Wilson's Landing

iWallet Payments here sooner than you think

Now we have a hint: Another new Apple patent suggests an iPhone (or iPad, etc) could get a second SIM tray-like port on one side, into which you’d slip the little golden chip segment from a modern credit card. The neatness of this idea is impressive: All the credit card makers need do is slightly modify their existing cards so you could pop-out the chip in the same way you do when you get a new cell phone SIM card delivered (which does come in a credit card-shaped plastic carrier, if you remember). All the security and ID and—more importantly—control over card numbers and distribution to customers—would remain with the card issuer, disrupting their business model less than other solutions would.