Apple Pay mobile payment service launches in Ireland
Apple Pay allows people using certain Apple mobile devices to pay for goods and services in thousands of retail outlets around the country where contactless payments are accepted. They will also be able to use the system to pay for purchases on participating apps and websites. The Apple Pay Irish launch comes two-and-a-half years after its initial roll-out in the US and three months after Google’s rival Android Pay mobile payment service was released here.
“The roll-out passage of Apple Pay takes work in terms of integrating together with banks and with networks, and obviously with Apple as well,” said Apple Vice-President Jennifer Bailey who is in charge of Apple Pay. “So it is really a process about working through, doing that work with all the different parties and getting folks ready for a particular country.”
KBC and Ulster Bank will initially offer the Apple Pay service on their credit and debit cards, although others are likely to follow. “We’re currently in conversation with banks across the world about supporting Apple Pay, adding new feature support for Apple Pay and we look forward to bringing Apple Pay to more of our customers in Ireland with additional banks,” said Ms Bailey.
According to the latest data from Statcounter, 41% of mobile users here use Apple mobile devices while almost 57% use phones and tablets that utilise the Google Android operating system. Although contactless cards have an upper single transaction limit, Apple does not put such a restriction on individual transactions carried out using its system, although retailers may still put one in place and bank card daily withdrawal limits will still apply.
In order to use Apple Pay the user must be using an iPhone 6 or later, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad Air2, iPad mini 3 or later, or an Apple Watch paired to an iPhone 5 or later. On websites and in apps that support Apple Pay, users will also be able to pay for items.
