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Apple Pay Launches in Poland

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Apple Pay today launched in Poland, according to reports from several MacRumors readers who are living in the country and Polish Apple site ThinkApple. iPhone, iPad, and Mac users in Poland are now able to add eligible cards to the Wallet app for use with Apple Pay.

applepaypoland-800x706.jpg
Image via MacRumors reader Kornel​

According to Apple, the following banks support Apple Pay in Poland:
  • BGZ BNP Paribas
  • Bank Zachodni WBK
  • Alior Bank
  • Raiffeisen Polbank
  • Nest Bank
  • mBank
  • Bank Pekao
  • Getin Bank
Visa and Mastercards from the above listed banks will work with Apple Pay, and several MacRumors readers have been able to successfully add their cards to their iPhones.

Apple CEO Tim Cook first promised to expand Apple Pay to Poland during Apple's earnings call covering the second fiscal quarter of 2018. At the time, he also said Apple Pay would come to Ukraine and Norway, with the payments service yet to launch in the latter country.

Following the launch of Apple Pay in Poland, Apple Pay is available in more than 20 markets, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Switzerland, Hong Kong, France, Russia, China, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Taiwan, Ireland, Italy, Denmark, Finland, Sweden, UAE, Brazil, and Ukraine.

Apple Pay in stores is available on the iPhone 6 and later and all Apple Watch models. Apple Pay on the web and in apps is available on the iPhone 6 and later along with the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, all iPad Pro models, and Macs with Touch ID or an accompanying iPhone or Apple Watch.

Article Link: Apple Pay Launches in Poland
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2018/06/19/apple-pay-launches-in-poland/
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The incredible slow rollout of Apple Pay is nothing but laughable. It's been four years since Apple Pay was launched and I've not seen it being used in action once. Still no word on availability for my region either, and I live in one of the most urbanized and prosperous regions planet, where the infrastructure for contactless payments is ubiquitous and iPhones are everywhere. On a world scale, Apple Pay is nothing but a joke. Vaporware.
 
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Merkie said:
The incredible slow rollout of Apple Pay is nothing but laughable. It's been four years since Apple Pay was launched and I've not seen it being used in action once. Still no word on availability for my region either, and I live in one of the most urbanized and prosperous regions planet, where the infrastructure for contactless payments is ubiquitous and iPhones are everywhere. On a world scale, Apple Pay is nothing but a joke. Vaporware.
Click to expand...
Where do you live?
It’s indeed quite annoying that the rollout is this slow, I kinda knew that it was going to be slow but at least I expected 30-40 countries having Apple Pay by now.
 
The democracy in Poland might be fresh, but so are the underlying banking systems that were developed throughout the 90's and 00's, which is why it's rolling out here right now.
The mobile payment infrastructure is exceptionally well developed, NFC terminals are in buses in some cities and I have yet to see a vendor that doesn't support contactless payments. It made absolute sense to finally launch it in Poland.
I don't know what the situation in Germany is right now, but my German and English friends are shocked how well developed the banking websites and apps are compared to the ones they use with their local banks.
 
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windywalks said:
NFC terminals are in buses in some cities
Click to expand...

Some buses here in Bremen, Germany are rolling out NFC, and I have to wonder if anyone actually tested that. Before, you simply stuck the card in a slot and used the UI (which was so good that it didn’t matter at which step you added the card; you could do so asynchronously).

Now, you’re supposed to use the UI, then hold the card. Granted, it’s apparently a lot faster (presumably, these things are about two decades newer), but keep in mind that while holding the card, the bus is driving and shaking.

So good luck, old gents and ladies, because some idiot who did no real-world testing decided you could no longer comfortably insert the card; no, you have to carefully hold it against a dot now, while trying to hold on to some pole in a crowded, shaking bus.
 
chucker23n1 said:
Some buses here in Bremen, Germany are rolling out NFC, and I have to wonder if anyone actually tested that. Before, you simply stuck the card in a slot and used the UI (which was so good that it didn’t matter at which step you added the card; you could do so asynchronously).

Now, you’re supposed to use the UI, then hold the card. Granted, it’s apparently a lot faster (presumably, these things are about two decades newer), but keep in mind that while holding the card, the bus is driving and shaking.

So good luck, old gents and ladies, because some idiot who did no real-world testing decided you could no longer comfortably insert the card; no, you have to carefully hold it against a dot now, while trying to hold on to some pole in a crowded, shaking bus.
Click to expand...

No problem in the Netherlands, it works well in buses.
 
chucker23n1 said:
So good luck, old gents and ladies, because some idiot who did no real-world testing decided you could no longer comfortably insert the card; no, you have to carefully hold it against a dot now, while trying to hold on to some pole in a crowded, shaking bus.
Click to expand...
The payment process takes like half a second.
 
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Henrar said:
The payment process takes like half a second.
Click to expand...

100% agree, the important bit for me isn’t the slot vs holding the card, it’s not needing put my pin in for a 3.40 pln (£0.77) transaction,

Also Poland adoption of contactless is perfect. You can use contactless for any value, above a value of I think £20 you then also need a pin, in the uk you can’t use contactless over £30 which means you have to make a technology decision every time you pay based on the value, it’s a first world problem but quite annnoying.
 
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chucker23n1 said:
Some buses here in Bremen, Germany are rolling out NFC, and I have to wonder if anyone actually tested that. Before, you simply stuck the card in a slot and used the UI (which was so good that it didn’t matter at which step you added the card; you could do so asynchronously).

So good luck, old gents and ladies, because some idiot who did no real-world testing decided you could no longer comfortably insert the card; no, you have to carefully hold it against a dot now, while trying to hold on to some pole in a crowded, shaking bus.
Click to expand...
That's not how NFC works, the reading is almost instantenous. I would wager it's much easier that trying to insert the same card into a slot while the bus is crowded and moving.
 
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windywalks said:
The democracy in Poland might be fresh, but so are the underlying banking systems that were developed throughout the 90's and 00's, which is why it's rolling out here right now.
The mobile payment infrastructure is exceptionally well developed, NFC terminals are in buses in some cities and I have yet to see a vendor that doesn't support contactless payments. It made absolute sense to finally launch it in Poland.
I don't know what the situation in Germany is right now, but my German and English friends are shocked how well developed the banking websites and apps are compared to the ones they use with their local banks.
Click to expand...

I’ve recently heard that Bank Zachodni has one of the most modern mobile banking apps in Europe. It’s just so sad to see how Germany misses out on all the opportunities offered by the whole mobile payment solutions...
 
Karllake said:
You can use contactless for any value, above a value of I think £20 you then also need a pin, in the uk you can’t use contactless over £30 which means you have to make a technology decision every time you pay based on the value, it’s a first world problem but quite annnoying.
Click to expand...

I think Apple pay is not limited in most instances (increasingly) unlike most contactless payments using a debit/credit card which are limited at £30.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2017/05/21/tipping-point-apple-pay-majority-uk-tills-accept-limitless-payments/amp/
 
Agit21 said:
Not really looking forward to that one anymore. I just discovered the contactless pay option via Visa card. Hold your card to the reader and your purchase is paid.
Click to expand...

Don't you need to insert the pin?
In my country the pin is mandatory if the bill is > 25 EUR

Apple pay is really convenient on the Watch, I no longer have to take the wallet out of my pocket, find the card and place it on the POS. Even for small amounts without the pin is way better to pay with the AW by just placing the wrist next to the POS. Almost every cashier at self checkout supports contactless payment and having to deal with bags full of stuff it is convenient to use the Watch.
 
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Karllake said:
100% agree, the important bit for me isn’t the slot vs holding the card, it’s not needing put my pin in for a 3.40 pln (£0.77) transaction,

Also Poland adoption of contactless is perfect. You can use contactless for any value, above a value of I think £20 you then also need a pin, in the uk you can’t use contactless over £30 which means you have to make a technology decision every time you pay based on the value, it’s a first world problem but quite annnoying.
Click to expand...

Being able to only use my phone for payments is something I'm actually looking forward to - since the cards added to ApplePay in Poland work exactly the same as their physical equivalents, I can l leave my wallet at home because the transaction limits are exactly the same.
You just gave an example of how technological progress is hindered by a frankly moronic decision made by banks to limit how much you can spend.

You should be able to buy a car with your NFC card when you chose to, if you have means of further authorizing the transaction or you can buy a bag of chips just by touching the terminal.
Let people use their hard earned money as they wish.
 
I used to really want Apple Pay in Norway, but at this point its just too late. Everyone is using local solutions instead.

Does Apple not value the concept of momentum?
 
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I'm a Brit living in Poland, and have set this up already with BZWBK. Been looking forward to it as, despite the banking system in general being a long way behind (branches, paperwork, etc. etc.), contactless payment is even further ahead than the UK - it's absolutely everywhere with hardly any limits, so very happy about this. I might never need my physical cards again!

Also people saying it's late - my understanding is that PL was ready to go with this a long time ago but was being held up by ONE bank messing about. Doesn't seem like Apple or Poland's fault - rather one non-progressive bank.
 
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Merkie said:
The incredible slow rollout of Apple Pay is nothing but laughable. It's been four years since Apple Pay was launched and I've not seen it being used in action once. Still no word on availability for my region either, and I live in one of the most urbanized and prosperous regions planet, where the infrastructure for contactless payments is ubiquitous and iPhones are everywhere. On a world scale, Apple Pay is nothing but a joke. Vaporware.
Click to expand...

If it hasn't rolled out in your region yet, then obviously you wouldn't have seen it being used. That's like saying you haven't seen anyone speak Portuguese yet when you live in Japan. I use it daily and I've seen it used many times but I agree that many people don't know use it and rollout has been slow.
 
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Unkleden - Yeah sorry I was talking about contactless payment cards both the uk and Poland have a limit on contactless payment without pin, the difference is that in the uk over that limit you need to use chip and pin, in Poland you simply add your pin, it means you can always use contactless, it’s much easier to manage.
[doublepost=1529401010][/doublepost]
windywalks said:
Being able to only do use my phone for payments is something I'm actually looking forward to - since the cards added to ApplePay in Poland work exactly the same as their physical equivalents, I can l leave my wallet at home because the transaction limits are exactly the same.
You just gave an example of how technological progress is hindered by a frankly moronic decision made by banks to limit how much you can spend.

You should be able to buy a car with your NFC card when you chose to, if you have means of further authorizing the transaction or you can buy a bag of chips just by touching the terminal.
Let people use their hard earned money as they wish.
Click to expand...

Completely agree, I was trying to say how the polish system has got it right and the uk system makes no sense
 
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