Apple Pay in Australia Expanding to 31 Small Banks and Credit Unions

Apple recently inked a deal with Cuscal Payments Group, which will see Apple Pay expand to more than 30 small banks and credit unions in Australia in the near future. Apple Pay is expected to be available for up to four million Australian customers through the partnership.

Some of the banks and credit unions that will accept Apple Pay include Credit Union Australia, Bank Australia, Beyond Bank Australia, QT Mutual Bank, and Central West Credit Union, with a full list available on the Cuscal website. In a statement, Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey said Apple is eager to expand the payments service in Australia.

applepaycuscal

"We want as many Australians as possible to be able to use Apple Pay," she said.

"Today more than 3500 banks across 12 countries already support Apple Pay and we think Cuscal's customers will really love using Apple Pay for everyday purchases in stores, apps and on the web."

While Apple Pay has been available in Australia since November of 2015 through partnerships with American Express and ANZ, other major banks in Australia have not signed on to accept Apple Pay and are embroiled in a dispute with Apple.

Three of Australia's largest banks, including Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank, and Westpac, have filed an application with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) to collectively negotiate with Apple to gain access to the NFC hardware in iPhones.

The banks want customers to be able to use already-established bank-run digital wallets rather than being limited to Apple Pay, but Apple does not allow third-party services to access the NFC chip built into the iPhone.

The banks have argued that Apple's refusal to allow access to the iPhone's hardware is an anti-competitive restriction, while Apple has told the ACCC that allowing the banks to "form a cartel" to dictate the terms of new business models would "set a troubling precedent," delay the introduction of "potentially disruptive technologies," and compromise security.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

Popular Stories

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're officially less than one week away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these...
Low Cost MacBook Feature A18 Pro

Report: Low-Cost iPhone, iPad, MacBook Coming Early 2026

Friday November 21, 2025 2:26 am PST by
Apple is planning to release new entry-level models across its iPhone, iPad, and Mac categories early next year, with an all-new affordable MacBook the most notable addition to the lineup. According to a new research report by Jeff Pu of GF Securities seen by MacRumors, Apple will launch the iPhone 17e – its second iteration of the "e" line – in the spring, likely along with a...

Top Rated Comments

Speedy Dingo Avatar
118 months ago
Meanwhile at the other 3 major banks left that refuse to support Apple Pay...
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
CosmicRichy Avatar
118 months ago
I have all my accounts with commonwealth bank. Hopefully they get over it and just accept that no one wants to use their crap digital wallets and Apple Pay is the way to go.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
swe Avatar
118 months ago
While 31 it sounds impressive , some of these are really small.... really a non event until the other three major banks sign up....or even one of them.
[doublepost=1478682092][/doublepost]

Living in London. From everyone I know apple or android pay is utilised by such a small number. I commute by tube everyday , such a tiny minory use their phone for contactless
In Australia over 53% of the population use contactless (in America its 9%). This rate is growing and some banks now only offer contactless cards. We have the highest uptake of the PayWave technology in the world and being able to use our phone or watch for payments is preferred to simply our cards as Apple Pay and Mobile Pay are far more secure than contactless cards. So in Australia, it's the majority that use contactless - being with ANZ I find using ApplePay is just easier than using my card. Eventually I won't need a wallet!
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
118 months ago
I have all my accounts with commonwealth bank. Hopefully they get over it and just accept that no one wants to use their crap digital wallets and Apple Pay is the way to go.
Good time to shop for a more customer oriented bank...
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Kangastu Avatar
118 months ago
Still no Suncorp or eta on when it will happen. Time to change my account to ANZ methinks.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Glenn.955 Avatar
118 months ago
With ANZ + my credit union I'm 100% covered.

Funny the 3 banks going to ACCC because they want to be less competitive.

I don't think they should open their NFC chip to the banks - not sure I really trust the banks to do a secure job. I do wish Apple could implement the ability to use other NFC services. Like my work pass, building FOB etc. And if it could somehow open my car even better!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)