Apple Pay expands its reach to more banks across Europe

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ING-Apple-Pay
ING in Germany is finally ready for Apple Pay.
Photo: ING

Apple Pay is now supported by a number of new banks across Europe.

Bunq in Austria, ING in Germany, and ABN AMRO in the Netherlands have all adopted Apple’s mobile payments service. Phyre in Bulgaria and two banks in the Czech Republic are also in on the action.

It has now been five years since Apple Pay made its debut in the United States. It has since expanded its reach to many banks and markets around the world, but adoption has been somewhat slow.

Fortunately for Apple and the rest of us, new banks are still adding Apple Pay support on a regular basis.

Apple Pay support picks up in Europe

These are the latest to confirm Apple Pay is now live as of October 15:

  • Austria: Bunq
  • Bulgaria: Phyre
  • Czech Republic: Fio banka, Raiffeisenbank
  • Germany: ING
  • Netherlands: ABN AMRO
  • Romania: Raffeisenbank

The latest rollout follows Apple Pay’s arrival in Germany last December, the Netherlands in early June, and 13 additional markets across Europe in late June.

This is all part of Apple’s push to bring Apple Pay to at least 40 countries by the end of 2019. As of today, it has reached 38.

Apple Pay expansion will continue

A number of other banks have also promised Apple Pay support soon. Those include:

  • Germany: Federation of German Cooperative Banks (BVR), Sparkassen and Giroverbandes (DSGV)
  • Netherlands: Rabobank

Sadly, there’s still no word on when Apple Card might be available outside of the U.S. following its launch over the summer.

Goldman Sachs, Apple’s partner, has mentioned that it is interested in international expansion after seeing strong demand on its home turf. But it is yet to actually confirm any plans for other markets.

If you’re new to Apple Pay, you can get started by adding your credit or debit card to the Wallet app on your iPhone.

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