Apple Partnering With American Express to Bring Apple Pay to Canada, Australia, Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong

[MacRumors]

During today's earnings call for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2015, Apple CEO Tim Cook announced a partnership with American Express that will bring the Apple Pay to customers in "key global markets."

Under the partnership, Apple Pay will be available to eligible American Express customers in Canada and Australia later this year, and access will expand to Spain, Singapore, and Hong Kong beginning in 2016.

Since its launch in the United States in 2014, the international rollout of Apple Pay has been slow. Customers in the United Kingdom gained access to Apple Pay in July, but aside from the U.S. and the UK, Apple Pay has not yet expanded to additional countries.

It is not clear when other banks and credit card companies in Australia, Canada, and other above listed countries will begin accepting Apple Pay, making the initial Apple Pay rollout in those countries somewhat limited.

Article Link: Apple Partnering With American Express to Bring Apple Pay to Canada, Australia, Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong

 

[Playgear]

Hopefully the banks of Australia suck up their pride and give in soon after.

 

[Corrode]

Woohoo! This is awesome. Amex is my main cc so this works great for me. I wonder how long for support from Canadian banks.

 

[newdeal]

I am guessing canadian banks are holding it up and so they can do Amex because Amex doesn't operate through banks in Canada. Unfortunately most retailers have tap to pay in Canada and most of them also don't accept Amex cards due to the high fees and low penetration in the canadian market

 

[BruiserB]

Good move....AMEX for the most part is issued directly by AMEX and not other banks. So Apple has lined them up to get a toe into these other markets that seem to have a large network of locations that will work with NFC payments. Then hopefully the local banks will feel pressured to also get in on ApplePay with their Visas and MCs.

 

[pgiguere1]

I'm Canadian and I don't think I know a single person using an American Express credit card.

Here half of retailers accepting credit cards don't accept Amex, which makes it not super useful. Everybody seems to be using Visa or MasterCard.

This is also not useful for Americans visiting Canada since they could already use ApplePay here.

So yeah, it's pretty pointless... I'd be curious to know if this is also the case for the other listed countries.

 

[Corrode]

I am guessing canadian banks are holding it up and so they can do Amex because Amex doesn't operate through banks in Canada. Unfortunately most retailers have tap to pay in Canada and most of them also don't accept Amex cards due to the high fees and low penetration in the canadian market

I think you're spot on. Hopefully there will be some pressure for banks to adopt it. I know I'll be using my Amex on Apple Pay as often as possible. This won't bode well for adoption numbers though.

 

[KALLT]

Spain? American Express? Apple barely has a presence there with almost 90% of the market share belonging to Android and is American Express really a thing there? This is... surprising.

 

[Poochi]

Happy to carry one less card in my wallet... but Amex? Less and less place take it. Since they lost contract with Costco in Canada, Amex is absolutely useless.

 

[SuspiciousWink]

Ugh pathetic for Australia. Partner with the banks instead.

Amex is probably the least used, most over priced and definitely the least accepted credit card company in Australia.

Hopefully the banks, many of whom already offer NFC payments to Android customers through their own apps and universally by adhesive NFC tags, will get off their little moral high horse and let Apple in for a bit!

 

[mxmgodin]

I'm Canadian and I don't think I know a single person using an American Express credit card.

Here half of retailers accepting credit cards don't accept Amex, which makes it not super useful. Everybody seems to be using Visa or MasterCard.

This is also not useful for Americans visiting Canada since they could already use ApplePay here.

So yeah, it's pretty pointless... I'd be curious to know if this is also the case for the other listed countries.

Same here. Don't know a single person using Amex, and a lot of merchants don't accept it. So I hope banks and other card issuers will get on board soon, because this is pretty disappointing.

 

[archstan]

Outside corporate cards I think Amex is pretty much non-existent in Spain and most of Europe. Many stores don't accept them, I think due to the high fees they charge. I'm disappointed by this. It sounds like they're not making much progress with the main banks

 

[JXShine]

Sigh Apple, get your **** together. No one uses AMEX in Canada, work out something with the banks! Tim Cook may be a great businessman, but when it comes to negotiations, he is way worse than Steve Jobs.

 

[sammich]

I'm very excited. Hopefully this means that Visa/MC are not far behind and thusly their issuing banks.

Ugh pathetic for Australia. Partner with the banks instead.

Amex is probably the least used, most over priced and definitely the least accepted credit card company in Australia.

Hopefully the banks, many of whom already offer NFC payments to Android customers through their own apps and universally by adhesive NFC tags, will get off their little moral high horse and let Apple in for a bit!

Amex is even less accepted than Diners?

Non-co-branded cards Amex cards are generally limited to company charge cards. Amex have partnered with a lot of banks here to give you an Amex as well as a Visa/MC, but you probably knew that. I use my Amex as my first priority and most places do accept it - hardly as dire a situation as you describe.

 

[xero9]

This isn't as good as I had hoped, but I'll take it.

 

[mikelillo_1]

I'm Canadian and I don't think I know a single person using an American Express credit card.

Here half of retailers accepting credit cards don't accept Amex, which makes it not super useful. Everybody seems to be using Visa or MasterCard.

This is also not useful for Americans visiting Canada since they could already use ApplePay here.

So yeah, it's pretty pointless... I'd be curious to know if this is also the case for the other listed countries.

Same here in Spain.

 

[okboy]

I am guessing canadian banks are holding it up and so they can do Amex because Amex doesn't operate through banks in Canada. Unfortunately most retailers have tap to pay in Canada and most of them also don't accept Amex cards due to the high fees and low penetration in the canadian market

Seems like a big assumption. Many Canadian banks have been found with Apple Pay wording already on their websites, seemingly released prematurely in preparation for  Pay.

 

[Kajje]

No one in Asia uses Amex.

The last time I've heard about Amex was when an overseas friend of me wanted to pick up the tab and the waiter came back telling their swiper didn't accept Amex. Ended up joining the waiter to the back to swipe my VISA instead. They had at least 5 different swipe machines, in every color of the rainbow. Not one accepting Amex.

 

[merve04]

What are you guys talking about, no one uses Amex? I use mine pratically everywhere. Yes it was a blow when costco dropped amex but there a very few outlets i shop at that wont accept it. My question is will my scotiabank amex work? Or do I need to get a card direct from amex..

 

[BuddyTronic]

Canadian banks have tap to pay but it doesn't work half the time and none of the retailers have a clue. The banks would do absolutely NOTHING if they were given the choice, and their lagging on Apple Pay exemplifies that.

TD Bank - get off your butts and get Apple Pay to work on a regular TD Visa card! Stop delaying.

TD Apple Pay should have been announced, but it wasn't. This American Express thing is a joke for Canada - what a useless card to have.

 

[gsmornot]

Happy to carry one less card in my wallet... but Amex? Less and less place take it. Since they lost contract with Costco in Canada, Amex is absolutely useless.

Never leave home without it.

 

[slayerz96]

So those Apple Maps badges aren't all error at all...

AMEX exists in Singapore, but it's nowhere as common as Visa or MasterCard. Hopefully by launch Apple will be able to accept all three.

 

[anzio]

Canadian banks have tap to pay but it doesn't work half the time and none of the retailers have a clue.

I've never had a problem with contactless payments on any of my credit cards.

 

[mxmgodin]

I've never had a problem with contactless payments on any of my credit cards.

Same here, I tap to pay many times a week with no problems whatsoever.

 

[appledefenceforce]

Hopefully the banks of Australia suck up their pride and give in soon after.

I doubt it.

And of course Apple has to do it the long way. Who cares about Amex?!? 90% of people in Australia don't use Amex on a daily basis.