I thought this was interesting. Merchants can now accept Apple Pay and other contactless payments simply by using iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app. Basically you don’t need a card reader.
Apple today announced businesses across the United Kingdom can now accept in-person contactless payments through Tap to Pay on iPhone. The new capability will empower millions of merchants, from small businesses to large retailers, to use their iPhone to seamlessly and securely accept Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards,1 and other digital wallets using only their iPhone and a partner-enabled iOS app — no additional hardware or payment terminal needed.
Tap to Pay on iPhone is available for payment platforms and app developers in the U.K. to integrate into their iOS apps and offer as a payment acceptance option to their business customers. Revolut and Tyl by NatWest are the first payment platforms to offer Tap to Pay on iPhone to their U.K. business customers, with Adyen, Dojo, myPOS, Stripe, SumUp, Viva Wallet, Worldline, and Zettle by PayPal coming soon. Tap to Pay on iPhone will also roll out to Apple Store locations in the U.K. in the coming weeks.
https://www.apple.com/uk/newsroom/2023/07/apple-introduces-tap-to-pay-on-iphone-in-the-uk/