Apple Pay to be available in China from this week
Baku, February 18, AZERTAC
Apple has confirmed that its alliance with China's state-owned bankcard association, China UnionPay, will allow the lender's cardholders to use Apple Pay from this week, according to BBC.
The union between Apple and UnionPay was announced late last year, but was subject to various approvals.
Shoppers around the world are being encouraged to use smartphones instead of cards to pay for in-store purchases.
Alibaba's Alipay currently dominates China's electronic payments market.
Apple confirmed its expansion into China on its website.
"You can now support Apple Pay for your customers in China, providing an easy, secure, and private way for them to pay using their China UnionPay credit and debit cards," the firm said.
Several reports have indicated that as many as 20 China-based lenders will be supporting Apple Pay, including the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC).
There has been a rapid take-up of smartphones in China, with an estimated 68% of the population now owning one - and digital wallets are becoming a more popular way to pay for goods and services.
UnionPay's alliance with Apple is an extension of its plans to make the most of that growing market.
Other news in this section
