∞ New Apple hire aims to make your iPhone a wallet

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Apple has reportedly hired Benjamin Vigier as the company’s product manager for mobile commerce. Vigier’s goal at Apple will be to turn your iPhone into a payment system.

iMovie for iPhoneVigier has been working on near field communication technology since 2004, according to a report on NFC World. He was responsible for developing the PayPal Mobile payment system, as well as Starbucks’ mobile payments.

With recent Apple patent applications that would allow you to make payments to merchants using the credit card associated with your iTunes account, buy tickets and board airplanes, become a game controller, complete entertainment ticket purchases, and other functions, Apple seems ready to enter the market.

Vigier’s latest job was the product manager for mobile payments at US mobile payments specialist mFoundry.


  • Daniel Swanson

    Great idea! Can’t wait to try it out.

    Perhaps there’ll be a “Wipe my phone” function on MobileMe as a safeguard.

    Like Face Time bringing the old Dick Tracy wrist communicator dream into reality, I recall the main character in “Bladerunner” had some kind of small electronic device for purchasing things.

  • WooDz

    Is it me or should this be possible right now?
    I already have an online banking app on my phone and there’s a paypal app.

    Or is Vigier’s vision having some sort of functionality to replace the credit card?