Apple Pay Not Expected to Arrive in Canada Anytime Soon: Analyst

You can already use Apple Pay to make purchases in Canada — with a tweak, as you need a US credit card — but don’t expect it to officially be available anytime soon, said analyst Troy Crandall of MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier to CBC.

“Apple has given no indication as to when it will come to Canada or even if,” said analyst Troy Crandall, of MacDougall, MacDougall & MacTier. “However, it is logical that it is something they are likely working on for the future. But is Canada one of the main priorities? I would probably say no.”

Speculating on what Apple’s next move would be, the analyst says a Chinese Apple Pay launch is more likely than others, which is interesting since Canada is better suited for this type of mobile payment system. As Brian Jackson, editor of ITBusiness pointed out, the country already has the tap-to-pay terminals installed across the country, and customers are already using them.

When asked, the Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on Apple’s future plans for Canada.

Contacted by CBC News, a spokeswoman for Apple would not say when or if there were any plans for offering the system into Canada. She referred to the speech Cook gave on Oct. 14, which made no mention of any plans for Canada.

Actually, Crandall’s forecast is — kind of — in line with what TD Bank CIO predicted: a Canadian launch is at least a year away. Jackson highlights possible obstacles set by Canadian banks, as they are after mobile payments as well.

What they seem to forget is the customer experience, and this is where the new mobile payment platform excels: using Apple Pay is easy and fun.