Apple Pay rumoured to be usable online by Christmas 2016

The change would make mobile online shopping much easier

A woman uses Apple Pay at a Post Office

(Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images)

Apple Pay is apparently coming to the mobile web.

As reported by Recode, users of the mobile-based payment system will soon be able to use it to buy goods online, using their fingerprint as authentication.

This would make it far easier to shop on a mobile browser or in an app, as it would mean you wouldn't have to dig out a card and enter the number, expiry date and security code to make a purchase.

Most new smartphones released today are fitted with fingerprint scanners, so bringing Apple Pay online was always going to be an obvious choice for the company, especially since they make money with every transaction.

There's no word yet on when it will actually be released, but Recode said it will come out in time for this year's Christmas period, citing "multiple sources".

It'll apparently make its debut on the mobile web, but Apple is reportedly considering making it usable on desktops and laptops too.

Apple Pay is already a popular payment method in physical shops - with a simple fingerprint scan, users can tap their phone on a contactless card reader and pay for their goods.

Bringing the service online would bring Apple into competition with PayPal, who already have a similar online payment system called One Touch. However, since so many people have Apple Pay already, they may be given a run for their money.