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Apple Pay Nearing Launch in Hungary and Luxembourg

Apple Pay has been gradually expanding across Europe and the Middle East, launching in Poland, Norway, Kazakhstan, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Austria, and Iceland over the last year. Now, we have learned that the service will likely roll out in Hungary and Luxembourg in the near future.

apple pay payment
MacRumors has spotted the usual server-side changes that Apple makes shortly before expanding ‌Apple Pay‌ to new regions — in this case, Hungary and Luxembourg. The service could launch in both countries within days.

Luxembourg bank BGL BNP Paribas already confirmed that Apple Pay is coming soon to the small European country, but this is the first we've heard about Hungary. ‌Apple Pay‌ will also be available soon in the Netherlands as well as Romania, Estonia, Greece, Portugal, Slovakia, and Slovenia, according to banks ING and N26.

‌Apple Pay‌ first launched in the United States in October 2014 and has since expanded to dozens of countries and territories. Apple CEO Tim Cook said in March that ‌Apple Pay‌ will be available in more than 40 regions by the end of 2019.

‌Apple Pay‌ can be used anywhere contactless payments are accepted with a compatible iPhone or Apple Watch.

Related Roundup: Apple Pay

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Top Rated Comments

93 months ago
Apple Pay is so unbelievably slick - I haven‘t paid for anything with anything else but Apple Pay since it launched here a couple weeks ago.

I’m happy for everybody who already has it or will get it soon.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
93 months ago
Is there any indication on whether it is related to the apple pay launch in the NL?
I don’t see NL yet. Just wait some longer. I’ve made a script in PHP with Pushover that will send me a push notification as soon as NL appears in the beta file or the final file.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
93 months ago
How do you check that? Can I check it?
Sure you can.

https://smp-device-content.apple.com/static/region/v2/config-beta.json

The beta file. :-))
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
93 months ago
I myself don't see much in Apple Pay, I can pay as fast if not faster with my card, have it in my hand before checkout, tap and done.
For small purchases yes, but you can’t do that for bigger purchases.

Apple Pay works regardless of the purchase amount, in most countries anyway.

I find it very convenient not having to dig out my card from somewhere. Outside winter my wallet and phone is usually in my backpack - but Apple Watch is on my wrist.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mgroot Avatar
93 months ago
I'd like to know that as well, so I can check when they're doing this for the Netherlands!
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lartola Avatar
93 months ago
If you use Apple Pay in a foreign country, does it show you the amount with exchange rate in your own currency before purchase?
The wallet app only shows you the amount in the local currency of the country where you're making the payment; for currency exchange, you will need to check your bank statement. Also, the transaction is only displayed in the recent transaction list after the payment has been made, at which time you may also get a push notification if you have that enabled (for Apple Watch, both the notification and recent transaction list view were only enabled in WatchOS 5).

For example in Mexico, where I use Apple Pay all the time (unofficially, that is), every time I pay I only see the amount in MX$ (Mexico pesos). If I want to know the exchange rate to US dollars (US is the issuing country of the card I use on Apple Pay), I do have to check my bank statement where the purchase amount will be listed both in the US dollars equivalent amount and in MX pesos.
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So envious of that. The USA is a lot better than it has been but it's definitely not like when I'm overseas and can use Apple Pay in so many more businesses than I'm used to.
Yeah, like sit down restaurants. You can use Apple Pay at sit down restaurants overseas, but not at the ones in the US where they still have to take away the cards to process payment (the only country on earth still doing so)
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It’s crazy how long your banks held out. I’ve been using AP w a US based credit card when in Austria for 4 years.
It's even crazier how long they're holding out in Mexico. I've been using Apple Pay in Mexico for three years with a US based card, but with no sign of Apple Pay becoming official in the country, It looks like our banks are going to get past the 6-year mark without budging (no doubt they will break the 5-year mark, since that's later this year and by now it's clear enough that Mexico won't get Apple Pay this year).
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Finally! I'm used to Hungary only getting Apple services years later than everyone else, but Apple Pay would be really nice. I believe my iPhone SE has NFC so it should work?
Yes the iPhone SE is compatible with Apple Pay.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)