Apple Pay

Following the addition of eight additional card issuers and banks earlier this month, Apple has updated its list of supported institutions and card types to include 15 more credit unions and banks. These new banks are listed as supporting Apple Pay as of today:
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Bank of America, which partnered with Apple to rollout Apple Pay at launch last October, has announced new customer data on adoption of the iPhone-based mobile payment service. The bank’s most recent quarterly earnings reveal that nearly 800,000 of its customers have begun using Apple Pay with a total of about 1.1 million debit and credit cards activated.

In addition to the latest customer data from Bank of America, support for paying with Apple Pay is popping up in another grocery store chain…
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Yesterday, we reported that the latest iOS 8.2 beta reveals that an Apple Watch application for the iPhone is in the works. Now, we have some more details. Within Apple, the application is currently called the Apple Watch “Companion” app for iPhone. This application manages settings for Apple Watch applications, as well as settings for iPhone/Watch interactivity. The Companion app’s settings reveal some novel new functions that are coming to the Apple Watch. Below, we highlight some of the most interesting new features and settings.

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Apple is preparing to expand its new Apple Pay payments service internationally with at least the Canadian launch currently scheduled for early 2015, according to sources close to the situation.
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Apple’s list of supported banks and card issuers for Apple Pay is growing again today with the addition of 8 new banks and credit unions, according to sources with knowledge of the matter. The full list of newly supported card issuers includes:
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Update: Users in the thread are now reporting that the problem has been resolved.

Multiple iPhone 6 owners are reporting in an Apple Support Communities thread that they are unable to add cards back into Apple Pay after their phone has been restored – whether as a new phone or from a backup. According to reports there, Apple has been able to resolve the issue only by replacing the phone.

I just left the Apple Store. They couldn’t diagnose the issue and we did a restore there in store and the problem persisted. The solution was to swap the hardware […]

I ended up going to the Apple Store and going to the genius bar. They proceeded to do all the thing I already tried. After they did a restore and set up as a new phone and saw they it didn’t work they went in the back and brought out a new phone. I fired up the phone and went thru steps to add my cards to Apple pay and everything worked. So getting a new phone fixed the issue.

The symptoms seem to suggest that the secure enclave is not being completely cleared, despite notifications from banks that cards have been removed at the point when the phone was restored … 
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The Big Apple is considering letting drivers pay for their parking tickets using their big Apple phones, MarketWatch reports. New York City is said to be looking to update its old system with something a little more user-friendly, and is currently considering several options, including Apple Pay.

The main idea for the new system is a mobile app that would allow users to scan in a parking ticket, either by barcode or some other means, then pay the fine instantly using Apple Pay or another payment system, such as PayPal, or possibly even Bitcoin.

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Gas station chain Chevron is planning to integrate support for Apple Pay checkouts at its pumps starting early next year, according to Bloomberg. Chevron has already supported Apple Pay inside many of its stores since Apple’s iPhone-based mobile payment service launched earlier this year in late October.
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Brits waiting impatiently for Apple Pay to launch in the UK may not have too much longer to wait, reports the Telegraph. Sources involved in talks taking place between Apple and “Britain’s top banks” have stated that the service is expected to launch in the UK in the first half of 2015.

A job listing revealed earlier in the month that Apple had a London-based team working on rolling out the service across Europe, the Middle East, India and Africa … 
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<em><a href="http://9to5mac.com/2014/09/09/apple-offering-new-u2-album-songs-of-innocence-for-free-on-itunes/">Tim Cook and U2 at this year’s iPhone 6 event</a></em>

Apple CEO Tim Cook ranked well on CNN Money’s list of best CEOs of 2014 taking the top spot of CEO of the year. The news organization said Cook has “arguably the toughest CEO job in America” as he battles critics skeptical of his performance running Apple without Steve Jobs and cited the company’s 40% stock climb this year as well as the debut of the iPhones 6 and Apple Pay ahead of the Apple Watch early next year.
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While retailers and venues have steadily been rolling out Apple Pay support for buying goods in the real world, Apple Pay is possibly even more popular with checking out for physical goods and services within apps. This week’s additions include Apple Pay in-app checkout support on iOS with Ticketmaster, LoungeBuddy, and more.
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Following in the footsteps of the Disney Stores, Walt Disney World will be accepting Apple Pay from 24th December, reports the company.

Initially, most stores, quick service restaurants, bars and ticket sales booths will be included. Any locations that use portable payment terminals, such as table service restaurants, will be added later.

To identify payment locations that accept Apple Pay and contactless payments, look for the EMVCo symbol, which is a series of curved lines, similar to a WiFi signal strength meter on many devices.

Disney was an Apple Pay launch partner, installing upgraded iBeacons and NFC readers in its retail stores prior to the launch of the service, but contactless payment had previously only been available at WDW via the company’s own MagicBands wristbands … 
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A new UK job listing posted on Apple’s website and uncovered by iClarified indicates that the company is planning to expands its payment service into Europe and elsewhere. It shouldn’t come as a big surprise that Apple wants to put its iPhone 6-based payment system into as many hands worldwide as possible, but this is one of the first indications of a move in that direction.

The intern will be part of a new London-based team that will help roll the product out across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Asia. Specifically the intern will be responsible for handling contracts and non-disclosure agreements between Apple and third-parties like banks and retailers.

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We heard earlier this week that the Orlando Magic would become the first NBA team to offer Apple Pay to fans through a partnership with Chase. Today we get the official announcement from the team confirming an Apple Pay launch at the Amway Center for this Friday, Dec. 19 and some other details regarding special promos:
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[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bw1l149Rb1k]

On the same day that Apple Pay reached a sign-up rate of 90% of US bank cards by transaction volume, Samsung is reportedly planning to launch a rival mobile payment service that would work with 100% of cards and payment terminals on day one.

Re/code suggests that the company is in talks with LoopPay, a startup which describes itself as “the most accepted mobile wallet on the planet.” Instead of using an NFC chip for contactless payment, LoopPay transmits a magnetic signal which simulates the swiping of the magnetic strip on a card. That means it works with all cards and all payment terminals, contactless or not … 
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Apple Pay may be leaving Google Wallet in the dust when it comes to adoption, but Google hasn’t given up yet. It’s just updated its iOS app to support Touch ID, add optimization for the iPhone 6/Plus and enable you to split bills between friends … 
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With dozens more banks and retailers signed-up to Apple Pay in recent weeks, the company says the contactless payment system now supports the cards used for around 90% of credit card transactions in the US.

Ten further banks started accepting Apple Pay today, including two that had previously been announced as on the way: Commerce Bank and UW Credit Union … 
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Apple Pay support is still slowly rolling out from more banks, retailers, and apps, and two notable updates added Apple Pay in-app checkout options this week.

First up is Priceline, the app that aims to save you money on flights, hotels, and car rentals anytime you’re traveling. While the app allows you to book plane tickets and reserve rental cars, Apple Pay checkout is currently limited to “Express Deals” for paying for hotel reservations.
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