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Apple Pay

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Apple Pay is Apple’s mobile payments solution that allows users to seamlessly use their phone to pay for purchases both in retail stores, apps, and the web. The service was first introduced in 2014 and has been expanding to additional countries ever since then.

The service works in retail stores by simply holding your iPhone over a compatible checkout terminal and authenticating the purchase via Touch ID, or your Apple Watch with no further authentication required once you have unlocked the Watch. It’ss compatible with all iPhones from 6/6 Plus and and beyond, and all versions of Apple Watch.

In apps, it works by pulling in your card information and seamlessly allowing you to checkout using that card information. This prevents you from having to manually enter your card information every time you want to make a purchase. In addition to working with all of the iPhone models previously mentioned, Apple Pay in apps also works on iPads from the iPad mini 3 and Air 2 and beyond. Apple Pay is supported on the Mac and on the web with iOS 10 and macOS Sierra and beyond.

In addition to working with debit and credit cards, Apple Pay also works with rewards cards and store cards. This means that you can add something like your Starbucks card, Walgreens Balance Rewards card, and more to the Wallet app to easily keep track of everything.

To set up Apple Pay on an iPhone, open the Wallet app on iOS 11 and tap the plus (+) icon in the top right corner to begin, then follow the prompts. To add a debit card to the Apple Watch, go to the Apple Watch app on iPhone and look for the Wallet & Apple Pay section, then Add Credit or Debit Card section.

Apple Pay is the dominant mobile payments solution, even forcing its biggest potential competitor to shutdown, and as the service continues to expand, it will only get better. View the full list of retailers and banks that support the service on Apple’s website

Apple Pay is available in the following countries (click the country name to see compatible banks):

Australia

China*

Hong Kong

Japan

Kazakhstan

New Zealand

Singapore

Taiwan

Belgium

Czech Republic

Denmark

Finland

France

Germany

Guernsey

Ireland

Isle of Man

Italy

Jersey

Monaco

Norway

Poland

Russia

San Marino

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Ukraine

United Kingdom

Vatican City

Brazil

Saudi Arabia

United Arab Emirates

Canada

The United States

Investigation into Apple Pay blocking rival mobile wallet service TWINT now partially resolved

Twint

An investigation into Apple blocking the use of rival mobile payment service TWINT in Switzerland has been resolved – though a related one is still in progress.

The company behind the TWINT app, which allows a phone to scan a QR code on a retail terminal to make a payment, had complained that Apple Pay was making the app impossible to use. Any time an iPhone user brought their phone close enough to the payment terminal to scan the code, Apple Pay would automatically launch, effectively booting the TWINT app off the screen …


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Apple Pay not dominant enough in Europe to face regulator concerns, but that could change

In a new interview with Reuters, European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager cleared Apple when asked about its mobile payment service and competitive issues in Europe … for now. In a bit of a burn from Vestager, she shared that Apple Pay doesn’t have the dominance in Europe yet that would prompt an investigation.


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Comment: Marriott guest system hack shows the need for wider rollout of Apple Pay on the web

Marriott hack

The Marriott International hotel group is the latest company to announce a large-scale hack of a customer database.

We have taken measures to investigate and address a data security incident involving the Starwood guest reservation database. The investigation has determined that there was unauthorized access to the database, which contained guest information relating to reservations at Starwood properties on or before September 10, 2018.

The company says that although credit card data was encrypted, it believes it possible that the hackers got the encryption keys too …


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Apple Pay now available in Belgium (also live in Kazakhstan)

Apple Pay has today launched in Belgium. Just like everywhere else in the world, Apple Pay enables you to make transactions at retail stores using the contactless NFC chip inside the iPhone and Apple Watch. You can also pay using Apple Pay on the web in Safari for iOS or Safari for Mac.

The Belgium local launch partners include Fortis, Fintro and Hello Bank. Get started with Apple Pay now using the Wallet app on your iPhone.

Update: These three brands are seemingly all part of the same conglomerate, BNP Paribas. The other big banks in Belgium have yet to join the Apple Pay train.


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Apple Pay is now accepted at CVS

Apple Pay is now accepted at CVS Pharmacy, Discover adds support for its debit card

Earlier this year, Apple reported that Apple Pay was finally coming to CVS. Oddly enough, CVS’ terminals have supported NFC for years, but they intentionally disabled it. I was actually was able to use it on the day Apple Pay launched right before they disabled it.

Apple just sent out an email informing that Apple Pay is now accepted at CVS.


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Three US universities now let students use iPhone and Apple Watch as their campus ID card

From today, Apple is announcing the first partners for its new contactless ID card features introduced in iOS 12 and watchOS 5. Students at Duke University, University of Alabama and University of Oklahoma, can now add their ID card to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch.

By using contactless NFC readers, students can use their digital ID card to access dorms, dining halls, library and the gym. You can also use it to pay for bookstore supplies, laundry usage and restaurant meals.


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