Apple May Launch Rumored Apple Pay Loyalty Program in Time for Holidays

Apple made us wait a while for Apple Pay, but now that the service is out of the gate, a new rumor suggests that the company is already preparing to release the loyalty rewards program that was reportedly scheduled for a late 2015 release. According to Bank Innovation, we could see it in time for the holiday shopping season.

The details of the rumored rewards program itself are nebulous, although most sources tend to agree that it will allow retailers use iBeacons to pass along more data than what you'd get through a simple NFC connection. The service would thus generate special offers based on your preferences or purchase history. One of Bank Innovation's sources described how it would work back in August:

"One way they’ve [Apple] thought up is, say you’re in a Duane Reade [drug store], hypothetically. You get a push notification from Pepsi that they’ve worked out a deal with Duane Reade that you can get a free case of Pepsi. Just pick it up and use Apple Pay at the counter."

Most early rumors claimed Apple would hold back on the rewards program until the launch of Apple Pay 2.0 sometime late next year, but today's report claims "market demand" will cause Apple to release it within the next few weeks. There is, of course, still the possibility that the retailers themselves might not be ready for the service, as supporting it would require the optimal placement of iBeacons and the development of offers specially tailored for holiday shoppers. And time is running out quickly.

Apple officially launched Apple Pay on Monday with the release of iOS 8.1. Although the press-and-pay functionality at retails stores is currently limited to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple will also expand the service to the Apple Watch when it launches sometime next year.

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