Apple Pay works abroad! … If you have a U.S. credit card

By Malarie Gokey October 22, 2014

Greenlight's smart debit card for kids is now available on Apple Pay. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Apple Pay only works in the U.S. — or does it? Recently, many people have come forward, claiming that they’ve used Apple Pay in all corners of the world, from Canada and the Netherlands, all the way to Australia. All of these people have one thing in common, though — They all used American credit cards.

Apparently, anyone who has a new iPhone can use Apple Pay at any NFC-enabled payment system. The user simply needs to have a U.S. credit or debit card, change your phone’s region to the United States, set up Apple Pay as you normally would, and then go in search of NFC-enabled payment terminals. Luckily, NFC-based payments are more common in Europe and other countries, so it shouldn’t be so hard to find an Apple Pay-friendly store.

TechSmartt shot a video using Apple Pay at a vending machine in Canada and users say they’ve purchased items using Apple Pay in Australia, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, and elsewhere. That’s certainly good news for U.S. iPhone users who travel abroad and for international iPhone users who happen to have U.S. bank-issued credit cards.

Visa Europe announced earlier this month that Apple Pay will soon come to Europe. A recent report from Apple Insider cites an unknown Chinese source who claims that Apple Pay will arrive in China via UnionPay, a bank card association, but did not mention a date.

If Apple Pay is to succeed, it will need to go global sooner rather than later. Initial adoption in the U.S. is expected to be gradual until more payment terminals become NFC-enabled.

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