Apple boots Westpac payments app
(27 June 2017 – Australia) Westpac has claimed that Apple has forced the bank to remove a major feature from its iPhone mobile banking app.
The Westpac Keyboard feature allowed the bank’s customers to share bank account details and pay individuals from within apps such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp that allow the use of third-party keyboards.
“We can confirm that the free keyboard feature that enabled customers to transfer money through social media applications will not be included in our next software update in July,” the bank said.
“The Keyboard was originally approved but we were later notified that it was not suitable for the App Store. This is disappointing for us and the thousands of customers who are currently using it.”
“We apologies to our customers for any inconvenience caused and thank them for their continued support,” the spokesperson said.
Westpac notified its customers of the changes to the app in a letter.
Apple did not issue a comment on Westpac’s claims.
It is understood that there may be potential security concerns over the use of keyboards for payments, and that alternative methods, such as the use of iMessage extensions, may be considered more suitable for financial transactions.
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