It"s been four years since Apple Pay was launched, making its debut on the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus thanks to the inclusion of an NFC sensor in those handsets. Since then, the payment capability has become a staple feature of the Cupertino giant"s smartphones and later its smartwatches while the service has progressively become available around the world, including the United Kingdom and Australia in 2015, followed by China the following year.
Now, according to an announcement on its website, Apple has rolled out its payment platform to Germany, with support for the following banks and financial institutions:
- American Express
- boon
- bunq
- comdirect
- Deutsche Bank
- Edenred
- fidor Bank
- Hanseatic Bank
- HVB
- N26
- o2 Banking
- VIMPay
With respect to the launch, Vice President of internet software and services and Apple Pay, Jennifer Bailey said:
"We are pleased to bring Apple Pay to Germany today to provide an easier, faster, more secure and more secure payment option with the iPhone and Apple Watch, and we believe that consumers will love the speed and convenience of using Apple Pay. Today, Pay is active in 26 markets worldwide with over 5,200 banking partners."
Germany joins 32 other countries and regions to gain access to Apple Pay. While Poland has also recently entered these ranks, the Netherlands seems to be lagging behind according to earlier reports that the service would launch in both countries on November 2. Of course, this could be due to last minute issues to satisfy financial institutions and local regulations or if Apple chose to delay the launch on its own accord.
Apple Pay Image via Shutterstock