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

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.
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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

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.

('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/08/apple-pay-cuscal-deal-australia/')


Apple recently inked a deal ('http://www.news.com.au/technology/cuscal-payments-group-signs-deal-for-credit-unions-banks-to-offer-apple-pay-to-millions-of-aussies/news-story/936cf88523c31048d4f0256bb59be790') 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 ('https://www.cuscal.com.au/apple-pay-coming-soon'). In a statement, Apple Pay vice president Jennifer Bailey said Apple is eager to expand the payments service in Australia.


While Apple Pay has been available in Australia since November of 2015 through partnerships with American Express and ANZ ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/04/27/apple-pay-australia-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 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/07/27/australian-banks-challenge-apple-mobile-payment/') 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 ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/10/apple-australian-banks-iphone-nfc-access/') that allowing the banks to "form a cartel" to dictate the terms ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/08/30/apple-australia-banks-harm-consumers/') of new business models would "set a troubling precedent," delay the introduction of "potentially disruptive technologies," and compromise security.

Article Link: Apple Pay in Australia Expanding to 31 Small Banks and Credit Unions ('https://www.macrumors.com/2016/11/08/apple-pay-cuscal-deal-australia/')

Wow hold on there! While the commbank ipad app is admittedly pretty average, the iPhone commbank app is amazingly well done.

And with the commbank stick on NFC chip. I've been making contactless payments for a few years now it is nowhere near as secure as what apple pay is, it is still a pretty good substitute.

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!

This will drive customer movement and demand. A small select group like it was before would not make much difference. But when it's "everybody except the big three," they will find themselves without a choice, as they will have to explain to customers that/why they can't Apple Pay - customers who don't care about the bank's desire to remain control-freaks, only that they can't pay the way they should be able to. The banks' reasons have nothing to do with customers' best interests, only with the banks' best interests - there's no up-side for customers with Apple Pay not being available. And that fact will ultimately wear them down, sooner or later. Just as it was with the collapse of the auto industry, one will blink (probably the #3 bank, having the most to lose), and the other two will fall into line. History will record which bank was the last to comply.