Apple Pay Rolling Out in Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia

[MacRumors]

Apple Pay is rolling out to users in Saudi Arabia and the Czech Republic, according to multiple reports from tipsters and posts across social media this morning.

Juch! 🥳🇨🇿 #ApplePay #Czech pic.twitter.com/Eddi2C32ht - Marcel Soukeník (@so_khenick) February 19, 2019

Apple's digital payment system already appears to be active for a number of banks and financial services across both countries. In Czech Republic, users have so far reported successfully adding cards to their mobile wallets from Air Bank, MONETA Money Bank, Ceska sporitelna, and payments company Twisto.

When Apple Pay was rumored to be coming to the country in late February, support for the country's two largest banks ?eská spo?itelna and Komer?ní banka was mooted, so hopefully they'll also be added to the "active" list soon.

Meanwhile in Saudi Arabia, Apple's regional Apple Pay website has gone live and lists Visa and Mastercard support for Al Rajhi Bank, NCB, MADA, Riyad Bank, Alinma Bank, and Bank Aljazira.

Apple said in October that Apple Pay would be "coming soon" to the country, and reports are coming in from users who have successfully registered cards with Apple Pay issued by the above banks.

What a big day 😻 #ApplePay pic.twitter.com/JVHCbbSAhu - ????? ?????? (@sosx93) February 19, 2019

Apple's website also lists several supporting outlets in the country, including Carrefour, counterpoint, KFC, Bershka, baby shop, MacDonalds, and Krispy Kreme doughnuts, among others.

Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The service launched in Belgium and Kazakhstan in November and made its long-awaited debut in Germany the following month.

Apple Pay first launched in the United States in October 2014, and has since expanded to many other countries, such as the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland, and Ukraine.

Article Link: Apple Pay Rolling Out in Czech Republic and Saudi Arabia

 

[Martius]

Me waking up at 6:05 am: "omg omg omg, I have to add all my cards to Apple Pay". I think I need help.

 

[leerichards1]

Also works with Edenred employment benefit card in Czech Republic.

https://www.edenred.cz/products/apple-pay

 

[KrisLord]

For countries that already have contactless payment, I’m still surprised how long the rollout is taking.

Apple Pay has worked fine in these countries when on holiday with a UK card.

I used it in Switzerland and Czech Republic before it launched for domestic customers.

 

[windywalks]

For countries that already have contactless payment, I’m still surprised how long the rollout is taking.

Apple Pay has worked fine in these countries when on holiday with a UK card.

I used it in Switzerland and Czech Republic before it launched for domestic customers.

It's all about the banks and the negotiations. I'm pretty sure Apple would just love to be present in as many countries as possible but there's always a deal involved.

 

[Tavicu]

For countries that already have contactless payment, I’m still surprised how long the rollout is taking.

Yeah, in Romania even the smallest store has contactless payment!
But banks prefer to invest in they **** services that are not compatible with iOS, only with Android.

 

[Martius]

It's all about the banks and the negotiations. I'm pretty sure Apple would just love to be present in as many countries as possible but there's always a deal involved.

It's more about Apple and the negotiations. AirBank is quite modern banking company and from what I have heard they were interested in Apple Pay for a long time, but Apple is not that interested in czech market. But I'm glad we finally got a chance to use Apple Pay.

 

[NBAasDOGG]

Nice, I hope we can get Apple Pay in South-Sudan soon...

 

[atmc]

In Portugal I use contactless payments frequently, but still no Apple Pay. It's hard to understand how is this taking so long.

 

[avrilko]

Slovakia is next! Allegedly very soon.

 

[kuryack]

Slovakia is rumored to start Jun/July, thank god we can use Boon. till then

 

[iPhysicist]

I applaud our fellow neighbors! Next is an Apple store in Prague I hope!

 

[Totemsflare]

And the Netherlands?

 

[riverfreak]

Dumb question. If you are an ApplePay user from a country where the service is already deployed, should you now be able to go to say, Prague, and use ApplePay with the cards in your Wallet?

Are these rollouts just announcements that domestic institutions are now available?

 

[Sasparilla]

Dumb question. If you are an ApplePay user from a country where the service is already deployed, should you now be able to go to say, Prague, and use ApplePay with the cards in your Wallet?

Are these rollouts just announcements that domestic institutions are now available?

Yes, just the government / banking institutions of that country are now participating (this is why its taking so long to roll out). If you had Apple Pay from another country and used it in a country where it wasn't "rolled out" it should still work fine.

 

[unclemax]

It's all about the banks and the negotiations. I'm pretty sure Apple would just love to be present in as many countries as possible but there's always a deal involved.

Apple is not doing Apple Pay for free as far as I am aware, so I’d rather blame Apple and the card companies (VISA, Maestro, etc), not banks, for failing to come to an agreement. On top of that Apple probably didn’t even care about markets like Chech republic, Kazakhstan, Poland etc too much in the first place to make a compelling pitch. It’s hard to blame the banks if every card terminal and every bank supports contactless payments but Apple Pay is still unavailable.

 

[riverfreak]

Yes, just the government / banking institutions of that country are now participating (this is why its taking so long to roll out). If you had Apple Pay from another country and used it in a country where it wasn't "rolled out" it should still work fine.

Thank you kindly for the information.

 

[Baymowe335]

Apple Pay is my favorite way to make a payment. Fast, secure, and easy.

Glad to see it spreading quickly.

 

[souko]

I come from Czech Republic. I added debit card (VISA) of Česká Spořitelna to my iPhone and Apple Watch. I have payed by iPhone and by Apple Watch too. It is great. I am really happy...

I do not have to take my card with me... I do not have to take a card from a wallet and do not have to take wallet from my jeans every time I pay... I can be more minimalist...

Not most important thing but it made me happy...

 

[justperry]

And the Netherlands?

Not really needed, if one owns an AppleWatch/LTE I can understand it just a little, you could
pay with it without carrying anything else but that's it, I am as fast with my debit/credit card
as Apple Pay, and don't even talk about security, if someone manages to get money of my card
I do not pay, the Banks do.
Contactless payment is ubiquitous in the Netherlands, hell, there were places you could not even
pay with cash anymore, like for instance the local government, but they now need to accept it
again.
Why need another party which needs a part of the pie.

 

[citysnaps]

Apple is not doing Apple Pay for free as far as I am aware, so I’d rather blame Apple and the card companies (VISA, Maestro, etc), not banks, for failing to come to an agreement. On top of that Apple probably didn’t even care about markets like Chech republic, Kazakhstan, Poland etc too much in the first place to make a compelling pitch. It’s hard to blame the banks if every card terminal and every bank supports contactless payments but Apple Pay is still unavailable.

No, the problem rests with the banks.

 

[rmoliv]

In Portugal I use contactless payments frequently, but still no Apple Pay. It's hard to understand how is this taking so long.

In Portugal I use contactless payments frequently, but still no Apple Pay. It's hard to understand how is this taking so long.

Could it be due to MB Way? At the moment they have a monopoly...

 

[unclemax]

No, the problem rests with the banks.

Care to explain?

 

[aidler]

No, the problem rests with the banks.

I'd say the answer is more complex. In Germany we got Apple Pay only recently and the forefront negotiations were very difficult. Apple want's a fee for all payments beeing made with Apple Pay and yes they want Apple Pay to be available in as many countries as possible if the participating banks are willing to share the in most cases already existing payment fees in part or entirely. Unfortunately there are also countries that are of less interest to Apple. In these countries the negotiations will be even more difficult because Apple will be less flexible and less willing to compromise. The Banks on the other side also have very diverse interest. There are very modern and open minded Banks in Germany that were interested to implement Apple Pay for a long time now. Unfortunately there are other large and very powerful Bankingconglomerates in Germany that were fighting with tooths and nails against Apple Pay for years, preventing Apple to enter the german market. So the interest of Apple are complex and there is nothing you can simply call "the banks".

 

[lartola]

Nice, I hope we can get Apple Pay in South-Sudan soon...

And I hope we get it in Mexico soon...hopefully before South Sudan gets it.
[doublepost=1550602775][/doublepost]

Dumb question. If you are an ApplePay user from a country where the service is already deployed, should you now be able to go to say, Prague, and use ApplePay with the cards in your Wallet?

Are these rollouts just announcements that domestic institutions are now available?

Yes, Apple Pay can be used anywhere contactless payment is accepted regardless of rollout status. For example, after adding a US issued card I have been using Apple Pay in Mexico for nearly three years. When apple decides to roll out Apple Pay in Mexico (if they ever do, which I am starting to doubt after almost five years), however, then it will also be possible to add some cards issued in Mexico.
[doublepost=1550603694][/doublepost]

It's all about the banks and the negotiations. I'm pretty sure Apple would just love to be present in as many countries as possible but there's always a deal involved.

But that depends on when Apple started negotiations with the banks in different countries. And I'm pretty sure Apple did not negotiate with any banks outside the US for at least one year after launching Apple Pay in the US and likely waited another year to roll out the feature outside the english speaking countries. That also slowed down the rollout and was entirely under Apple's control.
[doublepost=1550603945][/doublepost]

I'd say the answer is more complex. In Germany we got Apple Pay only recently and the forefront negotiations were very difficult. Apple want's a fee for all payments beeing made with Apple Pay and yes they want Apple Pay to be available in as many countries as possible if the participating banks are willing to share the in most cases already existing payment fees in part or entirely. Unfortunately there are also countries that are of less interest to Apple. In these countries the negotiations will be even more difficult because Apple will be less flexible and less willing to compromise. The Banks on the other side also have very diverse interest. There are very modern and open minded Banks in Germany that were interested to implement Apple Pay for a long time now. Unfortunately there are other large and very powerful Bankingconglomerates in Germany that were fighting with tooths and nails against Apple Pay for years, preventing Apple to enter the german market. So the interest of Apple are complex and there is nothing you can simply call "the banks".

Not to mention that Apple probably didn't bother to start any negotiations for Apple Pay in Germany until years after the US launch instead of right after it, which could have resulted in Apple Pay coming to Germany noticeably sooner than it did.