Apple Pay is now accepted in 35 per cent of US retailers, with the figure expected to grow substantially in 2017, according to Apple Pay’s chief Jennifer Bailey.

Speaking at Recode’s Code Commerce conference, Bailey said that in just two years Apple Pay has grown from being used in four per cent of retailers to 35 per cent – which equates to 4m locations. Apple is targeting big retailers, such as Gap, in a bid to increase growth. Bailey expects that two-thirds of the top 100 US retailers will support Apple Pay in 2017, reports The Verge.

Although Apple Pay has become a viable alternative to EMV cards, and Bailey has called them annoying, she made it clear that Apple Pay’s aim is not to go head-to-head with traditional card providers.

“Knocking EMV is not necessarily the way to go,” Bailey said. “I think it’s to increase acceptance and work with great partners.”

For now, it seems Apple is happy to build a stable foundation to work alongside EMV cards. However, Bailey did hint that Apple has big plans for the future – suggesting it is thinking about eventually replacing “everything in your wallet.”

Also at the event, Square – and Twitter – CEO Jack Dorsey announced that Square Cash will now allow users to pay for items wherever Apple Pay is accepted.

According to Apple Insider, the feature is enabled by Square Cash’s virtual debit card system. As with a traditional card, Square’s virtual version lets customers use their Square Cash balance on purchases made through retailers. “I’ve been using this as my primary card for about two months,” said Dorsey.