We've heard tell of Apple's plans to embrace mobile payments in a big way. And now, according to a new report from Recode, not only will the iPhone 6 come packing a payment system, but Apple has even lined up some major partners for announcement day.
Citing "a person briefed on the plans" Recode notes that both CVS and Walgreens should be able to accept mobile purchases from an iPhone just as soon as you can get one in your hands.
Reps for Walgreens and Apple declined to comment, while a CVS rep denied the claim altogether, but pairing with major drugstore chains makes a lot of sense for a behemoth that will be dipping its toes in mobile payments with a seriousness it never has before. As Recode explains:
Getting the two pharmacy giants on board is a coup for another reason: People shop there often — weekly or even daily — giving Apple mobile payments the type of frequent transactions that could be key to getting people accustomed to the new service. Payments could also become an important new revenue source for Apple.
If Apple really has paired with the chains, the list probably doesn't end at CVS and Walgreens. There's already been whisperings of an American Express partnership (with more likely to follow), and since Apple is technically already late to the NFC game, it's going to want to hit the ground running. [Recode]