We now have a pretty solid – albeit unofficial – launch date for Apple Pay in the UK. Based on leaked reports from retailers, multiple sources are now looking to July 14 for the service’s regional debut.
Apple has already indicated that its mPayment platform would launch in the UK in July, but it hasn’t yet set a precise, official date. What it has said is that the service will be compatible with about 250,000 merchants in the country, as well as most major banks, though it’s not clear that Apple has reached a deal to get the support of Barclay’s. That leading financial institution has been rolling out its own brand of mPayment products, which of course are necessarily in a competitive position against Apple Pay.
Meanwhile, PayPal’s One Touch service just launched in the UK (as well as Canada). That service isn’t competing in exactly the same space as Apple Pay – it essentially simplifies the payment process for users making digital purchases by remembering their credentials – but it does indicate further competition to come from PayPal, which certainly aims to be a serious contender in the mPayment space.
Still, on July 14, that space will be filled almost entirely by Apple Pay in the UK.
Source: The Verge
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