Apple unveiled its next versions of iOS and OSX this week at WWDC and more information regarding what will be coming when the new operating systems go public is starting to surface. In iOS 8 Apple is introducing a new feature that will allow a device's camera to read credit card numbers rather than users having to key them in manually when making a purchase, according to 9to5Mac.
The new feature is integrated directly into Safari on iOS 8 where users will be prompted with a "Scan Credit Card" feature when presented with a credit card field on websites. Apple then uses character recognition technology to auto fill data fields from the snap shot. From the sounds of it, Apple will not require support from retail websites and others that require credit card number input. The feature, not unlike what Apple is currently doing with iTunes gift cards and Apple IDs, will also work for expiration date and CVV fields.
For some, this may not seem all that useful considering in many cases users simply enter their credit card data once and have Apple's Passwords & AutoFill system take care of it from there. However, Apple is also introducing the camera scanning feature inside its AutoFill system to allow users to use the new tech to input data from there as well, according to the report.