For the Germans in here, i will share my experience with Apple Pay (French Boon) in Germany compared to other countries and it explains why it will take longer for Germany to get Apple Pay.
I registered for the French Boon, added the Card to Wallet, transferred money and though ready to test it! Shops which accepted NFC Payments:
Rewe, Aldi, Kaufland, Lidl, Burgerista, McDonalds, Starbucks, Woolworth, Edeka, Tako, Zara, Subway and other big commercial names.
Then i tried local stores, a disaster! Bakery stores, Butchers, Food locals, Restaurants, Drug Stores none of them accepted not only NFC but not even a standard card payment! They all required cash. Then i wanted to buy some flowers, i go the store and wanted to pay, they said we accept credit cards (i thought wonderful, i check their terminal it had the NFC logo on the screen)
then she says: "Please give me the card",
i say: "ehm.. i want to pay using NFC",
She: "NFC? What is this?",
i say: "Just hand me the terminal, it's a no-contact payment most credit cards use"
Then comes the owner of the store: "We don't support such payments"
I said: "On your terminal i can clearly see the NFC-Signal-thing logo big in the middle of the screen.."
He says: "No it is the WiFi for the device!" (on the top of the device a clear [LAN] icon) i couldn't discuss anymore so i had to pull out my other card, hand it to them, stick it in, type the PIN-Code and leave..
The difference with Hungary, Budapest. I spent about a week there, it was a dream! I could pay almost everywhere using Apple-Pay, even the smallest Döner, Pizza, Food shop even restaurants and bakery shops accepted NFC payments, from Ticket machines to Coke and snack machines, like USA does.
So no wonder why other countries get Apple-Pay before Germany. Some things will never change in this land.
