When Apple Pay launches, purportedly on Saturday, October 18, McDonald's will be among the launch partners. But what does that physically mean?

When Apple Pay launches, purportedly on Saturday, October 18, McDonald’s will be among the retail establishments accepting iPhones as a valid form a payment. But what does that physically mean? Will you need to handover your precious $650 iPhone to use Apple Pay?

Tapscape has answers.

Say what you like about McDonald’s food, the company has mastered the development and deployment of systems worldwide. The Big Mac is a Big Mac in Peoria, Paris, Parma, Panama and Pittsburgh, which is all about doing things right, doing things systematically.

With Apple Pay rolling out in a matter of days, naturally launch partner McDonald’s is johnny on the spot, systematically training employees.

When Apple Pay launches, purportedly on Saturday, October 18, McDonald's will be among the launch partners. But what does that physically mean?

So will you need to handover your expensive and data packed Touch ID enabled iPhone 5s, iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus to McDonald’s employee to use Apple Pay? Nope, as shown above, even at the drive McWorkers will extend an NFC terminal toward the customer, bada boom bada ba, that Big Mac is paid for.

Proceed to the second window, grab your food and off you go!

So, are you looking forward to never swiping your credit card ever again? Is Apple Pay the answer to the Target, Supervalu, Kmart, Neiman Marcus, Home Depot, etc retail credit card / payment system hacks of recent years?

Or, asked another way, is the United States finally ready to catch up with Africa, and Europe, vis-a-vis secure-ish payment systems?

Source: 9 to 5 Mac