Apple Pay Launching in Canada With American Express on November 17

Apple Pay is expected to expand to its third market this week, launching in Canada this Tuesday, November, 17, reports iPhone in Canada. As previously announced, Apple Pay will be launching through an exclusive partnership with American Express, initially limiting the reach of Apple's payments service in the country.

amex_apple_pay

According to American Express, the service is set to launch this Tuesday, November 17, 2015. Customer service representatives we spoke with confirmed the date over the phone numerous times, and is in line with what you’ve told us as well.

As reported by The Globe and Mail last month, sources indicate Apple partnered with American Express in order to expedite the Apple Pay launch in the country, as discussions with the major Canadian banks and other credit card companies had been "dragging."

Beyond Canada, Apple is also partnering with American Express to bring Apple Pay to Australia by the end of the year and to Spain, Singapore, and Hong Kong next year. Apple Pay launched in the United States alongside iOS 8 in September 2014 and expanded to the United Kingdom in July of this year.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Top Rated Comments

GristlyBear Avatar
96 months ago
I really don't see Apple Pay gaining any traction in Canada. Although I have an iPhone 6, I would still prefer to make purchases by tapping my credit card. It's much faster, easier/lighter to carry in my pocket, and no chance of a fingerprint misread. I suspect there's little to no market demand for this service, which likely explains why the Canadian banks aren't budging in negotiations.
There is a simple huge security difference. If someone gets hold of your tap card, they can use it. If someone gets hold of your iPhone or Apple Watch, they can't use it - without your finger. Plain and simple.

I prefer leaving my wallet in my pants pocket, and either (a) use my watch - it's right there on my wrist all the time, or (b) use my iPhone which is always handy in my shirt pocket.

Having used ApplePay since day one in the US and Canada, I can state that I have never had a "fingerprint misread". None. It's a non-issue.

Pre-ApplePay I had a number of tap cards. Now I only have one, infrequently used, non-ApplePay NFC card left.

I know it is not often mentioned but one additional advantage of American Express when merged with Apple Pay and the Amex App is that your iPhone can be notified (push) for each and every charge made regardless of how the charge was made. Recurring payments, online charges, ApplePay charges, literally any charges. It is the best fraud protection bar none.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ptb42 Avatar
96 months ago
Can someone explain why Apple Pay can't just be a solution that works anywhere where contactless nfc payments are accepted other than wanting to be in control of the process? Not being snide or a "hater", asking seriously.
I heard something like $1 for every $100 spent. I've read some where that apple's cut into the processing fee was too much for the banks to deal with as it would cut into their profits
The banks make most of their profits from the transaction fees that merchants pay when you use debit/credit. Since Apple acts as a messenger here, they want to take a cut from that fee and the banks don't like that because that means they wouldn't make as much money. It has nothing to do with lack of tech (most places have had the tech for a while)
As most credit cards companies in Canada use NFC in there cards, other than security (which would reduce costs for the CC companies), what does Apple bring to the table for them? Yes convenience for customers but banks don't care about that too much.

I wonder if the reduction in profit is offset by the reduced costs of fraud. If I lose my credit card with tap, anyone could use it and that must happen lots.
I think they need cooperation from the banks as it is their merchant terminals that are used in each store. The banks in Australia and Apple cannot come to an agreement on interchange fees.
Apple Pay is the first implementation of a new EMV tokenization standard. Short version: when you add your card to your Wallet, your iPhone contacts a server operated by the card issuer and eventually your bank, to validate your card is valid and create an alias (the "device account number" or DAN). Both your bank and your iPhone remember the DAN. Apple is briefly involved in this process.

When you use Apple Pay, the merchant's terminal only receives the DAN. It submits that, along with some other encrypted fields. Your bank must then map the DAN to your account, validate the other fields, and then decide whether to authorize the transaction. This is why NFC doesn't "just work": your iPhone doesn't have your true account number, and the bank must build a new back-end systems to do the mapping. Also, Apple is not involved in the transaction at all -- only the initial step to add the card to your Wallet.

Among the other fields in your transaction is a sequence number that is unique to the transaction. There's also a merchant ID, and a cryptographic signature. So, even if someone were to capture your DAN, they can't use it to commit fraud. They can't even "replay" the transaction a second time to double-bill you. This is the additional security that Apple Pay provides for the bank.

Your iPhone looks like a contactless card to the merchant terminal, so there should be no changes required at the merchant if they already support NFC. However, there have been some issues with some transaction processors corrupting the data in transit, requiring updated software and hardware. But others have had no problem.

In the US, banks have been willing to pay a small amount in exchange for this additional security. One benefit is they don't have to reissue a card if the DAN is compromised: you just delete the card from your Wallet and add it again, and you'll have a new DAN. Historically, this has been a large expense over the past few years when the systems of high-profile retailers have been compromised. And of course, you have to authenticate a transaction on the iPhone each time. Also, you can remotely delete the contents of your Wallet.

Apple's fee? In the US, it is reportedly 15 cents per $100. The bank's portion of the transaction fee is about $1.50 per $100, so it's a relatively small amount in exchange for eliminating an entire class of credit card fraud. A few banks have botched the implementation by not sufficiently validating the addition of a card to the Wallet, but I expect that will eventually be resolved.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Wreckus Avatar
96 months ago
Apple P'eh is here! :D Woot Woot!
Until I can use my Visa card w/ apple pay on my iPhone in Canada. It's not here yet.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bdpx Avatar
96 months ago
Is it time to get an AmEx?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nickmcpherson97 Avatar
96 months ago
I was in Toronto earlier this year and used Apple Pay every where I went, 90% of places accepted it, I guess it wasn't avail for Canadians
It's not available through any Canadian services like banks. But 90% of places have had the tech for contactless payments for a long time.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JeffyTheQuik Avatar
96 months ago
Bienvenue chez :apple: Pay, Canada
Welcome to :apple: Pay, Canada!
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...