Apple Announces P2P iMessage Integration

Apple announced at their highly-anticipated annual Worldwide Developers Conference that their newest mobile operating system will include a peer-to-peer digital payment system integrated into their popular messaging app.

iPhone users running iOS 11 – the newest operating system that will become available as a free download this fall – will be able to use Apple Pay to send money to other Apple users instantly directly through the Messaging app.

“[Users] can send money and get paid right in Messages, or tell Siri to pay someone, using the credit and debit cards they already have in [Apple] Wallet,” the tech company said in a press release, “when users get paid, they receive the money in their new Apple Pay Cash account. They can use the money instantly to send to someone, make purchases using Apple Pay in stores, apps and on the web, or transfer it from Apple Pay Cash to their bank account.”

The feature will require TouchID biometric authentication and will be available on Apple Pay capable devices.

The feature was announced as digital P2P payment platforms continue to rise in popularity. Companies like Chase and PayPal have already developed their own popular platforms, and other firms like Square have found success in the growing sector.