Apple Pay Launches in Canada

Apple Pay has come to its third market, Canada, following a 2014 debut in the U.S. and a mid-2015 expansion to the U.K.

American Express, Apple's only issuing partner in Canada so far, said that Apple Pay is now available for consumer, small business and corporate cards issued by Amex Bank of Canada, according to a Nov. 17 press release. These cardholders can now use Apple Pay with eligible devices at participating contactless merchants or within certain mobile apps. 

Payment technology services provider Global Payments also announced that it will offer its Canadian merchant customers the ability to accept American Express payments through Apple Pay. Global Payments’ suite of products is already enabled for Apple Pay acceptance, both in-store and in-app.

“Following successful enablement in the U.S. and the UK, Global Payments is pleased to be one of the first providers in Canada to offer merchants the exciting opportunity to accept Apple Pay,” said Frank T. Young, senior vice president of global product and innovation for Global Payments, in a news release.

Amex’s Canadian cardholders can use Apple Pay to get real-time notifications and details for purchases and a connection to the Amex mobile app for account monitoring and rewards information.

Apple announced plans last month to also launch its mobile wallet in Australia this year and to Spain, Singapore and Hong Kong in 2016.