Apple Pay could launch as soon as February 18 in China, and France is next on the lists, say a pair of reports. An announcement about France is expected sometime in the next few months, says a source for iGeneration.
Chinese support is scheduled to start that day at 5 a.m. local time, according to the official WeChat account of China Guangfa Bank credit cards, as spotted by Tech in Asia. When interacting with the account, choosing an option for Apple Pay availability now offers the Feb. 18 date. Guangfa cards are connected with China UnionPay, Apple’s official Apple Pay partner in the region.
The French launch is expected to include a number of banks and card issuers. Launches in the United States, Canada, and Australia were met with issuers and retailers that refused the payments system due to previous contractual obligations for competing systems. Across Europe, contactless payments have long been accepted, so such blockades shouldn’t be encountered there.
