Socket Mobile Announces its SocketScan S550 NFC Mobile Wallet Reader is Apple VAS Certified

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Dec 13, 2023, 06:00 ET

FREMONT, Calif., Dec. 13, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Socket Mobile, Inc. (NASDAQ: SCKT), a leading provider of data capture and delivery solutions designed to enhance workplace productivity, is excited to announce that its SocketScan S550 NFC Mobile Wallet Reader is Apple^® VAS Certified.

Apple's Value Added Services (VAS) focus on storing and utilizing digital passes within the Apple Wallet. Similar to how Apple Pay substitutes physical bank cards with contactless payments, the Apple Wallet accommodates NFC-enabled digital passes. These digital passes are designed to replace loyalty cards, event tickets, club membership cards or fobs, and various non-banking identification forms. Unlike Apple Pay, which focuses on payment transactions, the S550 interacts with iOS's extensive VAS infrastructure— allowing businesses to facilitate seamless tap-and-go user experiences.

To use these NFC passes in the Apple Wallet, compatible readers must support the Apple VAS protocol. Socket Mobile's S550 complies with Apple's NFC VAS Protocol and is certified to select and retrieve mobile passes from the Apple wallet resident on iPhones and Apple Watches. This certification ensures the S550 delivers a consistent experience across all platforms and is designed to be compatible with new functionalities introduced by iOS.

"With the Apple VAS Certification of our SocketScan S550, we are upholding our commitment to providing exceptional user experiences and simplified support for our developers crafting contactless iOS applications," said Dave Holmes, Chief Business Officer at Socket Mobile. "The S550 delivers an engaging, consistent experience for Apple users utilizing mobile passes for loyalty, digital ID, event tickets, and more. As Apple's mobile wallet capabilities continue to progress, we are proud to provide our partners with VAS-certified NFC solutions that enable smooth and consistent customer interactions. The S550 allows our application partners to tap into the Apple VAS ecosystem—ensuring they can support the widest range of NFC-enabled digital passes with a single reader. Socket Mobile continually seeks additional certifications to maintain our high quality and support for our developers. Looking forward, we remain dedicated to staying at the forefront of NFC mobile wallet technologies, constantly evolving to meet the dynamic needs of our customers and the market."

The SocketScan S550 combines the latest 13.56 MHz contactless technology with Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity and is built for easy and painless integration into apps. The S550 is NFC Forum, Apple VAS, Google Pay, and CIPURSE certified and is the ideal reader for numerous loyalty programs, closed-loop payments, age verification via mobile driver's licenses (mDL), ticket verification systems, and countless other applications.

Application developers who wish to enable the S550 for their apps can do so through Socket Mobile's SDK. CaptureSDK gives app providers the most reliable and consistent data capture performance. One integration of CaptureSDK allows app providers to offer any of Socket Mobile's data capture products interchangeably, giving end-users the freedom to choose the best device for their specific needs. If your app already uses CaptureSDK, the S550 works out of the box for immediate use.

Learn more about the Apple VAS-certified SocketScan S550 NFC Mobile Wallet Reader.

Media Contact: David Holmes, [email protected]

SOURCE Socket Mobile, Inc.