Go on, leave your wallet in the car…
There are two things we love in life (among others, we’re not monsters): our iPhones, and spending money. With this latest news, the two have come together.
As of Tuesday morning, Apple Pay has launched in the UAE.
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What does that mean? Well, now you can pay for your coffee without having to wrestle your wallet out from the bottom of your handbag.
The contactless payment service, where your phone acts like a bank card, is available to customers from six banks here in the Emirates: Mashreq, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic, RAK Bank, HSBC, or Standard Chartered.
You’ll need an iPhone 6 or later, and for your iOS to be up to date.
The UAE is the 20th country to get Apple Pay, Gulf News reports, and the first in the Middle East.
“We are incredibly excited to bring Apple Pay to the UAE starting October 24, so customers can have an easy and secure and private way to pay in stores, in apps and on the web and, of course, using the devices they carry with them every day,” Jennifer Bailey, VP Internet Services, Apple Pay, told the site.
Setting up Apple Pay is easy – go to the Wallet app in your phone and follow the instructions for adding a card. Once you’re good to go, you’ll just need to hold your phone near the card reader and verify your purchase with either your thumb print or your passcode (so you know it’s safe to use).
We’ve used it outside the UAE and it really is handy. Quickly paying for coffee or a few groceries without needing to go into your bag is surprisingly convenient.
Starbucks, Debenhems, Harvey Nichols Dubai and Waitrose are all on the list of retailers who’ll be accepting the payments, but like we said, you’re good to go anywhere you can use a contactless card.
Apple’s competitor Samsung launched Samsung Pay in the UAE in April.
Image: Getty
