Apple Pay Officially Launches in Italy

[MacRumors]

Apple Pay is now available in Italy, and iPhone users in the country are able to add eligible credit and debit cards to the Wallet app for use with Apple's payments service in stores and online.

According to Apple's Italian Apple Pay website, Visa and MasterCards issued by Boon, Carrefour, and UniCredit can be used with Apple Pay in Italy. The site says support for additional banks will be added later this year.

Rumors of Apple Pay's expansion to Italy have been circulating for several weeks as Apple worked to add support for its payments service in the country, and the service has been listed as "Coming Soon" on the Apple Pay Italy site since March.

Apple Pay is available as a purchase option wherever contactless payments are accepted, with several official partners listed on Apple's website including Auchan, Autogrill, Eataly, LaGardenia, H&M, Leroy Merlin, Limoni, OVS, Simply Market, Unieuro, and more.

Along with Italy, Apple Pay is also available in the United States, UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Ireland.

Belgium, Germany, Taiwan, and South Korea could all see Apple Pay support in the near future based on current rumors.

Article Link: Apple Pay Officially Launches in Italy

 

[ArneK]

Apple Pay is now available in Italy, and iPhone users in the country are able to add eligible credit and debit cards to the Wallet app for use with Apple's payments service in stores and online.

According to Apple's Italian Apple Pay website, Visa and MasterCards issued by Boon, Carrefour, and UniCredit can be used with Apple Pay in Italy. The site says support for additional banks will be added later this year.

Rumors of Apple Pay's expansion to Italy have been circulating for several weeks as Apple worked to add support for its payments service in the country, and the service has been listed as "Coming Soon" on the Apple Pay Italy site since March.

Apple Pay is available as a purchase option wherever contactless payments are accepted, with several official partners listed on Apple's website including Auchan, Autogrill, Eataly, LaGardenia, H&M, Leroy Merlin, Limoni, OVS, Simply Market, Unieuro, and more.

Along with Italy, Apple Pay is also available in the United States, UK, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, and Ireland.

Belgium, Germany, Taiwan, and South Korea could all see Apple Pay support in the near future based on current rumors.

Article Link: Apple Pay Officially Launches in Italy

Wow. Apple is struggling really hard to get any bigger banks to make deals with them in Europe. Time to open this NFC chip to everyone!

 

[L-Viz]

Thanks Apple and thanks German banks for still not having Apple Pay in Germany! You gerks!

 

[iTom17]

When is the Netherlands gonna get Apple Pay? We've got many, many NFC readers out here. Could really benefit from something like Apple Pay. I would use it a lot!

 

[_blackbird_]

Unicredit it's not working. I was able to add the card to the watch, but with the iPhone no luck, it gave me a generic error.

Now Unicredit mobile apps aren't working at all, keep crashing when trying to login.

Good job Unicredit (not).

 

[MacFather]

Deleted.

 

[Vangel]

It's amazing that Apple Pay is still skipping Poland which has the most advanced financial infrastructure in Europe as far as I know. We also have enormous share of people using newest technologies for payment like contactless payments, Bing etc. And yes, we don't have biggest iphone userbase but poeple with iPhones are very interested in new methods of payments so it should be worth for Apple to bring Apple Pay here.

 

[MesicaPenni]

Apple refreshes German and Italian Apple Pay bolsters pages in front of reputed dispatch.

 

[recoil80]

Unicredit is the only big bank at the moment supporting Apple pay, so the majority of italians won't be able to use it.
I'm curious about boon, I might give it a try.
Contactless pos are increasing in number in Italy, especially when you go to a mall, so I would be able to use it often.

 

[brandscill]

When is the Netherlands gonna get Apple Pay? We've got many, many NFC readers out here. Could really benefit from something like Apple Pay. I would use it a lot!

Wonder if ING would be willing to get on board? They'd also need to talk with Maestro (Should be simple given it's owned by MasterCard)

 

[Keirasplace]

It's amazing that Apple Pay is still skipping Poland which has the most advanced financial infrastructure in Europe as far as I know. We also have enormous share of people using newest technologies for payment like contactless payments, Bing etc. And yes, we don't have biggest iphone userbase but poeple with iPhones are very interested in new methods of payments so it should be worth for Apple to bring Apple Pay here.

They're not skipping anything, they depend on the banks and the payment processors (often linked to the banks) being on board.

 

[Recognition]

It's amazing that Apple Pay is still skipping Poland which has the most advanced financial infrastructure in Europe as far as I know. We also have enormous share of people using newest technologies for payment like contactless payments, Bing etc. And yes, we don't have biggest iphone userbase but poeple with iPhones are very interested in new methods of payments so it should be worth for Apple to bring Apple Pay here.

Don't the banks have to accept Apples terms to use Apple Pay?

Sounds like it's the Polish banks who are skipping Apple Pay.

 

[MLVC]

Wonder if ING would be willing to get on board? They'd also need to talk with Maestro (Should be simple given it's owned by MasterCard)

ING has repeatedly said they're eager to implement Apple Pay, so I'm sure they'll be one of the first if we ever get it in NL.

 

[recoil80]

ING has repeatedly said they're eager to implement Apple Pay, so I'm sure they'll be one of the first if we ever get it in NL.

ING is quite popular in Italy (and it is my bank) but no AP support at the moment and it is unlikely they'll add it in the near future.
NL could be a whole different story as far as I know

 

[callea]

Thanks Apple and thanks German banks for still not having Apple Pay in Germany! You gerks!

Once in a while Italy is ahead Germany

 

[-Maxim-]

The banks in Germany, Poland, etc. are probably still reading Apples' Terms and Conditions... for years now... I heard they're on page 345 now

 

[pierino84]

When I try to add the boon payment card to the apple wallet, I'm receiving an error from the Wallet app. it seems it is not activated yet on all devices.

 

[Paul Dawkins]

It's amazing that Apple Pay is still skipping Poland which has the most advanced financial infrastructure in Europe as far as I know. We also have enormous share of people using newest technologies for payment like contactless payments, Bing etc. And yes, we don't have biggest iphone userbase but poeple with iPhones are very interested in new methods of payments so it should be worth for Apple to bring Apple Pay here.

Advanced in what way?

 

[mdellepi]

Thanks Apple and thanks German banks for still not having Apple Pay in Germany! You gerks!

On the Italian Apple Pay website, the list of upcoming banks include N26, that is a popular German-based online bank (that has also supported new Apple things, like Watch app, Siri money tranfer, iMessage app,...from the very beginning).
This probably suggest that Apple Pay is coming to Germany and at least that bank will be supporting it.

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

Thanks Apple and thanks German banks for still not having Apple Pay in Germany! You gerks!

No need for that... we have better solutions than Apple Pay already. You want to check out bluecode.com They've started in Austria and here it's widely accepted. As they use direct debit (Lastschrift) rather than the MASTERCARD/VISA system, fees are next to non-existing -especially compared to credit card transaction, which are both expensive and risky (for the merchant).

The low acceptance of credit cards in Europe (Apple Pay is only a wrapper for credit card transactions) has good reasons. The credit card system is, much like the whole US banking & money transfer system, ancient. If you want 21st century banking you are much better off in the EU than in the US. That said, even EU banks are far from being "technologically up to date". The only exception may be N26.com and possibly DKB.de

 

[PBMB]

ING is quite popular in Italy (and it is my bank) but no AP support at the moment and it is unlikely they'll add it in the near future.
NL could be a whole different story as far as I know

The new ING payment cards have what ING calls "Tap and pay": for small amounts (less than 25 euros), you just simply tap the payment terminal and the payment is made without PIN. For larger amounts, you need to tap and enter your PIN to confirm.

I don't know of course how banks like ING are positioned regarding technologies like Apple Pay, but it looks like they have already in place simple and efficient systems. And long before this, there still was another PIN-less system for small amounts, something like electronic pocket change.

So, I don't know how easy is for Apple Pay to penetrate in Europe. Personally, I could not care less.

 

[BSben]

No need for that... we have better solutions than Apple Pay already. You want to check out bluecode.com They've started in Austria and here it's widely accepted. As they use direct debit (Lastschrift) rather than the MASTERCARD/VISA system, fees are next to non-existing -especially compared to credit card transaction, which are both expensive and risky (for the merchant).

The low acceptance of credit cards in Europe (Apple Pay is only a wrapper for credit card transactions) has good reasons. The credit card system is, much like the whole US banking & money transfer system, ancient. If you want 21st century banking you are much better off in the EU than in the US. That said, even EU banks are far from being "technologically up to date". The only exception may be N26.com and possibly DKB.de

Apple Pay supports debit cards too, not only credit cards. And it is faster than bluecode (no need to unlock phone, then open app, then scanning the code)

 

[friednoodles]

Belgium, Germany, Taiwan, and South Korea could all see Apple Pay support in the near future based on current rumors.

Taiwan already supports Apple Pay (launched in March).

 

[djcerla]

Unicredit it's not working. I was able to add the card to the watch, but with the iPhone no luck, it gave me a generic error.

Now Unicredit mobile apps aren't working at all, keep crashing when trying to login.

Good job Unicredit (not).

It worked for me. Active on the iPhone, Watch and Mac.

Unicredit is the only big bank at the moment supporting Apple pay, so the majority of italians won't be able to use it.
I'm curious about boon, I might give it a try.
Contactless pos are increasing in number in Italy, especially when you go to a mall, so I would be able to use it often.

At least, Unicredit is by far the largest Italian bank.

 

[[AUT] Thomas]

Apple Pay supports debit cards too, not only credit cards.

True, but even Maestro or VPAY have comparably rather high fees associated and have the drawback that payout can be heavily delayed, which can be a problem for small merchants.