Customers of Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC) in the United Kingdom were surprised to find that they were unable to use Apple Pay to pay for goods and services, although the bank had been listed as a launch partner for the U.K. launch earlier this week.
“We are excited to be one of a small number of Apple Pay launch partners. We have been working closely with Apple and are now properly reviewing and testing our systems before launching in two weeks,” an HSBC spokesperson told AppleInsider reader Rob Richman. “We look forward to bringing Apple Pay to our customers by the end of the month.”
AppleInsider notes that while HSBC users found themselves unable to add their card when Apple Pay when live in the U.K., some report that temporarily swapping the device’s region to the U.S. allows users to add HSBC cards. This suggests HSBC ran into last minute technical or operational difficulties, and decided to wait until they were resolved.
U.K.-based iPhone and Apple Watch owners can use Apple Watch to pay for goods and services at a number of participating retailers, including: Boots, Waitrose, and Pret, as well as London’s underground and overground transit services.
Financial institutions supporting Apple Pay from day one include: American Express, First Direct, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. A number of other banks will come online in the fall, including: Halifax, Barclays, Lloyds Bank, and Bank of Scotland.
