Apple Pay Now Available in China Through Partnership With UnionPay

[American Hero]

Exactly. WeChat and Alipay are quite innovative and widely used. The Technology behind Apple Pay is, believe it or not, already outdated and Apple Pay is unlikely to be accepted when other popular payment systems are already in place in China. I even found it inconvenient to use Apple Pay in America but that was eight months ago and might have improved. Anyway: WeChat is a great app. Apple should just copy the whole thing and make it the new messages app.

I wonder how many down votes you would receive if this site offered that feature.

I guess Canada, Australia, the UK, and the United States use outdated systems compared to the Chinese. While certainly the United States hasn't caught up to the EMV and NFC technology, to say it's outdated is foolish on your part, and by the looks of it, I'm not the only one that sees the ridiculousness and inaccuracies in your post.
[doublepost=1455799635][/doublepost]

I understand now, thanks for clearing that up. Would have thought the infrastructure was the same.

It is the same infrastructure, there just isn't as many contactless enabled terminals around... And some of them are contactless but don't display the logo.

 

[1Zach1]

I still have a hard time using it in America due to cashiers not knowing what they accept and lack of "Apple Pay" stickers near the register. If I have to google if a company accepts it or not while I am in line I might as well get my debit card.

I'm not sure what Apple can do about retailers, but it does seem as though they are leaning on the big companies to change over (which they should have been doing anyways with the new Chip regulations in the US) to NFC terminals and activating them. That's the biggest thing I've seen, stores that have NFC terminals, but haven't turned on the NFC side of it.

 

[nicho]

I wonder how many down votes you would receive if this site offered that feature.

I guess Canada, Australia, the UK, and the United States use outdated systems compared to the Chinese. While certainly the United States hasn't caught up to the EMV and NFC technology, to say it's outdated is foolish on your part, and by the looks of it, I'm not the only one that sees the ridiculousness and inaccuracies in your post.
[doublepost=1455799635][/doublepost]

It is the same infrastructure, there just isn't as many contactless enabled terminals around... And some of them are contactless but don't display the logo.

I thought some retailers disabled Apple Pay even though they accepted other contactless payment methods?

 

[American Hero]

I thought some retailers disabled Apple Pay even though they accepted other contactless payment methods?

That isn't possible. Apple Pay works on the same technology contactless credit cards would work on. If you shut off support for Apple Pay, that's the same thing as pulling support for NFC.

 

[AtomicDusk]

Global adoption hopefully sets the stage for universal acceptance of Apple Pay!

Edit: Grammar fail.

 

[nicho]

That isn't possible. Apple Pay works on the same technology contactless credit cards would work on. If you shut off support for Apple Pay, that's the same thing as pulling support for NFC.

Ahh. I misunderstood the stories at the time. Looks like the media for whatever reasons used the term "Apple Pay" as a synonym for "all contactless payment methods"

 

[tmiw]

Every thread/news article about Apple Pay in another country always seems to have comments complaining about not being able to use Apple Pay in the US. I get that MacRumors has mostly Americans on it but still.

Anyway, I'm curious to find out how WeChat and Alipay work exactly, considering I've never been to China. Sounds like some sort of QR code system? And how did those payment systems get so popular?

 

[cjones-cu]

Although this is rather tangential, I had the interesting experience of using Apple Pay in New Zealand recently (where it has not yet been rolled out). If you have a US credit card, ApplePay actually works in many overseas locations where NFC payment systems are in place.

 

[nicho]

Every thread/news article about Apple Pay in another country always seems to have comments complaining about not being able to use Apple Pay in the US. I get that MacRumors has mostly Americans on it but still.

Anyway, I'm curious to find out how WeChat and Alipay work exactly, considering I've never been to China. Sounds like some sort of QR code system? And how did those payment systems get so popular?

Alipay became popular the same way PayPal did. "Taobao" is the eBay equivalent (not an auction site, mind you, but people selling to other people) which requires the use of Alipay... So everyone has an account with them anyway and bank cards etc linked.

WeChat is a messaging service that EVERYONE has because it works on every smartphone. And because they implemented a payment/wallet system, everyone has access to it regardless of phone hardware.

Although this is rather tangential, I had the interesting experience of using Apple Pay in New Zealand recently (where it has not yet been rolled out). If you have a US credit card, ApplePay actually works in many overseas locations where NFC payment systems are in place.

It's funny you should say that because I technically stole from a shop in Hong Kong airport using Apple Pay with my uk credit card; transaction appeared to go through but was never billed to me or even seen by my bank they later confirmed. Second time I attempted it at the same convenience store chain elsewhere in the city it failed.

 

[iGeek2014]

uk is not USA; our implementation piggy backs upon the existing contactless infrastructure that came long before it (hence why you can use it anywhere the contactless symbol is present) but that isn't true of america. hope that clears up why it troubles him so much.

The only place I'm aware Apple Pay *should* work but doesn't is B&M Bargains. Granted this was last year and may no longer be the case but it's not somewhere I shop so can't verify either way.

I just wish more of the places I do shop in had NFC terminals 'switched on'; places like Sainsbury's etc. I know it's in the pipeline but it is annoying when they have the hardware but have yet to update the software to enable the functionality.

 

[Keirasplace]

Let me ask you a simple question: Have you used WeChat Pay or AliPay before? Do you live in China and have compared the convenience of using the local wireless payment systems compared to Apple Pay?

I Travelled hundreds of times in China over the last 20 years, got that. So, refrain giving me BS.

It's not a higher level of tech though of course it's in very wide use, which is a very great advantage.

Like I said, use the proper argument to make your point.

 

[bigchrisfgb]

The only place I'm aware Apple Pay *should* work but doesn't is B&M Bargains. Granted this was last year and may no longer be the case but it's not somewhere I shop so can't verify either way.

I just wish more of the places I do shop in had NFC terminals 'switched on'; places like Sainsbury's etc. I know it's in the pipeline but it is annoying when they have the hardware but have yet to update the software to enable the functionality.

A lot of Sainsbury's stores have the hardware, a lot still don't. The reason Sainsbury's don't have it yet is because currently they are rolling out a software update of their till system which enables contactless payments (I'm under the impression that limitless Applepay will also be available). The reason the roll out hasn't started yet is because Sainsbury's want a day 1 release of contactless so customers don't get confused between stores that accept contactless and those that don't. It is supposed to be ready sometime this year, I heard the first half but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't delayed until later this year or even next year.

 

[Swift]

I still have a hard time using it in America due to cashiers not knowing what they accept and lack of "Apple Pay" stickers near the register. If I have to google if a company accepts it or not while I am in line I might as well get my debit card.

You must understand, we have not even had anything beyond card and pin until last year. Now chip and pin. Everybody's getting new terminals at the retail sites, and now I can use Touch ID at my bank. There were no big problems with the old system of payments until suddenly there were. WeChat isn't used that much here, and AliBaba (is that the source of AliPay?) is not either. I doubt if Apple will be using anything other than this here for a while. China? I don't know. What are the security aspects of these two systems? Complete security, end to end, is necessary, of course.

 

[lunchboxer]

Hopefully this will encourage Alipay and TenPay to be more innovative with their retail payment services. I find the QR code system much less simple and straight-forward than NFC systems like applepay.

 

[iGeek2014]

A lot of Sainsbury's stores have the hardware, a lot still don't. The reason Sainsbury's don't have it yet is because currently they are rolling out a software update of their till system which enables contactless payments (I'm under the impression that limitless Applepay will also be available). The reason the roll out hasn't started yet is because Sainsbury's want a day 1 release of contactless so customers don't get confused between stores that accept contactless and those that don't. It is supposed to be ready sometime this year, I heard the first half but I wouldn't be surprised if it wasn't delayed until later this year or even next year.

The Sainsbury's stores I've been in have the correct terminals for contactless but I appreciate where you are coming from.

I found a Tweet in which they said the trial begins in May 2016; I hope Apple Pay is limitless as I can spend more than £30 sometimes on a food shop there and it would be handy.

 

[ana.abas]

Question is, will people use Apple Pay over WeChat and Alipay?

I think you'll find this post interesting, talks about the struggle Apple Pay will face in China (WeChat and Alipay).
goo.gl/Qkp69t

 

[nicho]

I think you'll find this post interesting, talks about the struggle Apple Pay will face in China (WeChat and Alipay).
goo.gl/Qkp69t

terribly uninformed choice of link shortener there...

 

[tmiw]

I think you'll find this post interesting, talks about the struggle Apple Pay will face in China (WeChat and Alipay).
goo.gl/Qkp69t

Interesting article but I'm not sure merchant acceptance is the right reason why it's not taking off so well in the US. I mean, Samsung Pay only managed an average of $100 of spending per user over a six month period, which likely means a small core of people use it very frequently while the vast majority only used it once or twice and quickly forgot about it. This despite the fact that it has better acceptance by virtue of MST technology.

What's more likely is that most people simply don't see a reason to use it, even with EMV being more and more of a thing. (I personally think the slowness "problem" is a bit overblown and will probably get better over time at problem retailers. For an example of what they're capable of, note Walgreens; chip takes 2-3 seconds or so. Even though Apple Pay is instant, waiting a couple of seconds doesn't seem like it'd be a huge deal either.)

Oh right, this thread is about China. Would NFC enabled coupons in Wallet provide enough motivation there? I wish more places here used those (and non-NFC ones in general...)

 

[nicho]

Oh right, this thread is about China. Would NFC enabled coupons in Wallet provide enough motivation there? I wish more places here used those (and non-NFC ones in general...)

doubtful.
i think while QR code technology is less secure in the way that it requires you to trust that payment provider with access to the linked card account, in a way you don't with apple pay as that spoofs a real card (ie apple can't access it, it's created on the device etc), and requires an internet connection; there are also numerous ways in which it is more convenient. QR codes can be implemented in non-traditional environments in a way NFC can't without dedicated hardware. that is; i can buy things from xiaomi through my tv. there's the option to scan the qr code to complete the transaction with alipay... am i going to hold my phone to my tv to process a payment with apple pay? of course not. similarly many vending machines here have screens so they can use QR codes, but wouldn't bother with the dedicated hardware for such a low value transaction. it's one place where alipay/wechat wallet (which has been added to many of them later via software updates...) holds the advantage. of course, apple could come up with an extra QR solution in wallet for low value transactions also but i don't see that as likely.