Apple Pay Badges Appear in Some Maps Listings in Australia, Canada, Singapore and Europe

[MacRumors]

Apple Pay badges have been added to Apple Maps listings for select Coles and Woolworths supermarket locations in Australia, as spotted by multiple users on discussion forum AppleTalk Australia. The badges are normally reserved for locations that accept Apple Pay, which is noteworthy given the mobile payments service has yet to officially launch in Australia.

Apple Pay badges added to some Apple Maps listings in Melbourne, Perth and Sydney​

The badges appear in Apple Maps for select Coles and Woolworths store listings in or near large Australian cities such as Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Many other Coles and Woolworths listings do not have the badge, nor do large Australian chains such as McDonald's, so it remains unclear if they were added by mistake, or are indicative of forthcoming Apple Pay support in Australia.

Apple Pay launched in the U.S. in October 2014 before arriving in the U.K. last July, but Apple has remained quiet about its plans to expand iPhone-based contactless payments to additional countries. In August, Fairfax Media reported that Australian banks oppose Apple sharing a portion of the $2 billion interchange fees they collect from merchants each year in return for use of payment infrastructure.

Australia is a well-prepared candidate for Apple Pay, as contactless payments technology has been widely adopted throughout the country over the past few years. Several retailers that support Apple Pay in the U.S. and U.K. also operate in Australia, including Aéropostale, Apple, Babies "R" Us, Champs Sports, Foot Locker, GameStop, McDonald's, Nike, OfficeMax and Subway.

Beyond Australia, The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Apple is planning a November launch of Apple Pay in Canada, which was likely prematurely leaked by TD Canada Trust last week. Apple has reportedly been in talks with Canada's six largest banks, including the Bank of Montreal, CIBC, National Bank of Canada, Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank and TD Canada Trust.

Update: Apple Pay badges have also been spotted on some Apple Maps listings in Canada, Czech Republic, Finland, Germany, Poland and Singapore.

Article Link: Apple Pay Badges Appear in Some Maps Listings in Australia, Canada, Singapore and Europe

 

[Jetship]

We've had tap and pay for years... nothing new in that way but will be awesome to use my iPhone 6

 

[supertomtom]

Please let it be true!

 

[PeterHsieh]

Have been waiting since forever (Apple Pay was announced). Really hoping this is true!!

 

[Daalseth]

The Wall Street Journal previously reported that Apple is planning a November launch of Apple Pay in Canada,

I'll believe it when I see it. It's been promised to be a few months away ever since Apple rolled it out in the US.

 

[electorate]

I've been really excited for this to happen, haven't done a transaction without paypass (tapping card) in years now, except for at the Apple Store ironically.

 

[Crzyrio]

If Canada doesnt launch at the same time.....

 

[HelveticaNeue]

Whole Foods in Ontario Canada shows it too.

 

[The-Pro]

What I cant figure out is why apple pay isnt in the Netherlands yet.
most people use cards there anyway, cash is getting less and less popular and all the new bank cards are nfc capable. Im pretty sure apple pay would take off in holland much quicker then anywhere else.

 

[japanime]

Japan, for all its claims of being a First World country, shows how bass-ackwards it is when it comes to initiatives such as Apple Pay.

 

[sim667]

Im more in shock that australia still have woolworths.

 

[sshambles]

Considering we already have the technology in place, it's just going to be the banks stopping them.

Rather pay $ to Apple for convenience of Apple Pay and using iPhone or Apple Watch than continue to carry a wallet around, considering no bank here was ever going to do anything about wallet-less payments until challenged.

 

[sshambles]

Im more in shock that australia still have woolworths.

Once they replace every normal and known brand with their own Woolworths brand (currently at like 25% of all items) people will catch on and stop going there. Their stores spread like the ****ing plague.

I prefer Coles.

 

[2457282]

Im more in shock that australia still have woolworths.

I agree. In the USA, they disappeared about 20 years ago.

 

[mxmgodin]

Whole Foods in Ontario Canada shows it too. View attachment 595111

Yeah! This makes me happy!

 

[Benjamin Frost]

Good to hear Apple Pay is coming to our former colonies.

I hear it's quite an Apple stronghold Down Under.

 

[2457282]

Its clear, even in the article, that what is preventing many countries from moving forward is the bank. In the USA, its the opposite - the banks are on board but the merchant side is a mess. Some accept it, but then still require a signature and/or ID. Others could accept it but don't. And still others still do not have the machines to accept it. There are almost no terminals, outside vending machines, that simply allow me to tap my watch/phone and move on (no signatures, no IDs). There is really so much work to get this right.

1. Banks Get on Board and get rid of the silly limits.
2. Merchants, get the machine to accept NFC.
3. Change your policy to accept Apple Pay without pin, ID, or signature.

 

[iJandro]

That's really cool! Honestly, the biggest problem I'm having is unusual places that DO support Apple/Android Pay and have no decals next to accepted payment types outside their doors. The time I find out, the credit card is in my hand

 

[happydude]

i'm so happy for australia

 

[dk001]

Considering we already have the technology in place, it's just going to be the banks stopping them.

Rather pay $ to Apple for convenience of Apple Pay and using iPhone or Apple Watch than continue to carry a wallet around, considering no bank here was ever going to do anything about wallet-less payments until challenged.

So the only thing in your wallet is credit or debit cards?

 

[tmiw]

MasterCard has an API that lets you retrieve tap to pay locations. Could Apple just be using that? Not sure we should read much into this.

Its clear, even in the article, that what is preventing many countries from moving forward is the bank. In the USA, its the opposite - the banks are on board but the merchant side is a mess. Some accept it, but then still require a signature and/or ID. Others could accept it but don't. And still others still do not have the machines to accept it. There are almost no terminals, outside vending machines, that simply allow me to tap my watch/phone and move on (no signatures, no IDs). There is really so much work to get this right.

1. Banks Get on Board and get rid of the silly limits.
2. Merchants, get the machine to accept NFC.
3. Change your policy to accept Apple Pay without pin, ID, or signature.

The signature thing isn't that big of a deal. The bigger problem is the continued lack of support (and horrible merchant training such that even if the smaller business has the right equipment for it, they have no idea they accept it).

 

[newdeal]

RBC better not be douches and hold out because if this comes to Canada and they don't have it at launch I am switching

 

[benmac3]

I don't get it guys. I was back in Australia last Christmas and my iPhone 6 with Apple Pay worked everywhere. Coles, Woolies, Aldi, petrol stations, restaurants, bars. The only two places it didn't work was Telstra and Dick Smith. The only reason that Aussies can't use Apple Pay is because no Aussie banks support it. I was visiting from the US and both of my US credit cards with are linked to my Apple Pay worked fine. Australia had legislation to update payment terminals years ago and they seem to support Apple Pay by default. It was an amazing experience to have support everywhere rather than here in the US where it's the retailers that suck rather than the banks.

 

[Cronowerx]

If Canada doesnt launch at the same time.....

I will go to my regular BMO location and punch one of the managers in the face! ( he told me Apple Pay was coming soon)

 

[x86isslow]

Japan, for all its claims of being a First World country, shows how bass-ackwards it is when it comes to initiatives such as Apple Pay.

Japan has entrenched payments like Suica though.