Apple Pay could launch in South Africa soon

Apple Pay may be launching soon in South Africa, with a number of local banks indicating incoming support for the payment platform through information on their websites and banking apps.

This technology allows iPhone and Apple Watch users to pay with their smart devices using NFC technology after linking a card from a supported bank.

MyBroadband readers spotted that the Discovery Bank website had recently been updated to include Apple Pay as one of its supported payment methods.

In an information page on its website, Discovery Bank stated that it offers support for tap-and-go payments with smart devices using Apple Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay, and Samsung Pay.

This was later updated to remove mention of Apple Pay, although at the time of writing the Google cached version of the web page still reflected the stated support for the international payment platform.

Supported banks
The Terms and Conditions page of the Apple Pay app has also been updated to specifically mention Discovery Bank.

“You can add your Discovery Bank debit or credit cards onto Apple Pay via the Discovery Bank app or via Apple Wallet,” it states.

“Your payment limits as configured for each Discovery Bank card in the Discovery Bank App will also apply when making Apple Pay transactions.”

This infers that Discovery Bank and Apple Pay have been working together to ensure compatibility across both platforms ahead of an official launch.

MyBroadband readers who attempted to load their card onto the Apple Pay app were told that their card was unable to be added – showing that this feature is not yet live.

Discovery Bank also told a MyBroadband reader via social media that the bank does support Apple Pay.

Nedbank’s Terms and Conditions have also been updated to include a reference to “digital wallets” and specifically, Apple Pay.

“‘Digital Wallet’ means any third-party wallet onto which your card may be loaded to transact digitally through a mobile or wearable device, which includes Apply Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay, and Samsung Pay,” the addendum states.

It is currently unclear whether Absa, FNB, Capitec, or Standard Bank have conducted similar updates to reflect Apply Pay on their platforms.

MyBroadband reached out to Discovery Bank and Nedbank, as well as other major banks in South Africa to confirm whether Apple Pay will launch soon in South Africa.

FNB told MyBroadband that there was a clear demand for digital solutions and that it “looks forward to providing such solutions for its customers, as and when they become available in South Africa”.

Discovery Bank, Standard Bank, Absa, Capitec, and Nedbank did not provide a response by the time of publication. Apple declined to comment.

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Source: mybroadband

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