"Apple doesn't have a revenue stream except for the goods that you buy, so this makes sense," he said, pointing out that its popular iTunes and App Stores, in which it sells soft goods rather than hardware, turn little if any profit. "They'd be sitting right in the middle of the transaction," giving Apple a new source of information about its customers' buying habits.

Apple is well-positioned to put itself in that middleman spot, Gottheil argued, because of its enormous iPhone and iPad owner base, their loyalty to the Apple brand and their demographics. "I can see a lot of [retailers] taking to this, and Apple leveraging [the iPhone's and iPad's] popularity," Gottheil said.

The company's would also play a part, said Gottheil, pinning a purpose on the new facility, something experts have wrestled with since Apple announced the start of construction in 2009.

Gottheil also saw a connection between a possible mobile payment system and a recent special Apple ran on iTunes. That deal, which ended Monday, priced 2010's biggest albums at $6.99 when purchased with an iTunes gift card.

"Apple pays a minimum transaction fee on every iTunes purchase, so by pushing the gift card, it's an advantage to Apple," said Gottheil. Purchasing a gift card results in just one transaction fee for Apple compared to multiple fees for each $.99 or $.69 purchase on its online music store. "Now they've given you a reason to use the iTunes card," Gottheil said.