Although Apple Pay has seen rapid adoption, it’s still only technically available in the United States. Credit cards issued by U.S. banks have been reported to work with NFC terminals around the world, but no international banks have supported the mobile payments solution yet.
Apple is already working on rolling out Apple Pay in Europe and China, and now it’s been reported that the company is in talks with banks in South America.
The Bank of Brazil, Bradesco, and Itaú are all in negotiations to support Apple Pay, according to Brazilian magazine Época Negócios. The report also notes that 80% of Brazil’s two largest payment terminal suppliers support NFC.
Tim Cook recently said that 2015 will be the “year of Apple Pay,” as Apple has aggressively been adding partners in the U.S. More than 60 financial institutions support the service stateside, and dozens of retailers have officially partnered with Apple.
China is a top priority for Apple Pay moving forward, according to Cook. If the rumors are accurate, it’s safe to assume that more than a few countries will hop on the Apple Pay bandwagon with China throughout this year.
Source: Season Business
Thanks: Guilherme!