Apple Pay Expanding to France, Hong Kong, and Switzerland

[diligiant]

It's usually Americans complaining about our lack of contactless terminals in every thread, I find. Which is annoying when the thread isn't about America at all.

Anyway, it's kinda weird that AmEx isn't going to be supported in France and Switzerland. I get that it's probably not accepted in that many places there, but they do have a presence right?

No Amex in FR/CH is bad news provided the sloppiness of France's Visa&Mastercard local representative (Groupement Carte Bancaire). Hard to comprehend as they've opened the service in the UK.

 

[CommanderData]

Hong Kong is a great market. Plenty of contactless terminals, plenty of iPhones and a society that's into things like that

Yeah I think Apple Pay will be pretty useful in Hong Kong...

Wish that Apple would open up the iPhone / Apple Watch NFC sub-systems so they could replace the ubiquitous Octopus Cards in HK. Would be one less thing I need to carry around when I'm there

 

[haruhiko]

Yeah I think Apple Pay will be pretty useful in Hong Kong...

Wish that Apple would open up the iPhone / Apple Watch NFC sub-systems so they could replace the ubiquitous Octopus Cards in HK. Would be one less thing I need to carry around when I'm there

The Octopus card was the pioneer of contactless payment and the first large scale commercial success in the world in 1997, but since then Hong Kong has been stuck with the same form (an Octopus card) forever.

 

[nicho]

Yeah I think Apple Pay will be pretty useful in Hong Kong...

Wish that Apple would open up the iPhone / Apple Watch NFC sub-systems so they could replace the ubiquitous Octopus Cards in HK. Would be one less thing I need to carry around when I'm there

You don't wish HK would go the other way (like TfL in London) and accept regular contactless payments on public transport in addition to octopus?

I used apple pay a couple of months ago in hong kong at a toys r us, with unionpay quickpass. that was fun.

 

[patjem]

too bad there is still no news about Spain, with our huge amount of contactless cards and payment terminals

 

[Robert.Walter]

It's usually Americans complaining about our lack of contactless terminals in every thread, I find. Which is annoying when the thread isn't about America at all.

Anyway, it's kinda weird that AmEx isn't going to be supported in France and Switzerland. I get that it's probably not accepted in that many places there, but they do have a presence right?

I live in Switzerland and since 12/14 have used Apple Pay via my USA based AMEX card almost everywhere, where not accepted, I use my USA based Visa card.

Almost all card-accepting merchants take Amex (subway* , McD, Lidl* and Manor(a)* are some of the larger exceptions.). Post office* only takes their own post bank card.

* Also lacking NFC in their POS terminals (as are all gas stations besides coop pronto.)

The reason apple's Swiss Apple Pay launch partners are smaller boutique/off-name and/or prepay Visa card issuers is because the 5 biggest banks, it's two biggest grocery chains (Coop and Migros) who do take Apple Pay) and the post office are members of the Twint consortium.

In other countries where banks have tried to block Apple Pay, Apple has been able to use AMEX as an entry wedge. But in Switzerland, Amex cards are issued by AECS a joint venture of Amex and Credit Suisse. I'd bet that because CS is one of the Twint cartel, it blocked Swiss Amex from being used as an entry wedge in Switzerland.

For Apple Pay uptake to become ubiquitous here, it has to be offered either through some more mainstream banks, or on some of the common (annual fee free) credit cards offered by Coop (Supercard Visa via AECS) or Migros (Cumulus Visa via Cremba) which is unlikely to happen as long as Twint has a breath left in it.

The best hope against non-Twint NFC payments not getting frozen out by the Teint mafia is the tourist trade. As long as Twint is a Swiss only system, with no significant ex-Swiss uptake, merchants and payment systems will be pressured to leave access to NFC POS open to competing systems like Apple Pay.

 

[Simche]

Europe is not just France & Switzerland. How about Sweden in the north or Germany? Would love to see those countries at least

 

[John Mcgregor]

Europe is not just France & Switzerland. How about Sweden in the north or Germany? Would love to see those countries at least

If it's anything like in Denmark then don't get you hopes high. They talk about QR code scanning and BTLE as being superior to Apple Pay. Basically something like CurrentC they have Swipp and Mobile Pay by Danske bank. Pure ****. Horrible experience. **********ing banks can choke and die.

 

[Simche]

If it's anything like in Denmark then don't get you hopes high. They talk about QR code scanning and BTLE as being superior to Apple Pay. Basically something like CurrentC they have Swipp and Mobile Pay by Danske bank. Pure ****. Horrible experience. Mother****ing banks can choke and die.

OMG Exact same sh*t is happening here! Especially with ICA stores and Swedbank, all about QR-code pay method and "E-cards" with limited amount of cash for faster payment. I hope they give up and start to implement Apple Pay, no one wants to carry MORE cards or have to pay with 2+ steps involved

 

[Robert.Walter]

If it's anything like in Denmark then don't get you hopes high. They talk about QR code scanning and BTLE as being superior to Apple Pay. Basically something like CurrentC they have Swipp and Mobile Pay by Danske bank. Pure ****. Horrible experience. Mother****ing banks can choke and die.

The solution will be when Apple puts all that offshore capital to work by deciding to become a bank. You won't believe how fast the other banks will hustle to provide customer service.

 

[John Mcgregor]

The solution will be when Apple puts all that offshore capital to work by deciding to become a bank. You won't believe how fast the other banks will hustle to provide customer service.

I'm surprised why Apple doesn't do something like Boon. We already have accounts with cc attached or iTunes credit. Everyone would have Apple pay anywhere they are.