“HSBC has launched Apple Pay support for customers in Australia for the first time, enabling any Visa and MasterCard branded credit card issued by the bank to be added to Apple’s mobile wallet,” Tim Hardwick reports for MacRumors.
“HSBC said the majority of its customers’ credit card payments are already contactless and it expects Apple Pay will be quickly embraced as part of the wider shift towards tap-and-go payments,” Hardwick reports. “HSBC joins a growing number of banks in Australia which support Apple Pay, including American Express, ANZ and Macquarie. However, several major issuers such as Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Westpac Banking Corporation, NAB, and Bendigo and Adelaide have resisted supporting the payment system during their failed attempts to collectively negotiate with Apple over gaining access to the NFC chip in iPhones.”
Hardwick reports, “In addition to the HSBC Australia launch, over 20 U.S. banks also gained official Apple Pay support on Tuesday.”
The list of the 20+ U.S. banks in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: If your bank still does not support Apple Pay, it’s time to switch banks.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “Fred Mertz” and “Dan K.” for the heads up.]
Supporting it the way Tim Cook showed it is the problem. I’m still using my debit card just to avoid potential hassles and having to enter a pin anyway.
For the most part, enough banks are on board; Apple needs to shift the effort to retail. Apple needs to put intense public ‘shaming’ pressure on RETAILERS, especially ones who used to take Apple Pay then stopped such as Home Depot and CVS, and also giant ones who have never taken Apple Pay such as Walmart and Kroger.
I should be able to pay for goods with any legal means I desire; the retailers should respond to customers’ desires or lose business.
Personally I pick retail stores which accept Apple Pay over those who don’t. But when NO market segment chains (such as building supply) accept Apple Pay it leaves me with no real choice.
If Apple had any marketing sense whatsoever it would run many commercials showing Apple Pay being used and explaining the clear and powerful benefits of it. It is easy to use once consumers understand. But change takes time and education. And an incentive to the those who use it often would obviously pay off big. But, Apple has zero marketing sense so nothing is done to promote Apple Pay. If Apple Pay were a necessity for the LGBTQ lifestyle, Tim Cook would be running commercials and talking it up nonstop. But, its not. Its just the simplest and most secure way to do a credit transaction if you have an iPhone or Apple Watch. So Tim won’t promote it.
In the U.K. I use ApplePay all the time. They just need to link loyalty cards to it and out goes carrying any cards – ever more.
The issue in the UK is the ridiculously low ( £30 ) transaction limit imposed by British banks for Apple Pay purchases. It’s not enough to fill my car, pay for a meal in a pub or get my shopping at the supermarket.
I changed my bank many years ago in order to get an on-line banking service that worked on Macs ( at the time banks only offered systems for IE / Windows computers ) and I wouldn’t hesitate to switch to a bank that offered a sensible transaction limit for Apple Pay. Switching banks is really easy these days.