Wednesday February 17, Apple confirm that Apple Pay is now available to its customers in China, as a leak from earlier this week had predicted. The company has brought its NFC based payment service to the country in association with UnionPay, Apple Pay in China can be used by iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch owners with an eligible China UnionPay debit or credit card.
Apple initially announced its intention to launch Apple Pay in China in December of 2015, with plans to make the service available in early 2016 following the “relevant tests and certification” required by Chinese regulators. The first signs of Apple Pay in the country came in January, with several UnionPay users demonstrating Apple Pay in stores and in apps on YouTube, and the official launch followed yesterday.
“We think China could be our largest Apple Pay market,” Apple’s vice president of Apple Pay, Jennifer Bailey, told Reuters.
iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus owners can now add their UnionPay debit or credit card to Apple Pay and use it to pay at any of the retail stores in China that support NFC payment service, which includes the iPhone 6 and later and the iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and iPad Pro. Apple Pay is already supported at more than 2 million retail stores.
Apple Pay is also available in the United States, the UK, Canada, and Australia, with plans to extend it to Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain later in the year. In Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain, Apple Pay is available or being made available through a partnership with American Express.
Apple Pay availability has grown steadily in the United States since its October 2014 debut, and the service is now accepted at more than two million retail locations across the country.
Apple Pay lets users buy physical goods and services in retail stores and within apps without having to enter payment or contact information.
Source: Apple
Apple Pay Officially Available in China