Apple Pay could be set to make its way over to Europe this summer.
Apple’s mobile payment system remains a US-only provision at present, despite launching almost exactly seven months ago.
On a visit to Europe in February, Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly told staff that Apple Pay would be coming to Europe by the end of the year. This would have been reassuring were it not so vague.
Now, one lose-tongued European bank worker may have cast new light on the matter.
Over on the Twitter account of Belgium’s KBC Bank, a customer asked if Apple Pay support would ever be added to its new NFC payment system. The (translated) response was that “this will be possible as of this summer.”
As 9to5Mac points out, this could indicate that Apple will be announcing the European availability (and possibly other new territories) of Apple Pay at its WWDC event, which takes place from June 8.
We should note that KBC has since retracted the previous statement, claiming that “Apple Pay is currently not yet in scope.” However, the possibility remains that the offending tweet was an informed (if accidental) tip off as to Apple’s European plans.
Read More: Apple Pay vs Samsung Pay
Apple Pay permits iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and iPhone 5S with Apple Watch users to make payments in selected retailers by holding their devices up to payment points.
While Apple claims it’s been a success in its sole US market, there has been considerable resistance from powerful banking institutions keen to muscle in on the mobile payment business and to keep Apple out.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
