Apple has added Apple Pay support for credit and debit cards from five major banks in Singapore – POSB, DBS Bank, OCBC Bank, United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Standard Chartered Bank.
Straits Times reports the five banks account for more than 80 per cent of the Visa and MasterCard credit and debit cards issued in Singapore. Jennifer Bailey, Apple Pay Vice President, told The Straits Times “Now, almost everyone can leave their wallets at home. Apple Pay will be a natural extension of what users have been doing at payment counters.”
Apple had launched Apple Pay in Singapore last month, but it was limited only to American Express card holders. Apple Pay will be accepted at over 30,000 retail points including FairPrice and Cold Storage supermarkets, Guardian, Starbucks and Uniqlo outlets. Citibank, HSBC, ANZ and Maybank are yet to support Apple Pay.
There is a $100 cap for most transactions, but UOB Bank has lifted the limited merchants, such as Singapore Petroleum Company, Caltex, Metro and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. They’re promoting Apple Pay with $1 deals.
In the last six months or so, Apple has expanded Apple Pay to many regions outside of the US. This includes the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and China, with many more countries in the pipeline.
Apple Pay is available on the iPhone 6, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPad Pro and the Apple Watch.
If you’re based in Singapore, do let us know what has been your experience with Apple Pay.