Apple is apparently facing some resistance in getting big Australian banks to adopt support for Apple Pay, according to a new report. Citing unnamed sources and analysts, Reuters reports that Apple's has yet to strike a deal with Australia's four main banks — ANZ, National Australia Bank, Commonwealth Bank and Westpac — because the banks feel that they have already done the work of rolling out contactless payments throughout the country:
Apple Inc is struggling to persuade Australia's big banks to sign up for its Apple Pay mobile payment system, people familiar with the matter say, as the technology giant works from an unfamiliar negotiating position: weakness, not strength.
"The banks here feel like they've done the hard work in bringing contactless payments already to Australia and Apple is just going to come in…and eat their lunch," said Foad Fadaghi, managing director of technology research firm Telsyte.
Apple Pay originally launched in Australia in mid-November with the sole support of American Express. Later that month, a Labor Party official accused the banking industry of freezing out Apple Pay in favor of its own systems. It's unclear if and when these reported issues will be resolved, but hopefully it's sooner rather than later.
Source: Reuters