Apple Pay Arrives in Iceland

The Apple Pay network continues to expand. The tech giant has announced that its biometrically secured mobile wallet platform is now available in Iceland, launching with support from the Icelandic banks Arion Banki and Landsbankinn. More banks are expected to add support for the platform in the not-too-distant future.

To use Apple Pay, Arion Banki and Landsbankinn clients simply need to link their account with the mobile wallet app to make contactless payments on any compatible Apple device. The announcement comes roughly a year after Apple Pay launched in Norway, and reflects Apple’s ongoing European expansion efforts.

“Apple Pay is now available in 30 markets and we expect to be live in 40 markets by the end of the year,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.

Those other markets are likely to include the Netherlands, Portugal, Greece, and Slovakia, along with a handful of other European countries. Together, those populations will add to an Apple Pay user base that already boasts 383 million customers.

Of course, Apple Pay’s growth coincides with a growing interest in mobile wallets and mobile payments more generally. According to Cook, the number of Apple Pay transactions has doubled year-over-year as more and more retailers add support for the service. 

Sources: Apple Insider, Mac Rumors