Skip to main content

Purported MasterCard roadmap indicates Apple Pay coming to Brazil, Japan, Hong Kong & more this year

apple-pay-e1421948572182-1940x1091

Following reports that Apple Pay would be launching in France before the end of this year, it now looks like the service could be coming to a handful of other countries, as well. According to a MasterCard roadmap received by 9to5Mac from an anonymous unproven source, Apple Pay could potentially launch with support from at least MasterCard in Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and Hong Kong by the end of this year. The document also shows that Apple Pay in Canada could gain the support of MasterCard by the end of the year, as well. Currently Apple Pay in Canada is only supported on American Express cards.

Last October, Apple teased that Apple Pay would launch at some point in Spain, Singapore, and Hong Kong, but details were unclear at the time. This document, while we’re unable to verify it, suggests that Apple Pay will launch in those countries, and more, by the end of this year with support from at least MasterCard.

Furthermore, the document suggests that Apple Pay will become available in Japan and Brazil at some point this year, as well. Should this reign true, Apple Pay’s availability would essentially double from 5 countries to 10 countries this year, not to mention the rurmoed France launch, which would increase the total to 11 countries.

Finally, the roadmap indicates that Apple is potentially planning to expand Apple Pay in Canada to support MasterCard. Currently, only American Express is supported in Canada.

Screen Shot 2016-02-29 at 3.01.32 PM

The MasterCard roadmap also shows Samsung Pay as being on the company’s agenda, which has already been announced by Samsung, perhaps lending some credibility to the document’s validity.

Earlier this year, Apple Pay launched in China with UnionPay credit and debit cards, while Apple has continued to expand the service in the United States, brining it to handfuls of new banks and credit unions at a time.

We reached out to MasterCard and will update if we hear back.

FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.

You’re reading 9to5Mac — experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Don’t know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Comments

  1. Doug Aalseth - 8 years ago

    “The document also shows that Apple Pay in Canada could gain the support of MasterCard by the end of the year, as well. ”
    Bloody well about time. Of course then I’ll need to get an iPhone that works with ApplePay :)):

  2. pdixon1986 - 8 years ago

    Finally to japan…
    how about visa and JCB — they are popular here too.
    What would be awesome is if apple also allowed IC payment cards like suica, pasmo etc — these are more commonly used for payments than credit cards

  3. Hey Hey! Finally there’s a possibility to Brazil receive Apple Pay. Can’t wait to use it.

  4. gerrycurry - 8 years ago

    Canada is massively committed to debit cards as opposed to credit cards. Until Apple makes a deal with the banks and connects ApplePay with debit cards ApplePay will not be a legitimate way to pay here.

  5. Tito Gryn - 8 years ago

    this is all beautiful….. but here in NY almost all stores DO NOT
    accept apple pay………………………………

  6. tonytodd7 - 8 years ago

    I don’t understand this article. Mastercard – at least in concept – already supports ApplePay worldwide (as does Visa and American Express). To get ApplePay to work, the card-issuing banks have to agree to support it. Mastercard and Visa do not issue cards – those cards are all issued by banks and it is the banks who must agree to support Apple Pay. In Australia, Apple has been unable to reach agreement with the banks, either because the banks see it as unnecessary (not true) or because they are unwilling to give up part of their fees (or at least, the part of their fees Apple is demanding). As a result, ApplePay only works in Australia (for Australian-issued cards) for American Express cards issued by American Express. Unlike Mastercard and Visa (which don’t issue cards) American Express does – so an (Australian) American Express-issued American Express card works, whereas an (Australian) bank-issued American Express card does not. Apple needs to get the deal done with the banks and get this thing moving, as it is stagnating and going nowhere slowly.

Author

Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is an editor for the entire 9to5 network and covers the latest Apple news for 9to5Mac.

Tips, questions, typos to chance@9to5mac.com