Eighteen More Institutions Sign On For Apple Pay

Apple keeps inching toward the 500-mark for its roster of financial institutions supporting the Apple Pay mPayment platform. The company announced 18 new partners this week.

The newcomers are a mix of credit unions and banks including Bank of Idaho, Credit Union of New Jersey, and Pacific Service Credit Union. There is a noticeable dearth of British institutions, given the mPayment platform’s recent launch in the UK. Apple had struggled to win the support of some of the bigger banks in that region, and while it ultimately got all of them on board, some – including Barclays – still haven’t launched Apple Pay support. There had been reports of problems with how the service operated on London’s public transportation system, so it may simply be that these banks are trying to make sure everything is in order from a technical perspective before going live with their support; in any case, it is in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, AppleInsider reports there is some speculation that the service will launch in Canada in November, with an official announcement expected on Sept. 9th. It’s a surprisingly long wait for Canadians, given that the NFC-enabled POS technology needed for the service is already widespread in the country; but some analysts have predicted that Apple Pay won’t make a huge impact when it ultimately reaches Canada, and Apple’s slow approach may reflect a lack of enthusiasm.

Source: AppleInsider