Apple preps summer bonking bonanza for Brits

You want Apple Pay? You'll have it in two months

People of Blighty rejoice for you will soon be able to bonk with Apple - the contactless mobile payment service is reportedly landing this summer, or to be a little more precise in two months time.

The launch of Apple Pay is expected to be touted about at this year’s worldwide developer knees up on Monday, or so says The Telegraph.

The Cupertino-based dream maker launched the mobile wallet in the US last autumn, and is in discussions with banks and retailers about replicating the project locally, loquacious sources told the paper.

The service is supposed to simplify the way punters pay for stuff by allowing them to wave their iPhone over a retail terminal… not that the response from users across the pond is anything to write home about.

Research by Phoenix Marketing Int in April showed 66 per cent of iPhone users had signed up for the service since it launched in October and of those 88 per cent had actually used it to pay for things. Good so far.

But two thirds of those individuals reported at least one problem at the checkout, almost a half claimed the merchant terminal took too long to record the transaction and a third said payment was double posted.

Around one half complained retail sales staff were unfamiliar with Apple Pay and were unable to offer any assistance.

One classic problem with new payment methods is the lack of acceptance, and Apple is courting plenty of merchants so its service chimes with them.

Detailing the exact shops that use Apple Pay on a store-by-store basis will be damn useful app for anyone using it.

US tourists visiting London are already able to use iPhones to pay for pleasant journeys on our dirty and overcrowd train and underground network instead of buying a travelcard.

The point about Apple Pay is that Apple’s vertical integration means the company will make money on every transaction, and the selling point for iPhone users is one of convenience. Note: they'll need to keep the damn thing charged and not lose it.

Apple Pay doesn’t sound like a feature that will make more people buy the iPhone, it’s just a nice to have, or it will be when it launches. ®