Identity verification is carried out intuitively using the biometric information of fingerprints or face recognition at the NFC terminal (Near Field Communication). Tokenization technology provides an extra layer of security and serves as a barrier between the actual transaction and the buyer's stored payment data.

Through the acceptance of Apple Pay and Google Pay, Worldline offers all consumers who want to use their devices for daily payments a secure and easy payment option. The solution is now available to all merchants who use a Worldline payment terminal. German consumers who wish to use the service only have to make sure that their bank supports Apple-Pay or Google Pay. Through their bank’s app they can store their Mastercard and Visa credit card details on their smartphone or smartwatch. This card data is then shielded from the actual transaction by tokenization.

Panagiotis Karasavvoglou, Head of Merchant Services Germany at Worldline: "With the acceptance of Apple Pay and Google Pay, Worldline is helping merchants address a broad and emerging customer base that seeks flexibility and security for their payments. With the increasing popularity of Apple and Android-capable devices, Worldline is making a valuable contribution to promote mobile payment usage in Germany and help make contactless payment even better."

Security is key
The wallets used by Apple Pay and Google Pay on smartphones and smartwatches are considered particularly secure thanks to Touch ID and the token technology used. For payment transactions, the credit card data provided through the wallet is neither stored directly on the device nor transmitted. Instead, a specially generated unique token acts as a security hurdle and is passed on to the payment terminal instead of the card information. As an additional identification measure, the user only has to authenticate their identity using fingerprint or face recognition - similar to unlocking a smartphone. PIN entry at the terminal and similar delays are eliminated with this method of payment. This makes the payment process with Apple Pay and Google Pay just as fast and efficient as with a contactless card.