Apple is holding talks with a number of upmarket US retailers to gauge how interested they would be in the iPhone maker introducing its own mobile payments service, according to 9to5Mac which cites “a source with direct knowledge of the talks”.

“These latest mobile payments-related discussions, which have occurred with retail store brands such as those that sell luxury clothing and premium goods, have taken place over the past couple of months,” the report says.

“The Apple mobile payments service would be integrated into iOS devices such as the iPhone and would be a comprehensive solution that would allow an iPhone user to leverage their device as a form of payment in retail stores. Based on information from various people briefed on the matter, the service would tie directly to iTunes accounts.

“Apple has also been asking retailers to survey customers regarding potential interest in paying for items with their smartphones and other mobile devices,” the report adds, “[and] seeking general insight from retail store chains to see if the companies would be interested in utilizing an Apple payments service.”

The discussions are currently at the “exploratory” stage, 9to5Mac says. “It does not appear that such an Apple payments service is on the cards to launch in the near future.”