A new feature in the Apple Store app enables iPhone users to make small transactions for in-store physical goods. The feature is called EasyPay and enables users to take a picture with their iPhone camera of a product’s barcode and then purchase it via their iTunes account. They can then walk out of the store with their purchase rather than having to visit a point-of-sale terminal. The service is only available in Apple’s own stores at present and is for small-value items. Still this is a sign of Apple moving from the world of digital transactions to encompassing physical goods too. There has been speculation some time ago about Apple’s intentions towards the mobile payment market and whether it would adopt NFC but more recently the rumour mill has gone quiet about any plans for mobile payments.

Previously, points out The New York Times, the Apple Store app could be used to research products and order them in a similar way to EasyPay now does but the purchases had to be collected by an employee in the store. Now the user can walk out once they have made a payment via iTunes and the credit card linked to that account. A note from the Yankee Group argues EasyPay has potential to grow quickly if Apple chose to scale the service since there appears no requirement to upgrade point of sale infrastructure unlike NFC-based services such as Google Wallet and Isis. EasyPay is only available in the US to users of Apple’s iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S.