A major Apple Pay feature that was announced earlier this year has gone live in beta today. Apple Pay Cash enables users to send and receive money in iMessages on iPhones. The feature has been launched in beta today, enabling person-to-person payments in the iMessage app. The public beta of this feature has been launched today on iOS 11.2 and users can opt in for it via the iOS Public Beta program.
Once they have updated, users will see an Apple Pay button in the apps section of Messages. This will enable them to initiate a payment. The feature can also be triggered by asking for money in a message or tapping on a message from someone else that’s asking for money. Transfers can also be triggered using Siri.
Apple Pay Cash beta is only available for users in the United States who have an iPhone running iOS 11.2. They must have two-factor authentication enabled on their Apple ID for this feature to work.
Users can fund their transfers by using any credit or debit card that they’ve configured in Apple Pay. No service fee is charged for transactions funded by a debit card but an “industry standard” fee will be charged for those funded by credit cards.
It’s going to be a while before this feature gets out of beta. Apple hasn’t said as yet if and when it’s planning to expand Apple Pay Cash to markets outside the United States.
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