Apple Pay Cash Looking at Rapid Expansion

One of the biggest possible complaints one could have about Apple Pay was that it didn’t exactly move fast. It took almost two years from launch for any substantial number of places to accept it, and 2017 seemed mainly focused on international expansion. Perhaps sensing that its release tempo was just too slow, Apple seems to be putting more emphasis into its Apple Pay Cash rollout.

Several new countries report recently seeing Apple Pay Cash functionality available in their Messenger apps, including Brazil, Ireland and Spain. There haven’t been any official reports from Apple on this—this is mostly just word from users on the ground—and the idea that users will be able to send cash between these countries is likely not going to fly.

Though Apple Pay Cash hasn’t exactly had a smooth rollout so far overall—it was part of an iOS update that came out in the middle of the night, and that was due in part to a software bug that unexpectedly pushed the release schedule forward—but it’s stepped up since and is looking to take on the leaders in the field, Zelle and Venmo.

The problem here for Apple Pay Cash is that it’s operating now in conditions that it was benefiting from back when it was just mobile payments. When Apple Pay came out, it was new, unique, and had very little established market to deal with. It could present the option to its walled garden of Apple device users and count on their business.

Now, Apple’s walking into a market with established competitors, and one where it no longer has the advantage of the walled garden. Both Zelle and Venmo are available on the Apple App Store, and that means that Apple has to present its users with an impressive value proposition to get anywhere. Sure, it might get some of the Apple crowd who will use almost anything Apple-branded, but considering many of them likely already use Zelle and Venmo, the chances are a bit slim.

Apple Pay Cash will have to work hard to net business here, and only time will tell if it can present the kind of value customers will need to see to join in.