Apple is preparing to expand its new Apple Pay payments service internationally with at least the Canadian launch currently scheduled for early 2015, according to sources close to the situation.
Sources say partners are currently in negotiations with Apple regarding the launch scheduled to come sometime in the first half of this year. Apple and Canadian launch partners are in the process of planning advertising and other promotional material for March, which indicates that the launch could come as soon as then. Of course, these are still active discussions and it’s possible the talks could fail to result in a launch by March. Several sources, however, tell us Apple is currently targeting that timeframe.
Apple first launched the service in the U.S. in October and has added new banks and card issuers to its list of supported partners almost weekly. Last month the company said it now supports cards that make up around 90% of US credit cards by transaction volume, and it’s already announced plans to support over 500 banks in the US.
Hints at an international expansion for Apple Pay first came last month when Apple posted job listings seeking individuals to help roll out the service in Europe, the Middle East, India, and Asia. Other reports pointed to expansion into the UK for the first half of this year. While US cards loaded into Apple Pay are confirmed to work abroad at supported NFC terminals, Apple has only officially launched the service in the US for both card issuers, banks and retailers accepting the payment service in stores and apps.
March also happens to be the timeframe currently scheduled for the launch of Apple Watch, Apple’s new wearable that is highly integrated with the payments service. Apple’s US webpage for the device says the Watch will launch early 2015, while other regions, including Canada, simply state “available in 2015.”
It’s possible Apple could launch the Watch in the U.S. in Q1 before rolling it out to other countries later in the year, but timing the Watch debut with the launch of Apple Pay abroad would certainly make a lot of sense.
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Maybe it’ll come at the same time as Apple Watch. You know it’ll be cool to pay not only with iPhone but also with Watch.
Yuuuuuuuuhuuuuuuuuuuuu
TD Bank was trying to advertise that it wouldn’t be available in 2015, if at all, in hopes of gathering support for their own mobile payment option. I wonder how long it’ll take for them to get onboard.
Apple Pay adoption rate may be much faster in Canada as ‘chip’ cards are already universal and ‘tap to pay’ has been implemented in most businesses already. There are a few surprising hold outs like Lowes that still use swipe and signature – perhaps as they are linked to their US parent companies, but they will need to conform this year.
Oh yeah baby yeah!!! It’s about time Canada feels some of the Pay lovin’!
I just wonder if our banks will be as accepting of this tech, as Wes said, some banks are already trying to push their platforms out ahead…
This just gives me the final reason I need to pick up an iPhone 6S when it launches later this year (hopefully)…
I’m Canadian, and I’m super excited for Apple Pay to arrive here. I would be willing to get a new credit card from a bank that supports it if the bank I use doesn’t want to get on board. If enough people think like this, it might turn out similar to how it turned out for the cellphone carriers. People were willing to switch carriers to get the iPhone, which put all of the bargaining power in Apple’s hands.
Agreed. The Credit Union I have doesn’t support NFC for their debit cards because they believe it’s a security risk. However, the credit card does have NFC and I believe that is because my Credit Union’s Credit Cards are through another bank. Hopefully, I will at least get credit at first! Overtime though, I would switch banks if they said they wouldn’t support debit on Apple pay – and that means going from no fees to $15/month.
Same here:
If Portuguese banks accept Pay and
If Vodafone Portugal accept wi-fi calling
Then I will buy iPhone 6S on day 1.
It’s been expanding fairly quick.
Too many conflicting reports up here for now. Would love it but don’t believe it yet. I do know that the first bank that implements Apple Pay gets me as a customer.
Finally! I would like to use Apple Pay with my Apple watch on launch day if they do release it before then!
Tangerine (Formerly ING Direct Canada) is launching a credit card in 2015. Apple Pay would be a perfect fit with Tangerine’s marketing “forward thinking” https://forwardthinking.tangerine.ca/en/#!/post/a-peek-into-the-future-of-banking
One of the Bank of Montreal managers told me that Apple Pay would be coming soon, I guess he was telling the truth ! Can’t wait till March.
Now you are just missing a headline image with Canadian cards…
I’ve been a loyal TD customer for 15 years. No complaints at all, they’ve always been great…but not gonna lie I would have to give switching over a hard look if my bank held out on this.
How about Australia ??
Actually, if you’re a U.S. customer visiting Canada, Apple Pay works just fine. I just spent a week in Toronto tapping my iPhone 6 on every card reader I saw, and it only didn’t work once.
Yeah, we Canadians don’t care about that.
Fair enough.
@Dylan – Translation: There is at least one Canadian who seems to think all Canadians are as self-absorbed as him.
I really wonder if it will ever arrive in Brasil.
Everyone in Brazil wants everything to come to Brazil…
1 sentence
I’M SWITCHING TO THE FIRST BANK THAT SUPPORTS APPLE PAY.
I’d think UK is more important than Canada, but perhaps they aren’t ready yet.
I was in Vancouver BC in November and found that Apple Pay already in use, my first place to use it was at Tim Hortons and Safeway. Also most retailers that had NFC terminals also accepted Apple Pay
Apple has a few problems trying to move into Canada
1. Fraud rates are much lower so there is less value to issuers in adopting Apple Pay
2. Apple Pay has largely been a failure to date in the US. Apple can’t rely on hype alone to get banks excited
3. Visa and MasterCard are lowering interchange in April, not much room left to give Apple their cut
My guess is that Apple is leaking these rumours in the UK and Canada to try and get banks onboard.