Amazon breaks Apple Wallet feature

Amazon has quietly disabled a key feature that allowed users to add gift cards directly to Apple Wallet, reversing a convenience that many shoppers had come to rely on. The change means that customers can no longer transfer Amazon gift card balances into Apple's digital wallet for easy access and use at checkout.

The affected feature was part of Apple Wallet's ability to store and manage gift cards from various retailers, a capability that Apple had expanded in recent years to make the wallet more versatile. Amazon's decision removes one of the most popular integrations, impacting millions of users who preferred to keep their Amazon gift card balances in Apple Wallet rather than within Amazon's own app.

This matters because it undermines a key selling point of Apple Wallet, which has been positioning itself as a central hub for payments, tickets, and loyalty cards. The move also reduces convenience for consumers, who now must open the Amazon app or website to check their gift card balance and apply it to purchases, rather than using a quick tap on their iPhone.

Amazon has not provided a specific reason for the change, but it comes amid broader tensions between the two tech giants. Amazon and Apple have a complex relationship, with Amazon offering Apple services like Prime Video on Apple devices while also competing in areas like smart home and digital payments. The removal of Apple Wallet support could be part of Amazon's strategy to keep users within its own ecosystem.

Looking ahead, it is unclear whether Amazon will restore the feature or offer an alternative. Apple may also seek to address the issue, but for now, users who have already added Amazon gift cards to Apple Wallet can still use them, but new cards cannot be added. This development highlights the fragility of cross-platform integrations and the power that companies like Amazon have over their own services.