How to Setup Apple Pay in Canada to Use in the USA [PICS]

Lots of Canadian snowbirds head down to the USA for the winter and if you have an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus, you might want to set it up with Apple Pay, which you can do right here in Canada. Canadians can’t access the Apple Pay setup menu unless your region is changed to the United States in iOS 8.1. Once this is enabled, all you have to do is add your US credit or debit card and in theory if it’s supported, it will be added to Passbook.

Here’s how to do it…

1. On your iPhone, go to Settings > General > Language & Region > Region > United States

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2. Next, launch Passbook and swipe down to reveal the “+” icon in the top right, then tap it.

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3. This will bring up the Apple Pay setup option—tap ‘Set Up Apple Pay’.

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Next, tap ‘Add a new Credit or Debit Card. Enter in your card details (or use the camera) and hit Next (you can even try your Canadian credit card details just for fun).

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If your card and issuer is compatible it should tell you so. If not, it’ll say “Could Not Add Card”:

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In theory this setup should allow you to use Apple Pay on your iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus once you are in the United States, as long as your card issuer supports the service.

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Below is a demo of how Apple Pay works as shown by Walgreens:

YouTube video

As for when Apple Pay will launch in Canada? That’s a good question. TD Bank’s CIO recently predicted Apple Pay would face regulatory hurdles before arriving here, while IDC expects a launch sometime in 2015, which is most likely generous at best.

If you’re a Canadian snowbird or if you travel down to the US often, let us know if you’re able to get Apple Pay up and running with your American credit or debit card.

Thanks wotwot548

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