Visa and MasterCard Add Support for Apple Pay in Canada [u]

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In line with what we first told you last week (thanks tipster!), MasterCard Canada has announced today that it is adding support for Apple Pay. While Visa is yet to make a similar announcement, it’s clear that it is expanding support for Apple Pay in Canada. As of today, Visa and MasterCard credit cardholders with Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC), Canadian Tire Bank, and ATB Financial can pay with Apple Pay, and BMO customers will be able to use Apple’s mobile payment service in the coming weeks.

“We’re excited to work with Apple to bring a new way to pay that eliminates something many of us dislike: carrying a bulky physical wallet. Apple Pay allows consumers to pay with their iPhone – an item most of us wouldn’t think to leave home without,” said Jason Davies, Vice President of Digital Payments for MasterCard Canada. “Thanks to our contactless footprint, our cardholders can tap their Apple devices to pay across the country. This innovation is part of our commitment to offer Canadians convenient, fast and secure payment options.”

Meanwhile, Apple has updated its Apple Pay support page to reflect the welcome change. Users who were up early have already been able to add their supported credit cards.

– American Express*
– ATB (MasterCard credit cards)
– Canadian Tire (MasterCard credit cards)
– CIBC (MasterCard and Visa credit cards, Interac debit cards)
– RBC—Royal Bank of Canada (MasterCard and Visa credit cards, Interac debit cards)

Update: TD, Scotiabank and BMO note Apple Pay is coming soon. Other updates from other credit card issuers also noted here.

In a separate announcement, Interac, Canada’s domestic debit network, has announced that it will support Apple’s mobile payment platforms, which means customers with Interac debit cards issued by CICB and RBC work with Apple Pay.

“Apple Pay is an innovative, secure and convenient mobile payment method that will help further the growth and evolution of digital debit payments in Canada,” said Mark O’Connell, President and CEO, Interac Association and Acxsys Corporation. “Interac, when paired with Apple Pay, will bring mobile payments into the ‘everyday’ and allow Canadians to experience enhanced simplicity and ease when paying with Interac.”

So, have you tried adding your banking card to Apple Pay yet? If not, you may want to do it now and test the service if you haven’t already done so.

As for using Apple Pay with Visa and MasterCard within apps, Apple updated their website to say “Soon, you will also be able to use your Visa and MasterCard credit card within apps with Apple Pay.” So that functionality is not out yet, but will be soon.

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Update: TD, Scotiabank and BMO say Apple Pay is “coming soon”.

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