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Apple Pay UK launch February 2015

JaJaWa

JaJaWa

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 16, 2013
291
120
Hong Kong | London
Updated

Apple Pay (launched July 2015)
Uses standard NFC payments in store and a button in apps. Involvement from debit and credit card issuers. Requires fingerprint for authentication.

The following banks / cards support Apple Pay:
  • American Express
  • Bank of Scotland
  • Barclays
  • Barclaycard
  • boon. by Wirecard
  • Cash Passport (Raphael's)
  • Clydesdale Bank
  • First Direct
  • Halifax
  • HSBC
  • Lloyds
  • M&S Bank
  • MBNA
  • Nationwide Building Society
  • NatWest
  • Royal Bank of Scotland
  • Santander
  • Tesco Bank (credit only)
  • TSB
  • Ulster Bank
  • Yorkshire Bank

Stores:
All of the stores currently accept NFC payment in all of their stores - except Tesco, The Co-operative and Subway who accept it in some/most respectively.

  • Aldi (terminal upgrade to support Apple Pay complete 23 October 2014)
  • Boots (part of Walgreens)
  • Caffe Nero
  • Costa Coffee
  • EAT
  • IKEA
  • Marks & Spencer
  • McDonald’s
  • Ocado (in-app)
  • Pret a Manger
  • Starbucks
  • Subway (terminals being upgraded)
  • Tesco (terminals being upgraded)
  • The Co-operative (terminals being upgraded)
  • Transport for London
  • Waitrose
  • Wetherspoons
  • WHSmith


ZAPP (launch ‘2015’)
Integrates loyalty data and targeted ads, whilst transferring money directly out of your bank account, main aim to save transaction fees for retailers (estimates to save them £500 million a year). Uses QR codes in store and a button in apps. Equivalent to ‘MCX CurrentC' from the US. Launch was intended to be Summer 2014 but now ‘2015’. Requires bank account number and sort code, or internet banking details for partner banks. Passcode for authentication.

Stores part of ZAPP (will not accept Apple Pay):
Nearly all branches do not accept NFC payments. Sainsbury’s had it in some stores but has since disabled it. Although ZAPP retailers can leave NFC enabled, with the main aim reducing transaction costs this remains to be seen.

  • ASDA (part of Walmart)
  • Best Western
  • Bravissimo
  • Clarks
  • Currys / PC World
  • Dune
  • easyJet
  • House of Fraser
  • John Lewis
  • Sainsbury’s
  • Shop Direct (branded as Littlewoods, very.co.uk, Woolworths.co.uk and Isme)
  • Siemens
  • Spar
  • Thomas Cook

Unlike MCX / CurrentC, there are also banks part of ZAPP:

  • Cahoot (part of Santander)
  • Cater Allen (part of Santander)
  • First Direct (part of HSBC)
  • HSBC
  • Metro Bank
  • Nationwide
  • Sainsbury’s Bank
  • Santander

Like MCX, there appears to be no crossover between Apple Pay and ZAPP, although Waitrose is an Apple Pay member and John Lewis is a member of ZAPP (both these stores are part of JLP). Waitrose currently accepts NFC at all stores, John Lewis does at none.
 
Last edited:
C

cjmillsnun

macrumors 68020
Aug 28, 2009
2,399
48
I very much doubt that John Lewis will be in ZAPP if Waitrose is an Apple Pay partner. That really doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

I'm also surprised that the Co-op Bank isn't there if the Co-op food stores will support Apple Pay.

Also Siemens? Where are the Siemens stores.

Until an official announcement is made, I'm skeptical.

That being said, ZAPP exists. It is being run by Vocalink. They run the LINK cashpoint network.
 
tigertazz

tigertazz

macrumors 6502
May 4, 2009
297
356
If true this is really good news.

I was literally just talking about it with a cashier when I used my contactless card at the till.

I am confused about why we would introduce ZAPP when contactless has a solid base and is used by most stores already, why introduce the extra step?
 
JaJaWa

JaJaWa

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 16, 2013
291
120
Hong Kong | London
Also received the following information:

Costa Coffee and Tesco are currently transitioning their loyalty cards from strip-style barcodes to use QR / Aztec codes. This will allow them to be integrated into Passbook. Users updating their app should receive the new-style loyalty card.

I've checked and Siemens are listed as a partner in ZAPP. Potentially this means they are just providing QR scanners or other back-office infrastructure.
 
kevkev

kevkev

macrumors member
Sep 22, 2008
37
0
Reading
Id like to hope that versus MCX, Stores accepting the Zapp system will also take Apple Pay; considering how places such as Asda already accept NFC payments.

That said, I have a HSBC card and an AMEX card.

AMEX I am good with, HSBC I will leave should they decide that locking customers out of Apple Pay is a good idea for their business. I've never been a huge fan of them but never had any real motivation to switch.

This changes things.

Kevin.
 
nihilisticmonk

nihilisticmonk

macrumors 6502
May 4, 2005
295
29
****** that the co-op is going to be a launch partner, but smile/co-op bank (their banking arms) aren't going to be partners at launch.

Doesn't surprise me though with how crap Smile/Co-Op actually is though.

Sucky list of shops as well. At least it'll force tesco to get off their arse and support NFC cards though.
 
Apple fanboy

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
55,255
53,002
Behind the Lens, UK
So here is my issue with Apple pay. I downloaded an e-boarding pass the other day for a flight. Most of the time I held my phone against the scanner and all was good. One time though the scanner was the other side of the kiosk and I had to hand my phone to the worker.
She so fumbled the pass and nearly dropped it.
 
CB1234

CB1234

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2012
784
491
Dubai, UAE
Apple fanboy said:
So here is my issue with Apple pay. I downloaded an e-boarding pass the other day for a flight. Most of the time I held my phone against the scanner and all was good. One time though the scanner was the other side of the kiosk and I had to hand my phone to the worker.
She so fumbled the pass and nearly dropped it.
Click to expand...

So how is that Apple's or Apple pay fault? Unless I missed your point....
 
Z

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
Apple fanboy said:
So here is my issue with Apple pay. I downloaded an e-boarding pass the other day for a flight. Most of the time I held my phone against the scanner and all was good. One time though the scanner was the other side of the kiosk and I had to hand my phone to the worker.
She so fumbled the pass and nearly dropped it.
Click to expand...
You didn't have yo hand her your phone. You could have said no because you won't pay for any damage if your drop it. She would most likely say I won't drop it. You reply that's not what I said. An airline employee scratched my iPhone by banging it not once but twice. Didn't say a word not a sorry nothing. Head office told me to go **** myself. Ok not those words but basically that. So no don't ever let them handle your iPhone. I don't care now if they get funny about it they aren't handling it.
 
Apple fanboy

Apple fanboy

macrumors Ivy Bridge
Feb 21, 2012
55,255
53,002
Behind the Lens, UK
CB1234 said:
So how is that Apple's or Apple pay fault? Unless I missed your point....
Click to expand...

You did. My concern is that some terminals at shops will be the same. So as you won't know for sure, your going to need to take an alternative payment method with you. So if your carrying your wallet just incase, the advantage of Apple Pay is somewhat lost on me.

And just to be clear, where did I say it was Apple or Apple pay's fault?

----------
Zxxv said:
You didn't have yo hand her your phone. You could have said no because you won't pay for any damage if your drop it. She would most likely say I won't drop it. You reply that's not what I said. An airline employee scratched my iPhone by banging it not once but twice. Didn't say a word not a sorry nothing. Head office told me to go **** myself. Ok not those words but basically that. So no don't ever let them handle your iPhone. I don't care now if they get funny about it they aren't handling it.
Click to expand...

But then I wouldn't have got on the plane. All the other times I was the one doing the scanning.
Basically next time I fly I'll take a print out as well.
 
CB1234

CB1234

macrumors 6502a
Sep 20, 2012
784
491
Dubai, UAE
Apple fanboy said:
You did. My concern is that some terminals at shops will be the same. So as you won't know for sure, your going to need to take an alternative payment method with you. So if your carrying your wallet just incase, the advantage of Apple Pay is somewhat lost on me.

And just to be clear, where did I say it was Apple or Apple pay's fault?
Click to expand...

Ok got it - I misunderstood and thought you were blaming Apple for it. Apologies good sir...
 
Z

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
Apple fanboy said:
You did. My concern is that some terminals at shops will be the same. So as you won't know for sure, your going to need to take an alternative payment method with you. So if your carrying your wallet just incase, the advantage of Apple Pay is somewhat lost on me.

And just to be clear, where did I say it was Apple or Apple pay's fault?

----------



But then I wouldn't have got on the plane. All the other times I was the one doing the scanning.
Basically next time I fly I'll take a print out as well.
Click to expand...

Sure that's what she wanted you to believe.

----------

Zapp is out of the question for me. Not secure and looks like a huge scam. No protection against crime. Very clumsy to use. How will they get people to use it?
 
Nermal

Nermal

Moderator
Staff member
Dec 7, 2002
20,640
4,039
New Zealand
Apple fanboy said:
My concern is that some terminals at shops will be the same.
Click to expand...

I have never seen an active contactless terminal that isn't in reach of the customer; that's the whole point of contactless. In NZ it's always part of the "PIN pad" but I've seen separate NFC readers in Australia so there's a way to ensure that they're always in reach of the customer.

I haven't been to the UK since contactless came about so I'm not completely sure how it all works there, but I'd be shocked if there's an active reader that isn't within customer reach.
 
Phil A.

Phil A.

Moderator emeritus
Apr 2, 2006
5,799
3,094
Shropshire, UK
Nermal said:
I have never seen an active contactless terminal that isn't in reach of the customer; that's the whole point of contactless. In NZ it's always part of the "PIN pad" but I've seen separate NFC readers in Australia so there's a way to ensure that they're always in reach of the customer.

I haven't been to the UK since contactless came about so I'm not completely sure how it all works there, but I'd be shocked if there's an active reader that isn't within customer reach.
Click to expand...

It's the same in the UK - One of the selling points of contactless, and also chip and pin, is that you, and only you, have possession of your card.
 
B

bbfc

macrumors 68040
Oct 22, 2011
3,849
1,612
Newcastle, England.
M&S Bank is operated by HSBC. So it makes no sense that they will support Apple Pay and HSBC will not, it's the same company, just a different brand.
 
Z

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
bbfc said:
M&S Bank is operated by HSBC. So it makes no sense that they will support Apple Pay and HSBC will not, it's the same company, just a different brand.
Click to expand...

It does make sense. M&S just use HSBC services, a bit like a mobile phone company can use a bigger companies lines, and then offer stuff the major company doesn't.
 
mazz0

mazz0

macrumors 68040
Mar 23, 2011
3,132
3,579
Leeds, UK
I very, very strongly suspect they (and their American equivalents) will drop their plans once Apple Pay takes off. Customers will already be used to Apple Pay by the time this launches. If you're going to launch an inferior product you need to launch it first.
 
B

bbfc

macrumors 68040
Oct 22, 2011
3,849
1,612
Newcastle, England.
Zxxv said:
It does make sense. M&S just use HSBC services, a bit like a mobile phone company can use a bigger companies lines, and then offer stuff the major company doesn't.
Click to expand...

Just seems a bit strange considering M&S Bank is just a brand of HSBC. Then again, my M&S Credit Card does not have wave pay yet my M&S Bank Debit Card does.
 
Kiimora

Kiimora

macrumors 65816
Sep 11, 2014
1,299
611
London UK
I am not chuffed with this piece of info; all my banks are not collaborating with the Apple Pay scheme# was so looking forward to it

I do my groceries mainly in Tesco , it means I've to pay with my Amex come January until HSBC, Santander, & co wake up & sniff the coffee

Well I guess it's just Amex also for the rest of the retail outlets with Apple Pay MPOS#
 
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