy now pay later), instant money transfers, cryptovalute.
Apple is a pioneer in smartphone payments, already launched its wallet in 2012, which initially had the function of containing tickets (airplanes, and then for the events that have progressively joined), and which now, by associating a credit or debit card through Apple Pay (launched in 2014), allows you to make contactless payments anywhere, completely replacing the physical card. It’s still: the peer-to-peer pay function allows instant money transfers between two Apple Pay users, simply through a message so as to allow small payments, split a restaurant bill, buy a group gift. But there is more in the future. Apple acquired a few months ago Mobeewave, ua startup that has created software that allows any device equipped with an NFC chip (such as iPhone and iPad) to turn into a payment terminal. The CEO Tim Cook, on the other hand, he has never hidden where his heart beats: “I hope to be alive to see the end of cash” he declared already in 2018 in a meeting with Apple shareholders in Cupertino. An aversion to physical currency that has motivated this way: “What reason is there still to go through the effort and expense of printing money, with the risk of it being stolen and counterfeited?”. Cook has repeatedly launched himself in a passionate defense of digital payments, even criticizing credit cards: a nuisance to carry around, and always at risk of loss or theft, with all that entails (time and money lost for lock and replace them). This didn’t stop Apple from launching its credit card, the Apple Card, on the circuit just two years ago Mastercard, which, despite being fully integrated into the smartphone, also exists in physical form – even if the operations, in the end, all take place from the wallet and from the dedicated app.
Another ballgame is the mention, again in the announcement, to cryptocurrencies. The job description remains vague, implying that the new hired will have to study the market, develop solutions and make agreements. For some time there have been rumors of possible acquisitions of Bitcoin from Apple, especially in the wake of Tesla, but the rumor was never confirmed. More likely could be the work around creating an integrated wallet on iOS devices, as it has already done Samsung with its Keystore. Or, more simply, Apple may begin to accept Bitcoin o Etehreum on the store, or even introduce the possibility of cryptocurrency payments on Apple Pay. At the moment, however, no further clarifications have arrived from Cupertino.