Apple Pay Will Work Outside the US, But There's a Catch
Image: Mashable composite. Apple
Although Apple Pay has only launched in the United States, it appears that you can also use it in other countries under the right conditions.
Owners of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were able to begin using Apple Pay on their phones at merchants with contactless terminals on Monday. But various sites are reporting that the service works elsewhere, too.
The folks at TechSmartt successfully used Apple Pay on a vending machine in Kingston, Canada (watch below), and use has also been cited in Australia and the United Arab Emirates (first spotted by MacRumors).
Apple Pay is not enabled by default in countries outside the U.S., even if the device is running iOS 8.1, but it's easy to turn on. In order to use the service internationally, go into your settings and switch your region to the U.S., which will give you the option to add credit cards to appear in Passbook. (Passbook only allows loyalty cards if Apple Pay isn't available in the country, if your phone isn't running iOS 8.1, or if it's not an iPhone 6 or 6 Plus.) From there, add a compatible card - for the time being, that means a card registered with a U.S. bank.
After that, try using Apple Pay at any vendor that supports contactless wireless payments via NFC (near-field communication). With no explicit Apple Pay support, there is no guarantee it will work at every vendor (international fees may apply to your purchase), but generally, Mashable has found that merchants with NFC payment terminals also accept Apple Pay.
Apple announced that Apple Pay would be U.S.-only at launch, though the company is working to add other countries, and their banks, into the mix. The company is in talks to bring Apple Pay to Europe, the Financial Times reported, and UnionPay may be a partner in China, according to Chinese media sites.
Representatives for Apple didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
If you're outside the U.S. and have successfully used Apple Pay, please share your experience in the comments below.BONUS: Apple Pay: The Real-World Test
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