Mobile payments aren’t exactly new. In fact, all previous attempts to kill the wallet have failed miserably. However, now that Apple Pay is available to all iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users, mobile payments are heating up. Banks, stores, and companies are jumping on the bandwagon and eagerly pledging their support for Apple Pay. It seems as if new partners are joining every day, so we’ve put together this handy list of all the major partners, which we’ll update as more are added. Here are all the brands and countries that support Apple Pay. Updated on 11-25-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay may soon launch in China, as Apple reportedly strikes preliminary deal with UnionPay. Click on a link to go to a section: List of countries List of stores List of banks Use on Apple Watch List of apps Apple Pay is coming to China soon Initially, Apple Pay only worked in the United States, but Apple is interested in brining the service to users in many countries. Next up, appears to be China, according to reports. In late November, Bloomberg reported that China’s UnionPay and Apple have reached a preliminary agreement to bring the mobile payment service to the country by 2016. Other rumors point to an early February 2016 launch. If such an agreement has been struck, it’s a big win for Apple Pay. China’s UnionPay already has 5 million terminals in the country for payments, so working together would help spur Apple Pay adoption. Credit card issuers and banks are still being consulted, mainly because of concerns over transaction fees. Related:- Apple pushing to get Apple Pay into China, early February launch reported Apple reportedly charges a 0.15 percent fee for every transaction made with its system. Although U.S. merchants are used to paying as much as 2 percent in total fees, Chinese merchants typically pay a mere 0.38 percent. The issue of fees is a reoccurring theme for Apple Pay, but assuming the parties involved work out a deal, UnionPay and Apple will bring Apple Pay to China together soon. It seems that UnionPay decided to ally itself with Apple in hopes of beating out the competition from Tencent and Alibaba. Much earlier on, a job posting spotted by iClarified showed that Apple -is also seeking an-Apple Pay Site Reliability Engineer for China. This person would be responsible for Apple’s team of employees in China who are “focused on the front line customer experience and the back end integration of Apple systems with our Network and Banking partners.” The fact that Apple is ramping up for an Apple Pay launch in China is no surprise, but the job listing seems to indicate that the launch may happen in the near future. It’s already in the Australia, the UK, Canada, and U.S. The first country to get Apple Pay other than the States was the U.K. You can read our full guide to Apple Pay in the U.K. here. Now, the payment system also works in Canada-and Australia, albeit in a limited capacity. Only Canadians and Australians with American Express cards can use the service at present, but AmEx cards that have been co-branded with banks won’t work.-The Sydney Morning Herald says there are-6.8 million AmEx cards out of 42 million credit cards in the country, which is pretty decent. It’s also unclear how many stores in Canada and Australia will support Apple Pay, though Tim Hortons, Indigo, McDonald’s, Petro Canada, and Staples were mentioned for Canada. In Australia, the stores include David Jones, Myer, McDonald’s, K-Mart, Telstra, Coles, Woolworths, Target, Starbucks, Officeworks, Hoyts, Zara, Bunnings, and Shell. Other banks and stores will likely join the service soon in both countries. In mid-October, TD Canada Trust accidentally leaked that Apple Pay would arrive as early as November. The bank quickly apologized for the mistake on is website, but this leak could indicate that TD Canada Trust will soon be a partner. Related:- Square now accepts Apple Pay and Android Pay in 100 local businesses and counting Earlier on, sources stated that Apple is in talks with Canada’s six biggest banks, which account for 90 percent of all bank accounts in the country, to bring the mobile payment service to their customers, reports the Wall Street Journal.- The Royal Bank of Canada, Toronto-Dominion Bank, Bank of Nova Scotia, Bank of Montreal, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, and National Bank of Canada, were all mentioned in the report. Apparently, the banks may launch Apple Pay at different times, unnamed sources said, because some have bigger concerns over Apple’s requirements than others. Apparently, Apple may charge Canadian banks more to use Apple Pay than it charges American banks. Another sticking point may be worries over security and fraud. Some banks want to require the use of a PIN number in addition to the Apple Pay process, which is authorized with a fingerprint scan. Naturally, Apple may object to that request, if it’s made, because it will slow down the mobile payment process. In Australia, transaction fees seem to be a sore point, too, reports the Sydney Morning Herald.-In the U.S., Apple reportedly gets about 15 cents on every $100 spent. In Australia, most banks charge a smaller transaction fee of just 50 cents per $100 spent, and in the U.S., that number is $1 for every $100 spent. The Herald report states that Apple is demanding the same cut of the transaction fee in Australia that it gets in America, even though the fees are different. Similar objections have been raised by other countries, including China. Australian banks are also concerned that Apple Pay may distract customers away from their new products. However, the biggest reason why Australian banks are leery of the deal seems to be that they have to pay money into a fund called the-New Payments Platform, which aims to bring a new payment option to Australian customers and businesses. The banks worry that Apple pay may be included in the new system without having to pay its fair share to join. These issues could be resolved, though. Additionally,-Visa Europe stated that it is working with Apple to bring the feature to Europe as soon as possible.-On February 24, Visa Europe announced the launch of something called “tokenisation,” a super secure way of conducting mobile payments without exposing card and account details. Beyond that, it’s easily disabled in the event of a phone being stolen. Tokenization was a key driver in Apple Pay’s launch in the U.S., and is in use by Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. Its official introduction in Europe indicate’s Visa is making sure it’s prepared for Apple Pay’s eventual launch, which may by hastened by this important step. According to the press release, Visa tokenization will be online in mid-April. Related:- Apple limits NFC on iPhone 6 models to Apple Pay In mid-December, a pair of job postings popped up on Apple’s website for a London-based intern who would-“drive the roll-out” of Apple’s new mobile payment system across Europe, the Middle East, India, and Africa. The post was spotted by iClarified before Apple removed it. The intern would be responsible for forging partnerships with-“payment networks and merchants across Europe,” the job description reads. Based on this report, it seems likely that Apple Pay will arrive in Europe relatively soon. Apple Pay works at 700,000 locations,-will reach Starbucks in 2016 At the Recode mobile conference in October 2015, Apple VP Jennifer Bailey said Starbucks, KFC, and Chili’s restaurants would all accept Apple Pay in 2016, with the former starting a trail run before the end of this year. Don’t get too excited just yet, there’s no firm action date for any of them. These new Apple Pay stores will join the 700,000 stores across the U.S. that already accept the mobile payment system, a figure announced at Apple’s own Spring Forward event in early 2015. Apple started out with just 220,000 locations back in September 2014, and the number has grown month after month, despite initial resistance from competing mobile payment platforms. Rite-Aid, a founding member of the exclusionary, rival-CurrentC-consortium,-has reversed course and announced it’ll support Apple Pay and other contactless transaction methods-soon. All of the company’s 4,600 stories will begin accepting contactless payments starting August 15, according to a press release.-Rite Aid isn’t the first supporter of the CurrentC platform to change its mind about Apple Pay, which indicates that the tide is turning in NFC’s favor. Several big box retailers support Apple Pay, including Best Buy. Target is also reported to have plans for Apple Pay in the pipeline.-Target-CEO Brian Cornell told Recode-the retailer will add chip and PIN technology to its checkouts before the holiday season of 2015, but Apple Pay will have to wait. Still, the CEO sounded optimistic that Apple Pay will soon be available at Target. On Apple’s website, the company lists its own store, Bloomingdales, Macy’s, Duane Reade, McDonald’s, Sephora, Petco, Panera Bread, Staples, Nike, Walgreens, Subway, Whole Foods, Marriott, and more as participating stores. The list continues to grow, with dozens of clothing stores, restaurants, and other retailers signing up. Also, chances are, if you see the NFC mobile payments symbol on a cash register, Apple Pay will work at that store, too. Related:- Apple Watch uses skin contact to secure mobile payments Apple pay already works in 40,000 Coca Cola vending machines, but tap to pay will roll out to 100,000 Coke machines before 2016 arrives. Also, thanks to an earlier deal with USA Technologies, 200,000 vending machines and self-service terminals will now support Apple Pay. You’ll be able to tap-to-pay at vending machines, laundromats, parking terminals, and other automated check out systems with your iPhone instead of pulling out quarters and crinkled dollar bills. In September, iPhone users will be able to pay admission to national parks with Apple Pay, Tim Cook announced at the White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection. @SingAsana To clarify, Chevron is working alongside Apple to integrate Apple Pay at the pump, but a timeline is not set. — Chevron (@Chevron) December 29, 2014 You can already pay for your gas with Apple Pay at many gas stations, but you have to go inside to do so. Since most customers prefer to pay at the pump, Chevron announced via Twitter that it’s working with Apple to bring Apple Pay to the pump. Although there’s no official timeline set for the debut of tap-to-pay terminals at the pump, Chevron stated-earlier that the new service may arrive at select gas stations as early as 2015. Just weeks before the launch, we saw businesses gearing up for the payment system’s big debut. The Panera Bread right below our New York office has new payment terminals that support Apple Pay. Even our local Foodtown grocery store in Queens, NY has signs posted at every register, announcing support for Apple Pay. Apple Pay will also branch out to more large venues and tourist attractions, such as amusement parks and stadiums. The mobile payment service already works in select stadiums’ concession stands around the country. In late December 2014, WDMagic revealed that a few Disney World locations will accept Apple Pay on Christmas Eve, with more locations to follow in 2015. The vast majority of stores, quick service restaurants, bars, and ticket sales booths for rides and other attractions will accept mobile payments from the start. Full-service, sit-down restaurants will receive the technology later on. More and more banks support Apple Pay Apple already has deals inked with the four major credit and debit card providers: Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express. Previously, only personal AmEx cards were supported, but in early August, American Express added support for corporate cards. -Apple also has the support of more than 600 banks and credit unions as of October 20, 2015. “Businesses today are going digital, and American Express is at the forefront of digital innovation, helping companies to streamline their payments systems and simplify their processes,” said Greg Keeley, the Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Payments at American Express. “We continue to invest and expand digital offerings for our corporate customers in ways that maximize security and enhance the user experience.” In late April, credit card provider Discover finally signed a deal with Apple that will bring Apple Pay to those with Discover credit cards in the fall of 2015. Now, every major credit card company in the U.S. has Apple Pay support. In addition, many of America’s leading banks, including Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo have signed up. Users can even send money transfers from Apple Pay at Western Union locations. By the start of August 2015, Apple Pay had gained support from more than 400 institutions in the U.S. alone, including many small, regional banks. You can check out Apple’s full list here. In early July, the company added 23 more banks, including major credit unions that serve 450,000 people in Texas. In February at the-White House Summit on Cybersecurity and Consumer Protection, CEO Tim Cook announced that Apple Pay will soon support government employees’ credit cards, federal benefit cards for veterans, and social security benefit cards. According to Bloomberg, the government’s deal with Apple Pay includes the Direct Express payment network and government cards from GSA SmartPay. Related:- Tim Cook says money will be forgotten by history, thanks to Apple Pay At the summit, Cook also hinted that Apple Pay will replace every card in your wallet one day — even drivers’ licenses. “We can imagine a day the not-so-distant future when your wallet becomes a remnant of the past,” he said. “Your passport, your driver’s license, and other important documents can be digitally stored in a way that’s safe, secure, and easy to access.” By mid-December, Apple confirmed to the New York Times-it supports cards “that-represent about 90 percent of the credit card purchase volume in the United States.” The company most recently added SunTrust, Barclaycard, USAA, TD Bank North America, and Commerce Bank to its list of partners. As such, anyone who’s a customer at these banks has the ability to link up their credit or debit cards with Apple Pay and make payments on the go at any store that accepts Apple Pay. Related:- Apple Pay: What is it and how do I use it? We explain PNC, US Bank, and Navy Federal Credit Union also support Apple Pay. Seeing as the system supports the most popular credit and debit card makers, it seems likely that many other small banks are following suit. During its October iPad launch event, Apple announced that 500 more banks agreed to support Apple Pay when it launched in October. By October 20, 2015, Apple had added 100 more banks and credit unions to the list, bringing the total above 600. For a full list of banks that work with Apple Pay, follow the link. Non-traditional banking and payment companies are also pledging support for the system. Jack Dorsey, the CEO of Square, told CBC that Square will support Apple Pay and Bitcoin payments on its newest registers. Square’s registers are widely used by artists, small indie shops, and other stores, especially in large cities. Alternative registers from First Data’s Clover and others like Poynt, already support Apple Pay. A French payment company called Ingenico recently signed a deal with a Spanish luxury brand named Loewe to let customers use Apple Pay. Twitter is also reportedly testing a buy button on its site that will support Apple Pay. You can use Apple Pay on Apple Watch, too Although we already more or less knew that Apple Pay worked on the Apple Watch, now we’ve seen a demo of it at Apple’s Spring Forward event. Seeing as the Apple Watch has NFC technology built-in, it too can tap to pay. With the Apple Watch, you don’t have to physically tap it against the terminal, you just need to get close enough for it to register. A tap of the side button will bring up your credit card, and then you’re good to go. Applications Online shoppers will also be pleased to note that Apple Pay works with several apps, and more will be added shortly. The Apple Store, Target, AirBnB, Uber, Lyft, Groupon, Instacart, OpenTable, Panera Bread, Sephora, Spring, Starbucks, Tickets.com, and other apps all work with the new system. We’ll continue to update this article as more partners are announced. Next page: A list of article udpates Previous updates: Updated on 11-19-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay launched in Australia. Updated on 11-17-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay launched in Canada and is coming to Australia next. Updated on 11-16-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added rumors that Apple Pay may launch in Canada on November 17. Updated on 10-20-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay works with more than 600 banks and credit unions as October 20, 2015. Also added new rumor that Apple Pay will arrive in Canada this November. Jump to the list of countries and list of banks for more. Updated on 10-09-2015 by Andy Boxall:- Added news that Apple Pay will come to Starbucks, KFC, and others in 2016. Updated on 08-18-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple’s plans for an Australian launch have hit a snag. Updated on 08-11-2015 by Kyle Wiggers:- Added news-that Rite Aid will begin supporting Apple Pay on August 15.- Updated on 08-11-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news-that American Express corporate cards will now work with Apple Pay. Updated on 07-07-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news-that 23 more banks now support Apple Pay, and some U.K. users with the Santander bank have set up their cards on Apple Pay already, even though the official rollout hasn’t happened yet. Updated on 06-02-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news-that 12 more banks have been adding, brining the total up to more than 300 institutions. Updated on 05-28-2015 by Malarie Gokey: - Added news-that may Target add Apple Pay support soon, but chip and PIN technology comes first. Updated on 04-28-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news-that Discover credit cards will soon have Apple Pay support. Updated on 04-17-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news-that Apple Pay may launch in November in Canada.- Updated on 03-09-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news-that Apple Pay is now accepted in 700,000 locations, will work with 100,000 coke vending machines before 2016, and can be used on the Apple Watch. Updated on 02-24-2015 by Andy Boxall:- Added news-that Visa has introduced new payment technology which could pave the way for Apple Pay’s launch in Europe. Updated on 02-13-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay is headed to national parks and will support government employees’ debit cards, the federal payment cards for veterans, and social security benefit cards. Updated on 01-27-2015 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that 200,000 self-serve kiosks and vending machines will support Apple Pay. Added news that Western Union will support money transfers from Apple Pay. Updated on 12-30-2014 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Chevron may install new payment terminals with support for Apple Pay at gas station pumps. Updated on 12-29-2014 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay may hit the UK in 2015, as Apple enters talks with banks. Updated on 12-22-2014 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay may soon arrive at select Disney World locations. Updated on 12-18-2014 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that Apple Pay may soon arrive in Europe, based on recent job postings. Updated on 12-16-2014 by Malarie Gokey:- Added news that 90 percent of credit cards now work with Apple Pay. Updated on 10-16-2014 by Malarie Gokey:- Apple Pay will launch with 500 banks a partners and many more retailers who will accept it when it launches on October 20.



More...