iZettle launches card reader for Apple Pay and contactless payments

Following the announcement, iZettle’s contactless card reader, the Card Reader Pro Contactless, is being distributed to select partners across the UK, followed by a wider launch on June 1, 2015. The new hardware will gradually hit markets globally in the coming months. iZettles new reader also supports other mobile payments apps, such as Google Wallet. iZettle has also unveiled that is introducing its service in France, the company’s eleventh market to date.

Contactless payments have been a hot topic in the payments industry for years, but it’s not until recently that consumers have started to fully embrace the technology. In the UK, where contactless payments are by far most levied in Europe, the number of contactless payments hit 319 million in 2014, a 220% increase year-on-year.

Started in 2011, iZettle provides hardware and software that can be used by small merchants to turn smartphones and tablets into mobile credit-card terminals. iZettle’s services are compliant with EMV (Europay, MasterCard and Visa) standards as well as with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS).