Scan your credit card instead of keying in number for purchases in iOS 8

With Safari and at least the Zappos app, you can scan your credit card to enter your payment information for a purchase, saving you from having to key in your digits manually.

Entering your credit card number for online purchases is a nuisance, particularly on a small iPhone keyboard. You likely have your credit card information stored with the online retailers that you frequent often, but for purchases at sites where you haven't saved your payment information, a new feature in Safari with iOS 8 lets you scan your card instead of entering your number manually.

When making a purchase at at site using Safari, head to the checkout screen and tap in the name or card number field. A numerical keyboard will spring forth with a link at the top to Scan Credit Card. Tap the link and Safari will open a scanner with a credit-card-size rectangle. Position your card and it will scan both your name and number. You will still need to manually enter the expiration date, however, and the three-digit code on the back of your card.

The feature works in Safari and also on the Zappos app. With the Zappos app, it provides a small camera icon in the card number field that calls up its card scanner, which I'm excited to report comes complete with a laser cat.

Although the card scanner feature works on Amazon when accessed through Safari, the Amazon app itself does not let you scan your card, though this could change, of course, with a future update.

For more helpful iOS 8 tips, check out our complete guide on how to use iOS 8.