United Kingdom Apple Pay comes to HSBC and First Direct
Apple Pay launched in the United Kingdom in mid-July 2015, and Cupertino is continuing to roll out the service to more banks. Customers who have credit or debit cards with HSBC or First Direct can now start using Apple Pay, and the mobile payment service’s Web page lists other banks as “coming soon.”
HSBC and First Direct were initially advertised as being launch partners for Apple Pay in the U.K., but when the service went live, those banks were missing from the intial rollout. Now that those banks have added support, their customers can use Apple Pay to carry out transactions at participating merchants.
Of course, there is still a £20 transaction limit for Apple Pay at most retailers, except for those who have upgraded payment terminals. With the upgraded terminals, contactless purchases have a higher maximum. In September, the £20 limit is expected to be raised to £30.
Major U.K. bank Barclays still has not revealed when it will support Apple Pay, saying only that it will provide the feature in the future. The full list of U.K. banks that support Apple Pay includes:
- American Express
- First Direct
- HSBC
- NatWest
- Nationwide Building Society
- MBNA
- Royal Bank of Scotland
- Santander
- Ulster Bank
The banks listed as “coming soon” include:
- Bank of Scotland
- Halifax
- Lloyds Bank
- M&S Bank
- TSB
Owners of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus can use Apple Pay to carry out transactions either in apps or in stores. Apple Watch owners can also use the contactless payment service to take care of their purchases at physical retailers. Meanwhile, owners of the iPad Air 2 or iPad mini 3 can use Apple Pay within apps.