iZettle Reveals Card Reader with Apple Pay Support

izettle apple payMobile payments company iZettle has unveiled a new mobile peripheral card reader that will enable companies using it to accept contactless payments, with support included for Apple Pay.

The Card Reader Pro Contactless is being distributed to selected iZettle partners across the UK as part of a soft launch, with a wider release happening on 1 June, and a global launch happening throughout the coming months.

The card reader, which will retail for around £79, will allow merchants making use of iZettles mobile card readers to accept NFC-based contactless payments from mobile devices, with support for systems including Apples high-profile Apple Pay, as well as more established platforms like Google Wallet.

Contactless payments have surged in the UK in the past year as consumers become more comfortable with NFC technology, with 319m transactions made using contactless tech in 2014, a 220 per cent increase year-on-year.

“Since the advent of the smartphone, we have all be longing to move on from both cards and cash,” said Jacob de Geer, CEO and co-found of iZettle. “We all imagine a world where wallets are left home, where a simple swipe of a phone or a watch is all it takes. Were now getting there.

“Contactless payments offer unparalleled ease-of-use for consumers, and vastly increased transaction speed for merchants. The launch will make iZettle the first company of its kind to offer small businesses support for Apple Pay and contactless payments.”