Apple Pay, Apple’s mobile payments system, launched on Monday, and while the initial launch was United States only, it appears Apple Pay can be used internationally, using U.S.-based credit cards.
… international iPhone owners can also take advantage of Apple Pay if they have a supported U.S.-based credit card, as documented in Whirlpool forums and pointed out by Australian Beau Giles. Users in the United Arab Emirates and elsewhere have also successfully used Apple Pay.
In order to use Apple Pay in countries outside the U.S., iPhone owners do need to change the region on their iPhones from their home country over to the United States. (“Settings” -> “General” -> “Language & Region” -> “Region” and change it to “United States.”
The Passbook app should now offer the option to setup Apple Pay.
After the iPhone is configured this way, users should now be able to use Apple Pay to pay at point-of-sale terminals that support NFC payments.
Giles notes that using a U.S. credit card for these purchases do incur currency conversion fees that can increase your costs significantly. However, if you’re a U.S. user traveling internationally, or you’re an international resident who just wants to give Apple Pay a try, the opportunity to do so is available
