Will work anywhere there is a contactless card reader as well as for in-app purchases
Apple has announced that starting in July, Apple Pay will be available to customers in the UK. Shoppers will soon be able to make many of their daily purchases with Apple Pay, from the tube to retailers. At launch, over 250,000 locations will accept Apple Pay, with support from eight of the UK’s most established banks, across all of the major credit and debit card networks.
Apple Pay works anywhere there is a contactless card reader, and can also be used to pay for services and goods in apps. In stores, shopping with Apple Pay is fast and there are no extra steps; users just hold their iPhone near the contactless reader while keeping a finger on Touch ID. With Apple Watch users need to double click the side button and hold the face up to the contactless reader to make a purchase. Shopping in apps with Apple Pay can be as simple as the touch of a finger, so iPhone and iPad users can pay for physical goods and services.
iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch users will be able to make purchases anywhere contactless payments are accepted. In addition to the 39 Apple Stores in the UK, locations for everyday shopping that will accept Apple Pay include Boots UK, BP, Costa Coffee, Dune, JD Sports, KFC UK and Ireland, Liberty, Lidl, Marks & Spencer, McDonald’s UK, Nando’s, New Look, Post Office, Pret A Manger, SPAR, Starbucks, Subway, Wagamama and Waitrose. Transport for London will also accept Apple Pay, so people can use their iPhone or Apple Watch to pay for travel.
Commented Marc Bolland, CEO of Marks & Spencer: “We are proud to be one of the first retailers to introduce Apple Pay at our stores across the UK. Whether customers are enjoying our special food range or our clothing collections, our early introduction of Apple Pay will provide them with a seamless and secure way of checking out.”
Apple Pay will support UK credit and debit cards from American Express, MasterCard and Visa Europe, which are issued by many of the UK’s most popular banks, including first direct, HSBC, NatWest, Nationwide Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. Other major issuing banks will follow by this fall, including Bank of Scotland, Coutts, Halifax, Lloyds Bank, MBNA, M&S Bank and TSB Bank.
Ross McEwan, CEO at Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “As part of our goal to be number one, we are absolutely focused on giving our customers the best and most innovative experience possible. Whether on the high street, in a small shop or on the go within apps, Apple Pay offers a simple and secure way to pay. We are pleased to be among the first UK banks to offer this service to our customers.”
While Nathan Bostock, CEO at Santander UK said: “Digital technology is rapidly changing how customers bank and pay on the move, and we are working to be at the forefront of that change. Apple Pay is set to change the way we pay for products and services in the UK, so it was the obvious choice to offer our customers, especially as we see a significant overlap between UK consumers with iPhone’s and Santander 1|2|3 World customers. We want to offer our customers more choice and control in managing their money anytime, anywhere. Our 1|2|3 products already offer customers great value, with Apple Pay they will have convenience, and added safety and privacy too.”
In apps, checkout is simple and there is no need to manually fill out lengthy account forms or repeatedly type in shipping and billing information. Apps that will accept Apple Pay in the UK, include Addison Lee, Airbnb, Argos, Booking.com, British Airways, Domino’s, easyJet, Hailo, HotelTonight, hungryhouse, JD Sports, Just Eat, lastminute.com, Miss Selfridge, Ocado, Stubhub, thetrainline.com, Top 10, Topshop, Uncover, Vueling, YPlan, Zalando and Zara, among others.
Security and privacy are at the core of Apple Pay, claimed Apple. The service focuses on protecting personal information, transaction data, and credit and debit card information safety. When adding a credit or debit card to the service, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, or on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on each device, and each transaction is authorised with a one-time unique dynamic security code.
“Apple Pay has quickly become a big part of millions of users’ everyday shopping routines, providing a simpler, faster and more secure way to pay,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services. “We’re thrilled to bring Apple Pay to the UK with support at launch from the most popular banks, an incredible roster of merchants and many of our users’ favourite apps.”
Apple also announced it is expanding merchant acceptance in the US to over one million locations next month. With this addition, Apple Pay will accept credit and debit cards across all major card networks, issued by the most popular banks, representing 98% of all credit card purchase volume in the US.
