Apple Pay is set to launch in China on Feb. 18 for customers of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Reuters reports. The bank’s representatives broke the news on social media today, making China the fifth country to adopt the digital payment system. An Apple spokeswoman declined to comment on the post, but Apple cleared the way for expanding into China last year by reaching a deal to use UnionPay’s terminals. The company’s China website lists 19 lenders as Apple Pay partners and state media is reporting that two others will launch the service on Feb. 18. Apple Pay has seen strong push back in countries with existing mobile payment methods and faces stiff competition from entrenched competitors in a Chinese market where consumers are already used to paying for things with their devices.
In other Apple Pay news, French site iGen cites an unnamed source claiming that the payment method’s entry into France could be announced at this year’s WWDC in June, although how much support it would garner from local banks and businesses is still a question. The report cites Canada’s limited release to only American Express cardholders as an example of what could be in store for France if the company can’t encourage the type of broader support it enjoys in the U.S. market.
