Apple Pay launches in Poland
Contactless i-payments arrive in Poland
Apple's digital payment service Apple Pay has entered the Polish market, with eight banks offering the service from today.
Alior Bank, BGŻ BNP Paribas, BZ WBK, Getin, mBank, Nest Bank, Pekao and Raiffeisen Polbank are all reported to be involved, while the largest bank in Poland, PKO BP, is expected to launch its digital payment service from September.
The service enables owners of Apple mobile phones, iPads, smart watches or Touch Bars to make contactless payments in-store, though mobile phone holders will require an iPhone 6 or later.
In order to use Apple Pay, customers are required to add a compatible payment card from a participating bank to the Digital Wallet application of their iOs system. The device then simulates a contactless payment card.
In a statement issued by MasterCard, the credit card company said that the digital payment service is safe and fully protected.
"Privacy and security are the key in Apple Pay. Neither the credit card number nor the debit card is saved on the device's memory or on Apple's servers,” it said.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a press conference last month that Apple plans to expand digital payment service to several countries in the coming months, including Poland, Ukraine and Norway.
In May, Apple launched the service in Ukraine and is expected to launch it in Norway soon.
Many financial and business institutions in Russia, the UK, Australia, France, the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the world have also adopted the Apple Pay service in recent months.
Apple has reported a threefold increase in the value of Apple Pay transaction over the last year, with the number of users doubling.
