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Apple Pay finally becomes useful in Canada
Apple Pay technically launched in Canada back in November, but it might as well have been non-existent -- you could only use a directly-issued American Express card, which isn't all that common in the country. At last, though, things are opening up. Apple has announced that its tap-to-pay service is now available through a much, much wider range of providers. Right now, you can use it through heavyweights CIBC and RBC (both credit and debit cards) as well as smaller providers ATB (initially MasterCard-only) and Canadian Tire (MasterCard). The other big three (BMO, Scotiabank and TD) aren't ready yet, but they've all committed to letting you pay with your iPhone or Apple Watch in the months ahead.
Barclays finally rolls out Apple Pay support
If you're a Barclays customer and you've been waiting since last year for the bank to support Apple Pay, we have some good news. The company announced today that the NFC payment technology has been enabled on Barclays and Barclaycard accounts, allowing customers to pay using their iPhone, Apple Watch and iPad at more than 400,000 contactless points around the UK.
Barclays isn't planning to support Android Pay in the UK
If UK bank Barclays hadn't angered mobile customers enough over its delayed rollout of Apple Pay, a new announcement today looks take things up a notch. After Google declared that it will bring rival payment service Android Pay to the UK in the coming months, Barclays has gone on record to say it has no plans to support the platform. In a statement sent to Techradar, the company said: "At this stage we are not planning on participating in Android Pay in the UK."
Apple leads the (tiny) mobile payment world
It's no secret that the mobile payment space is becoming increasingly crowded, but who's out in front? If you ask Crone Consulting, it's Apple... although Cupertino might not have much to crow about. The analyst group estimates that Apple Pay is the market leader, with 12 million iPhone owners making tap-to-pay purchases at least once a month. Android Pay and Samsung Pay are distant seconds with 5 million active users apiece. However, Crone is quick to note that both of these rivals are roughly half a year old -- they're catching up quickly to an incumbent that's been around for a year and a half.
Ride on the Tube for free using Apple Pay next week
At the tail end of last year, Mastercard incentivized card owners to use Apple Pay by gifting them free travel as part of its "Fare Free Mondays" promotion. It must have proved popular, because the company has decided to run the campaign again, allowing Londoners with an Apple Watch or iPhone 6 (or newer) to ride the London Underground and buses for free over the next three Mondays.
China could be Apple Pay's 'largest' market
One of China's biggest banks might've spoiled Cupertino's surprise about Apple Pay launching in the region, but, well, now its Thursday debut is official. "We think China could be our largest Apple Pay market," vice president of the service Jennifer Bailey told Reuters. Of course, the hard part will be convincing the Chinese populace that a hardware specific feature is better than apps offered by the likes of WeChat Payment and Alipay. But if any entity has the optimism for such a feat, then maybe it's Apple -- the company hoping you'll buy a $99 Pencil.
Apple Pay hits China on February 18
After months of rumors, it looks like Apple Pay will finally be launching in China on February 18, according to social media posts from the country's largest bank, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC). Up until now, we've been hearing that the mobile payments platform would hit China in "early 2016." While Apple hasn't confirmed the launch, China's state press notes that two other banks would be launching the service on the same date, Reuters reports. Altogether, Apple currently lists 19 banks as its launch partners in the country.
Tim Cook hints more Apple apps could come to Android
Apple stepped into the Android waters late last year with the launch of Apple Music on Google's competing mobile OS. But if comments made by Tim Cook at recent "Town Hall" event for Apple employees are to be believed, it might not be the last. According to sources at the event who reported info to 9to5Mac, Cook said that Apple Music on Android was a way of "testing the waters" to see if it could further expand its services division on Android.
Square is selling its NFC payment reader in Apple Stores
Last November, Square finally got on with the times and unveiled an NFC-friendly reader, but it was only available on Square's website. Now, however, it's available in Apple retail stores too. This means that anyone can go into an Apple store and buy Square's appropriately square-shaped wireless reader without having to order it online. As a reminder, the point-of-sale system is compatible with not only chip-enabled debit/credit cards but also NFC payments like Apple Pay, Android Pay and Samsung Pay. This isn't the first time Square has partnered up with Apple; its previous card-reader dongle was available in Apple stores as well as its Square Stand register. The NFC-friendly reader does cost $49, but that's a small price to pay if you're a small business who wants more ways for your customers to pay you.
Get ready to use your smartphone to withdraw cash at ATMs
Soon, you won't need your card to withdraw cash from JPMorgan Chase ATMs. Upgraded machines arriving later this year will be accessible with your phone, using codes generated from its smartphone app. That's only the first stage: second-generation upgrades will offer up NFC access to bank accounts, like Apple Pay and Samsung Pay. Yep, you'll still be able to use your cards, but importantly, the new machines will also have higher withdrawal limits during banking hours — up to $3,000. Future upgrades include the ability to cash checks and pay bill through the machines, but expect to see those features some time in 2018. Chase isn't the only bank looking to involve your smartphone with your money.
Barclays confirms it'll support Apple Pay by April
Since it came to Britain in July 2015, Apple Pay has made slow and steady progress, with 15 banks or credit card issuers now supporting the service. However, in that time, Barclays has done nothing but flip-flop over its decision to link its cards with Apple's NFC payment platform. After first declining to comment at launch, the bank quickly changed its mind and voiced support for the service. It then made customers wait months before offering an "early 2016" launch date at the end of last year. Following another few months of silence and hundreds of irate customer tweets, Barclays CEO Ashok Vaswani has finally offered to clear things up, confirming that Apple Pay support will roll out by April at the very latest.
Apple Pay comes to China in early 2016
As rumored (and inevitably), Apple Pay is coming to China. The company has partnered-up with Chinese bankcard network UnionPay to launch its payment system. The network, which is as ubiquitous as Visa in China, to let iPhone users pair their bank details to their Apple hardware. It arrives with support from "15 of China's leading banks." Like other territories, card numbers aren't stored on devices or Apple's servers and it'll launch in China with support for the Apple Watch right from the start, if it's wrist payments you're waiting, nay aching, for. The country's regulators still have to approve the announcement, but Apple's press release points to a launch in early 2016 -- just in time for Chinese New Year.
Apple Pay will launch in China early next year, says WSJ
Apple's latest iPhones have been a raging success in China, so the lack of Apple Pay in the nation has been a sore point. That's about to change soon, however, as Apple will bring Pay to China by early February 2016, according to the WSJ. Its sources say it has made deals with the company's four state banks, meaning most consumers will be able to pay at stores with an NFC-equipped iPhone 6 or 6s model. The deal is reportedly now just awaiting regulatory approval, and Apple is hoping to launch it before February 8th when China's spring holidays begin.
Square's new reader arrives to accept mobile payments and chip cards
We've known about Square's new NFC-friendly reader for a while, and now the point-of-sale gadget is available for use. Starting today, 100 merchants in "select cities" (quite a few, actually) will begin accepting NFC-driven payments like Apple Pay, Android Pay, Samsung Pay and those newfangled chip credit/debit cards. The reader is a square pad (of course) separate from the company's usual POS setups and sliding readers, allowing you to hover your phone or insert a card to complete purchase. The unit is wireless and pairs with either a countertop system or Square's free mobile app to handle the transactions. However, the new reader itself will set businesses back $49 in order to get started. For the initial rollout, look for the device at businesses in the following cities: Atlanta, Austin, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Los Angeles, Nashville, New Orleans, New York, Miami, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Francisco, Santa Cruz, Seattle, St. Louis Tampa, and Washington, D.C.
Mastercard gifts Apple Pay users with free London travel
Everyone likes getting something for free, especially when you get to save money doing things you normally do on a daily basis. For the next four Mondays (including today), Mastercard is offering free travel across London's Tube, trains, buses and the DLR for all riders using Apple Pay. That right, as long as you own a iPhone capable of supporting Apple's NFC payment service or an Apple Watch with a Mastercard attached, you can commute to work or roam across the capital for nothing.
Apple Pay goes live in Canada, but only for American Express customers
Apple Pay has been available in locales outside of the US already, and now our neighbors to the north are getting in on the action. Cupertino's mobile payments tech is now available in Canada, so iPhone and Apple Watch users can pay for goods with those two devices at a smattering of retail locations. There is a catch, though: Apple Pay in the land of poutine only supports American Express right now. If you have one of those cards in your physical wallet, you'll now be able to add it to the Wallet app on your iPhone in iOS 9.1 for use at places like McDonald's and Tim Hortons (mmm, doughnuts). Bank-issued AmEx cards won't work right now either, just the ones issued directly from the credit card company. This means that most debit cards and bank-issued credit cards won't be compatible as a lot of Canadian banks use Visa or MasterCard. As was the case in the States and other countries, we'd surmise you can expect the list of participating banks and cards to expand in the weeks to come. [Image credit: Bloomberg via Getty Images]
Apple Pay now supports TSB and Tesco Bank in the UK
Apple Pay is now firmly established in the UK, but since the service went live in July, a handful of banks have bided their time and left customers waiting for smartphone payments. Luckily, two more can be ticked off the list today after TSB and Tesco Bank confirmed they have enabled Apple Pay support for their payment cards.
Apple is reportedly working on peer-to-peer payments
Apple is reportedly in negotiations with US banks to create a mobile personal payment platform that would compete with PayPal's popular Venmo app. The Wall Street Journal, citing unnamed sources close to the talks, states that discussions are currently ongoing though there's no confirmation that any banks have actually signed on yet. Chase, Capital One, Wells Fargo and Bank have all been named as potential partners.
Instagram reportedly testing ads that use 3D Touch and Apple Pay (update)
Instagram ads have been around for some time now, but a new report claims the company is looking to boost the in-app shopping experience. According to Digiday, the photo-sharing app is testing 3D Touch and Apple Pay support for those ads from companies that are looking to sell you goods. With the former tool, a long press could give users access to multiple offers or items instead of just one from the Shop Now button Instagram added earlier this summer. The inclusion of Apple Pay will tack on a convenient method for handling payments for iPhone and iPad users. As is the case with any rumor, we'll have to wait and see when, or if, the test features make their way to the app. Update: Refuting the report, a spokesperson from Instagram told Engadget "this isn't something we are testing at this time." If you see anything different in your feeds over the weekend, let us know.
Apple Pay comes to Australia and Canada this year
At last, Apple Pay will be available outside of the US and the UK... if you have the right credit card. Tim Cook used his company's fiscal results call to confirm that the tap-to-pay service will be available in Australia and Canada by the end of 2015, while Hong Kong, Singapore and Spain will get it in early 2016. However, it sounds as if you'll be limited to using an American Express card at first. Despite leaks, you probably won't be using any other account for iPhone-based purchases on launch. It's likely that other providers will get with the program, though, so don't despair if you prefer MasterCard or Visa.
