Apple Pay VP Reveals Future Plans for Digital Keys and Contactless Payments

On the tenth anniversary of Apple Pay, Jennifer Bailey, the Vice President of Apple Pay and Apple Wallet, revealed details about the future of contactless payments and digital keys on iPhones in an interview with The Points Guy.

Apple Pay launched on October 20, 2014, allowing users to make payments on their iPhone without a physical card. Since then, it has grown to over 90% merchant acceptance coverage.

Today, Apple Wallet stores virtual car keys, hotel room keys, and digital IDs in certain states. Bailey envisions vehicle rentals becoming an area where Apple Wallet will be particularly useful, with car rental companies issuing digital keys through the app.

Apple Car Key already allows users to unlock certain vehicles. The feature is supported by more than 30 vehicle manufacturers including BMW, Hyundai, Kia, and likely more in the near future.

Digital IDs are currently limited to seven US states including Arizona, California, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Maryland, and Ohio. Bailey confirmed many more are in the pipeline.

According to Bailey, Apple Pay's usage in transit is fantastic and much-loved by users, but there’s still a lot more for Apple Wallet to achieve in creating a future where users don’t need their physical wallet.