Apple Pay Coming to Taiwan 'Soon', Says Apple

[MacRumors]

The Apple Pay mobile payment system will be available in Taiwan soon, Apple announced on its regional website today.

A total of seven banks, including Cathay United Bank, CTBC Bank, E. Sun Commercial Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank, Taishin International Bank and Union Bank of Taiwan, will join Apple to launch the mobile payment service initially, Apple said.

Taiwan becomes the 14th region to gain access to Apple Pay, following the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Hong Kong, Australia, China, France, Russia, Switzerland, New Zealand, Spain, Singapore and Japan.

During Apple's 2017 first quarter earnings call, CEO Tim Cook said Apple Pay was "setting records", with transaction volume up over 500 percent year over year. Apple Pay on the web is also seeing great results, said Cook, with nearly two million small businesses now accepting the payment system online.

(via DigiTimes.)

Article Link: Apple Pay Coming to Taiwan 'Soon', Says Apple

 

[allenvanhellen]

Regarding Apple Pay in Japan, it's a bit frustrating that it's not real Apple Pay. It relies on an existing standard called FeliCa. Only Japan-bought iPhone 7s and Apple Watch series 2s can use it.

 

[CharlesShaw]

I'm hopeful that Apple Pay becomes popular enough in the U.S. to let us leave our bank cards at home.

Just last week an iPhone owning coworker saw me using my Apple Watch to pay a vending machine and remarked that they'd be afraid of accidentally buying stuff by standing too close. (Sigh) They also didn't use it on iPhone for the same reason, so I demonstrated how it works and recommended they give it a chance.

That said, there are still too few places to use it here, even if Apple does a better job of explaining that it's safe and secure.

 

[Zirel]

Regarding Apple Pay in Japan, it's a bit frustrating that it's not real Apple Pay. It relies on an existing standard called FeliCa. Only Japan-bought iPhone 7s and Apple Watch series 2s can use it.

It's frustrating because what?

It's the infrastructure that Japan already has and nobody is going to throw away their equipment so you can use your new iPhone.

 

[Fzang]

I think you misspelled "a small part of China that is definitely China, no matter who phones them".

 

[tmiw]

14 countries? Huh, didn't realize it was in that many already.

That said, there are still too few places to use it here, even if Apple does a better job of explaining that it's safe and secure.

I've had a theory for a while that the US will never have as extensive contactless/NFC support as in other countries. Maybe/hopefully I'm wrong on that.