After long wait Apple Pay officially launches in Germany
More than four years after its US debut, Apple has finally launched its mobile payments service in Germany. Some 15 banks and a bunch of popular retailers are participating at launch. The late debut was due to a dispute over fees with financial institutions.
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Rumors surrounding the Apple Pay launch in the country have circulated for months. From today, customers at banks such as American Express, Commerzbank, Comdirect, Deutsche Bank, Hanseatic Bank, HypoVereinsbank, Edenred and Fidor Bank can use the service. Credit card companies American Express, Mastercard, Visa, and mobile banking services Boon, Bunq, N26, o2, Square and VIMpay also offer integration.
Retailers accepting payments at launch include discounters Aldi and Lidl, supermarket chain Kaufland, drugstores Rossmann and DM, department store chain Kaufhof, clothing retailers H&M, Esprit, C&A and Zara. Customers can use the service simply by holding their smartphone or smartwatch in front of a payment terminal.
Tim Cook has made good on his promise back in July that Germany will get Apple Pay before the end of this year. It now joins 20 other countries which already have the payments service. These include the UK, Canada, Australia, Belgium, China, Singapore, Switzerland, France, Japan, Spain, Italy, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Russia, New Zealand, Brazil, Poland, Ireland and Ukraine.
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