Apple Pay Expands to Singapore Through American Express Partnership, Visa Support Coming Soon

[catean]

I used apple pay in a tesco metro no problems. Everywhere in the UK that accepts contactless that I tried with transactions under £30 it worked regardless of if the terminal showed or mentioned apple.
Are there any known exceptions?

Yes, American Express trough Apple Pay doesn't work. It only works if you present the plastic.

 

[CoolGuy9890]

when we've moved on from Stripes for a hell of long time

Same here in Singapore. The banks here reissued cards to remove the mag stripe function.

Isn't there something similar to Hong Kong's Octopus card in Singapore?

NETS FlashPay. Its used in most of the retailers in Singapore. I usually use it for buying small stuff at supermarkets.

Cannot find a reason to switch to Apple Pay yet.

If you have an iPhone... use Apple Pay

 

[slayerz96]

Where's OCBC Bank? I want to be able to use Apple Pay with my bank card here in Singapore.

I'm sure with DBS (not sure about POSB but I guess they'll be supporting too) and UOB on the bandwagon, it'll be a matter of time for OCBC to join.

 

[CoolGuy9890]

I'm sure with DBS (not sure about POSB but I guess they'll be supporting too) and UOB on the bandwagon, it'll be a matter of time for OCBC to join.

Hope Apple just forgot to place their logo on their website. I really want to use Apple Pay.

And hope NETS FlashPay and EZ Link will join in for public transport.

 

[zzLZHzz]

I disagree, quite often when you hand over your card the cashier will reach over the till and place your card on the contactless unit. In fact you now seem to have more issues if your card isn't Paywave enabled as they will try the contactless a couple of times before understanding that it won't work.

Nearly every store here, excluding 7-11, has contactless terminals and it's much more prevalent than the UK

i understand what you are trying to say and i certainly able to tell if my card support contactless or not.

The contactless unit is usually in position that is facing the customer and yet some cashiers insist that i pass them my card for them to swipe or insert for the EMV chip.

when it works, it is great.

Same here in Singapore. The banks here reissued cards to remove the mag stripe function.



NETS FlashPay. Its used in most of the retailers in Singapore. I usually use it for buying small stuff at supermarkets.



If you have an iPhone... use Apple Pay

And yet my latest VISA card that I receive from HSBC still have mag stripe.
I use cards even for the smallest amount like $1

I'm sure with DBS (not sure about POSB but I guess they'll be supporting too) and UOB on the bandwagon, it'll be a matter of time for OCBC to join.

I use none of this bank. I guess I have to wait even longer as I seem to be the rare one without mainstream cards from Singapore bank. I only has cards from Citi, HSBC, CIMB, Maybank

 

[slayerz96]

I use none of this bank. I guess I have to wait even longer as I seem to be the rare one without mainstream cards from Singapore bank. I only has cards from Citi, HSBC, CIMB, Maybank

Citi and HSBC might adopt Apple Pay fairly quickly because they are already using it for the US/UK.

Malaysian banks might be a bit harder though.

 

[zzLZHzz]

Citi and HSBC might adopt Apple Pay fairly quickly because they are already using it for the US/UK.

Malaysian banks might be a bit harder though.

yes, I have higher hope on Citi and HSBC too. i read somewhere that they will support it within this year.

 

[RoboCop001]

I wonder if that would include VISA Debit. Does VISA handle all of the details behind that, or would that still need cooperation with the banks?

 

[newdeal]

American express sucks in Canada. Even though McDonalds advertises applepay at all of their restaurants up here (they have apple pay logos on the kiosks), not all of the restaurants actually take american express at all....

 

[patjem]

Still waiting for the Spanish rollout. Hopefully it will follow real soon. NFC payments are business as usual here in Barcelona

 

[PaulRustad007]

What difference does it make if they expand credit card companies, banks and credit unions if merchants aren't offering it.
At least in NE Florida there are few businesses that accept Apple pay. I continue to be disappointed in it's lack adoption at retailers and merchants. I need for Apple pay to accepted at grocery stores, restaurants etc. It ain't happening here.
It works great and I love it but it's a massive fail in terms of adoption.

I found that even if a store says they do not take apple pay, but have the NFC terminal ON, it will take it. My grocery store does that. And they were very surprised that my watch worked on their terminals. I am seeing a better adoption rate among small mom and pop businesses; those that use iPads for their POS terminals, such as Square and stuff. The fast food chains are coming aboard, but have yet to see it in any major restaurant; ie Olive Garden, Outback ,etc....I am sure they are figuring out how to best do NFC on the staff level.

 

[tallscot]

Useless feature because nobody I frequent in Dallas takes Apple Pay.

 

[HiVolt]

"Apple Pay is now available in six countries, including Canada"

Only on AMEX with ZERO stores accepting it ... pfffft.
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The Canadian banks which run their own Visa CC programs with Chips and Tap & Go and have offered the safest CC experience for years, anywhere, ain't going to give a single cent to Apple for Apple Pay.

Thats the problem with greedy Apple. want a cut from everything. Canadians should file a class action suit against Apple, 1.5 years after launch of Apple Pay and still can't use the hardware in any meaningful way in Canada.

AMEX doesn't count and it's nearly useless as most places that accept AMEX don't accept it in tap form. My buddy tried it at a bunch of places and it didn't work.

I don't have AMEX, never will, cuz it's pointless.

 

[rjohnstone]

AMEX can implement Apple Pay faster because they are the issuer and the processor in most cases.
Part of their slightly higher processing fee is due to them owning and running their own network.

Visa and MC require an issuing bank and a host of processing networks to handle each transaction.
Co-branded cards require both the issuing bank and the processor to support Apple Pay.
Visa and MC don't actually have their own processing network, so they have less room financially to give Apple a slice.

The fact that Apple charges a fee on each transaction is the primary reason for it's inability to get real traction with issuers, processors, and merchants.

 

[Dark-Sider]

Hi,

Apple pay is apple pay. Store accept it or they don't, It does not depend on the card brand you own.
I'd be happy to have Amex on ApplePay in germany. The Amex Card is free if you process more than 4000 € through your card.

Many stores already have contactless payment terminals over here and they work with apple pay. However there is no way to register your local credit card with the service.

 

[62tele]

I found that even if a store says they do not take apple pay, but have the NFC terminal ON, it will take it. My grocery store does that. And they were very surprised that my watch worked on their terminals. I am seeing a better adoption rate among small mom and pop businesses; those that use iPads for their POS terminals, such as Square and stuff. The fast food chains are coming aboard, but have yet to see it in any major restaurant; ie Olive Garden, Outback ,etc....I am sure they are figuring out how to best do NFC on the staff level.

That's good to hear. Where do you live? The adoption of NFC terminals is very poor here. Even places that have them the staff says "slide your card" and look dumbfounded.

 

[rjohnstone]

Hi,

Apple pay is apple pay. Store accept it or they don't, It does not depend on the card brand you own.

False.
The card associated with your Apple Pay transaction has to be accepted by the merchant.
If you only have an Amex card setup in Apple Pay and the merchant doesn't accept Amex cards, your Apple Pay transaction will fail.

 

[CoolGuy9890]

And yet my latest VISA card that I receive from HSBC still have mag stripe.
I use cards even for the smallest amount like $1

I think it only applies to locally issued cards. The actual mag strip is still there, but they sent out a letter saying that it is deactivated. It can only be activated for international use only in countries that don't use the EMV chip as a standard.

Also in the Philippines, banks like Citi did the same thing.

 

[rjohnstone]

Little more info on why adoption is slow in international markets.


U.S. banks may be demanding a fee cut or even drop Apple Pay support depending on how international markets perform.

PaymentsSource January 11, 2016

Apple Pay is seeing a surge in U.S. bank support, with the number of participating banks rising past 900 with the recent addition of 60 regional and community banks, bringing it closer to full coverage in its home market. But Apple isn't having the same luck everywhere else.

Banks in Canada, Australia and most European markets continue to resist Apple's advances, despite Apple's mobile wallet being considered a must-have feature by industry analysts.

One likely reason is that banks outside the U.S. aren't interested in paying Apple's fees, which are said to be 10 to 15 basis points per transaction. Many U.S. banks agreed to pay the toll when the service launched in October 2014, but many did so reluctantly, with one Citizens Bank exec openly declaring Apple's terms to be "the most one-sided agreement I have ever seen."

So far, the only big welcome Apple Pay has received outside the U.S. is in the U.K., where the largest banks launched Apple Pay in mid-2015. One notable exception is Barclays, which still doesn't support Apple Pay, but observers expect it will come on board this year.

In Canada, only American Express—which has about 7% of Canada's credit card market—supports Apple Pay, and observers say there's no indication Canadian banks are eager to embrace it anytime soon. Meanwhile, Canada's biggest banks, including RBC, are moving forward with proprietary mobile wallets.

And, in light of Apple Pay's lackluster consumer adoption, Apple may find it difficult to replicate the deals it cut with U.S. banks when those contracts expire, he said. "U.S. banks will be looking not just at the international experience, but also at Visa's Digital Enablement Program and MasterCard's Digital Enablement Express and will be seeking terms [for Apple Pay] comparable to other digital wallets," he said.

Apple's success with banks in the U.S. is due largely to the company's efforts to work with several early partners ahead of the mobile wallet's formal launch in October 2014. With major partners like JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America and U.S. Bank already on board, many banks and credit unions scrambled to sign up with Apple to get the same early-mover advantage. Some issuers held out for various reasons — they wanted an Android equivalent, or they wanted Apple Pay to launch in more markets — but they have since come on board.

"Apple did a good job of signing up banks in the U.S., and while 900 is still considerably short of full coverage, in terms of cards and purchasing volume, they are pretty much there," Bareisis said.

U.S. banks are eager to support digital payments, and Apple Pay plays into their strategies. Bareisis noted. In a recent survey Celent conducted of a cross-section of U.S. banks, 60% of banks said they had launched Apple Pay, while 77% of larger banks with assets above $10 billion had adopted it. Another 27% of banks in Celent's survey said they were actively planning to add Apple Pay, and 5% said they had no plans to do so.

 

[Keirasplace]

I think it only applies to locally issued cards. The actual mag strip is still there, but they sent out a letter saying that it is deactivated. It can only be activated for international use only in countries that don't use the EMV chip as a standard.

Also in the Philippines, banks like Citi did the same thing.

The stripes can't be used on a card with a chip if the Terminal takes the chip; that's how it used to be here.
So, if you go abroad somewhere they don't have a chip terminal (almost nowhere outside the US), well you have to use the chip. MAybe now it's even enforced by country (in countries were all terminals are with a chip, like most of Europe).

If someone could just pick one or the other, it would screw whatever protection you have from the chip.

 

[tmiw]

U.S. banks may be demanding a fee cut or even drop Apple Pay support depending on how international markets perform.

How did you come to that conclusion based on the article you pasted? Reluctance then doesn't mean reluctance now.

 

[rjohnstone]

How did you come to that conclusion based on the article you pasted? Reluctance then doesn't mean reluctance now.

I've worked in the card industry for over 15 years now. The contracts with Apple are not very long (3-5 years). Some will start coming up for renewal in the next two years and banks are looking at the bottom line.
Is it worth the cost of the transaction fee to continue to support Apple Pay over other payment methods that are cheaper while still using EMV technology?
I suspect that answer will be no.
10 to 15 basis points per transaction adds up fast. There are cheaper and in some cases, more secure options out there right now.
Case in point, did you know if you only had the card number and expiration date of a stolen card, you can keep retrying the CVV code until you guess it when registering a card with Apple Pay? (it's only 1000 codes to try)
Android Pay and Samsung Pay both have gating tech built into their apps to prevent this. Apple Pay does not.
Sounds like an easy fix, but it's a security flaw that has been there since Apple Pay was launched.

 

[tmiw]

other payment methods that are cheaper while still using EMV technology

Such as? It's not like Samsung's going to build a Samsung Pay phone case for Apple for instance. The banks are highly reluctant to implement contactless payments themselves as well. Plus, if the whole Apple Pay coming to websites thing pans out it could very well still provide enough value to justify the cost.

 

[zzLZHzz]

I think it only applies to locally issued cards. The actual mag strip is still there, but they sent out a letter saying that it is deactivated. It can only be activated for international use only in countries that don't use the EMV chip as a standard.

Also in the Philippines, banks like Citi did the same thing.

now I understand. oh yes, the mag strip are deactivated by default for overseas usage.

 

[BuddyTronic]

Visa already works if it's a US Card, the problem is not visa, it's the Canadian banks who basically control Interac

Yes, I know it's not really Apple's fault, but I sure do wish the Canadian banks could just go with it instead of fighting every step of the way. I'm sure it's all about money and percentages.

I think we Canadians have to tell our banks that we want it to be about Customer Service instead of the money and percentages.

By delaying so long, it shows me that the Canadian banks really do not care about the "customer service" part even though they do lots of TV commercials telling us we are "richer than we think" and "friendly banking hours" and "love your bank love your bank" over and over again.

I just want to have my Canadian Visa card hooked up to Apple Pay so the restaurant doesn't have to know my name or watch me type in my pin number.