Apple Pay Expected to Launch in Israel Early Next Month
After several false dawns, Apple Pay looks finally ready to come to Israel early next month, based on local reports.

According to Hebrew-language site Calcalist, barring a last-minute change, Apple is expected to launch its digital payment system in the country in the first week of May.
Several previous reports over the last year have hinted at an imminent Apple Pay launch in Israel, but so far it hasn't come to pass. According to today's report, the infrastructure for Apple Pay has been ready in the country for some time, and the delay has been due to closures in the economy and the need to make sure that enough businesses can accept the payment method.
Apple Pay payments go through Apple's digital Wallet app for mobile iOS devices, therefore any financial entity that wants its customers to pay using the method must sign an agreement with Apple.
In the past year, several banks and credit card companies in Israel have signed such an agreement, and as part of the contract, they must pay Apple a commission derived from the amount of the transaction, estimated to be 0.05%.
Apple's iPhones command a 20% share in Israel's smartphone market, so there's plenty of scope for Apple Pay to become a popular payment method in the country. First introduced in 2014, Apple Pay is now available in over 50 countries or regions around the world.
(Thanks, Morad!)
Related Stories
Apple's recently announced "Tap to Pay on iPhone" feature, a new way to accept contactless payments with no additional hardware required, could present challenges for the current key players in the contactless payment space, such as Square.
Tap to Pay on iPhone allows merchants to accept contactless payments through supported iOS apps using an iPhone XS or newer. At checkout, the merchant...
Taiwan's Railways Administration (TRA) has officially announced support for using Apple Pay when purchasing train tickets with the service's e-booking mobile app.
In a press release on its website, the country's railway operator said it was making the new "Apple Pay ticketing service" available from September 7 in order to improve convenience for passengers when booking tickets via the...
Apple Pay has launched for iPhone, Apple Watch, and Mac users in Qatar, expanding Apple's regional reach for its mobile payment solution, according to a post by the QNB Group (via AppleInsider).
Apple Pay in Qatar will first be available with the Dukhan Bank and QNB Group, which calls itself the "largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa." Other banks in the country can be...
Popular cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase has announced that it is now allowing traders to use bank cards linked to Apple Pay to purchase crypto assets on the platform.
"Today, we're introducing new and seamless ways to enable crypto buys with linked debit cards to Apple Pay and Google Pay, and instant cashouts up to $100,000 per transaction available 24/7," said a Coinbase blog post on...
Stripe today announced a closed beta program for Apple's upcoming "Tap to Pay on iPhone" feature, with a sign-up form available on its website. The payment platform said the feature is "coming this spring" in the United States.
Tap to Pay on iPhone will allow newer iPhones to accept payments via Apple Pay, contactless credit and debit cards, and other digital wallets, with no additional...
Apple today sent out emails letting customers know about the latest Apple Pay promotion, which offers discounts for SONIC, ParkWhiz, and HotelTonight. From now until August 4, customers can get a free SONIC cheeseburger, 10 percent off three parking reservations with ParkWhiz, and 10 percent off hotel reservations with HotelTonight.
To get the SONIC deal, customers must be logged into...
iPhones.ru is reporting that iTunes and App Store purchases can no longer be made by Apple device users located in Russia, leaving them unable to pay for apps, media, or Apple services. According to the Russia-based site, it is now impossible for users to add funds to their App Store or iTunes Store accounts using regional bank cards issued by Russian banks including Alfa-Bank, Sber, and...
In January, MacRumors reported that Apple Pay was likely to launch in South Africa sometime this year. As expected, Apple Pay has now started to go live in the country for customers of a select number of banks.
MacRumors readers and bank customers on Twitter report seeing prompts to add their cards to Apple Pay. So far, it seems that only Discovery, Nedbank, and Absa customers are able to...
Popular Stories
Earlier today, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo claimed iPhone 14 Pro models will be more expensive than iPhone 13 Pro models. Kuo did not reveal exact pricing, but he said that the average selling price of all four iPhone 14 models will increase by about 15% overall.
While higher prices would be disappointing for customers, it is possible the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will offer increased...
Apple this week brought back one of the most highly requested features from iOS users since the launch of the iPhone X in 2017: the ability to see your battery percentage directly in the status bar.
Ever since the launch of the iPhone X with the notch, Apple has not allowed users to show their battery percentage directly in the status bar, forcing them to swipe down into Control Center to...
Apple plans to increase the prices of iPhone 14 Pro models compared to iPhone 13 Pro models, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo did not reveal exact pricing for the iPhone 14 Pro models. However, in a tweet today, he estimated that the average selling price of the iPhone 14 lineup as a whole will increase by about 15% compared to the iPhone 13 lineup.
In the United States, the iPhone...
With the fifth beta of iOS 16, Apple has updated the battery icon on iPhones with Face ID to display the specific battery percentage rather than just a visual representation of battery level. The new battery indicator is available on iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 models, with the exception of the 5.4-inch iPhone 12/13 mini. It is also available on the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max, XS and XS Max, and...
In the latest iOS 16 beta, Apple has updated the status bar battery icon on iPhones with Face ID to display the exact percentage remaining rather than just a visual representation of battery level, and while the change has been largely welcomed, some users are unhappy with the way it has been implemented.
In iOS 15 and earlier, battery percent has not been present on iPhones that have...
Wednesday August 10, 2022 4:08 am PDT by
Sami FathiThe launch of the new iPhone 14 is just a few weeks away, meaning millions of iPhone customers will soon upgrade their existing iPhone or perhaps get an iPhone for the first time. Exclusive MacRumors iPhone 14 Pro renders by graphic designer Ian Zelbo Whether upgrading from an older model or this is your first iPhone, we've rounded up a few tips to help you prepare for the next flagship...
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models are rumored to be available in a refreshed range of color options, including an all-new purple color. Most expectations about the iPhone 14 lineup's color options come from an unverified post on Chinese social media site Weibo earlier this year.
Overall, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro's selection of color options could look fairly similar to those of the ...
Top Rated Comments
So much for CurrentC. Here's a good post-mortem of its spectacular flop:
https://www.applicoinc.com/blog/happened-currentc-platform-innovation-fails/