Etc., the digital and start-up incubation arm of BT Group, is rolling out iPhone contactless payments and BT Tap to Pay for small businesses.

The telecoms giant has partnered with global FinTech Adyen to enable its one million merchant customers to accept physical debit and credit cards, Apple Pay and other digital wallets, and remove the need for card readers or extra hardware.

BT Tap to Pay, powered the company's EE network, provides private contactless payments with Tap to Pay on iPhone from "virtually anywhere".

Tony Guy, managing director of Etc. said that the partnership would allow businesses to offer a "quicker and easier" payment method for their customers.

The service includes built-in security and privacy features, as well as the ability to view payment history and manage the refund process.

At checkout, a merchant prompts the customer to hold their contactless credit or debit card, iPhone or Apple Watch, or other digital wallet near the merchant’s iPhone, and the payment is completed using NFC technology.

Tap to Pay on iPhone also supports PIN entry, which includes accessibility options.

Stripe also recently expanded its payment options with Tap to Pay on iPhone.

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