Apple Pay - Shinya Suzuki

Apple Pay: What’s New From WWDC

June 9, 2024         By: Kevin Xu

Apple Pay is getting a major boost.

Following yesterday’s Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple Pay will get its shot at the UK, and will be more deeply embedded in the shopping habits of consumers.

The United Kingdom will gain access to Apple Pay starting in July. It will have support from First Direct, HSBC, Nationwide, Santander, and all other major banks save for Barclays (for now), along with an existing large-scale contactless payment support from merchants.

Oyster, London’s public transit payment cards, will also be brought into Apple Pay’s fold, allowing commuters to use their Apple devices to tap-and-pay at turnstiles and buses.

Apple Pay will also support loyalty and rewards cards in the fall, following the release of iOS 9.

Branded rewards, such as the ones offered by Panera Bread, Walgreens Balance Rewards, and Dunkin’ Donuts, can be stored on an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and Apple Watch like a credit card. Private label cards, such as the ones provided by Synchrony Financial for JCPenney will also be supported. These rewards and loyalty offers will be automatically applied during checkout.

Square, huge with SMBs, is running with Apple Pay’s momentum and is also releasing a new contactless reader with NFC payment capabilities.

Launched last October, Apple also reported that Apple Pay is set to top one million supported merchant locations in the United States by next month.