MyState Bank, CUA sign up for Apple Pay

The bank announced this morning (Tuesday) that it would offer the service to its 105,000 customers.

Apple worked out an arrangement with ANZ Bank for offering Apple Pay some months ago.

The other three big Australian banks — Commonwealth, NAB and Westpac — along with Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, are in dispute with the US technology firm over offering the service, with the banks wanting to negotiate collectively with Apple, something it has refused to do.

{loadposition sam08}In a statement, MyState Bank said its customers would be able to use Apple Pay, wherever contactless payments were accepted, with a MyState Visa debit card.

"The introduction of Apple Pay is a significant milestone in MyState's strategy to use the latest online and digital technology to provide customers with an exceptional experience and enhanced convenience," Chris Thornton, MyState general manager Product and Marketing, was quoted as saying in a media release.

In a related development, CUA has announced that it too would be offering Apple Pay to its customers through their Visa debit cards.

CUA is a member-owned organisation, offering financial, health and insurance solutions to almost 440,000 Australians.

CUA chief operating officer, Member Services, Andy Rigg, said Apple Pay would give members more flexibility in how they paid for purchases.

"CUA members have been asking when we’d be rolling out Apple Pay and we are excited that they can now enjoy the benefits and convenience of making payments using their Apple devices," Rigg said.

When paying for goods and services on the go in apps or Safari, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 and later, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 and later.

One can also use Apple Pay in Safari on any Mac introduced in or after 2012 running macOS Sierra and confirm the payment with iPhone 6 or later or Apple Watch, or with Touch ID on the new MacBook Pro.