Backflip with pike: CBA makes Apple Pay available now
Apple Pay is now available for customers of the Commonwealth Bank of Australia and Bankwest, ending the bank's submission to Cupertino.
Previously, CBA customers using an iOS device were offered a PayTag sticker that mimicked a PayPass card, allowing payments of up to AU$100. The sticker was typically placed on the back of an iPhone.
When the payment technology first arrived, CBA was part of a cartel of banks that wanted to negotiate as a group with Apple, and to gain access to Cupertino's near-field communication technology.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission ruled against the group in March 2017, but not before the group of banks lashed out at alternatives like Android Pay as being "unrealistic" in the Australian market.
In a statement given on Wednesday, the bank praised Apple Pay as "transforming mobile payments with an easy, secure and private way to pay, that's fast and convenient".
Also read: 12 months on, PayID still not completely implemented by Australia's big four banks
"We're continuing to make mobile banking and payments simpler and easier for our customers," Group Executive of Retail Banking Services Angus Sullivan claimed.
"In 2019, customers can expect us to continue listening, innovating, and providing the best possible experiences when they bank with us."
CBA had flagged it would end its boycott of Apple Pay last month.
In mid last year, CBA, NAB, and Westpac launched Beem It, an app to send and receive money.
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