Cupertino to use Passbook in its retail stores across the world

Oct 16, 2012 11:23 GMT  ·  By

Apple is preparing to leverage iPhones and iPod touches as e-wallets through its EasyPay payment system in Apple retail locations around the world. Passbook will reportedly be the centerpiece of the initiative.

Sources familiar with the situation are telling 9to5mac that Apple is gearing up to seed an updated version of its point-of-sale (POS) EasyPay software to retail store employees that will allow them to “capture Apple Store payment card codes from customer iPhones and iPod touches running Passbook.”

Currently, Passbook only holds tickets and passes for various events and entertainment locations across the United States, but analysts believe this tool will inevitably turn the iPhone into a full-fledged e-wallet in the coming years.

iTunes holds hundreds of millions of Apple IDs with credit cards on file, which makes it a no-brainer for the Cupertino giant to tap them, one way or another.