Do you recall rumours saying that Apple Pay’s next launch would be in the UK? As it turns out, MasterCard is ready to switch on in the whole of Europe; it is just waiting for Apple’s signal.
While speaking with a group of journalists at a press conference covered by the International Business Times, MasterCard suggested that everything is set for a European launch of Apple Pay:
Speaking to a group of journalists, the credit card company said it is “absolutely ready” to bring Apple Pay to the UK. “That’s one of the advantages of doing this on a global platform. It’s there, it’s switched on, we just have to connect the services at the back end… it takes a couple of days.”
Apple Pay should work just like contactless cards: It would allow users to use their iPhone 6 or Apple Watch to make a payment of up to £20. Also, it will make payments on the Tube and other Transport for London (TfL) services easier. By the way, director of customer experience Shashi Verma praised how fast contactless payments can get customers onto buses. The credit card company sees 18,000 new contactless cards used every day.
An interesting addition to the Apple Pay experience comes from MasterCard: The company says it is working on a system that uses the customers’ unique ECG patters to identify and allow payments. Given the Apple Watch built in heart rate monitor, this could signal the end of PINs.
