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- Dubai 04:26 05:44 12:20 15:47 18:50 20:08
Apple had initially gone to court in 2011-12 accusing Samsung of violating several of its design and utility, design and trade patents. (File)
Apple has started discussions with UAE banks about rolling out Apple Pay service in the UAE.
Apple Pay, Apple’s mobile solution for instant, cardless payments is currently only available in the United States and the next stop could be Europe.
The initial contact with banks in the UAE was made as early as last October, a source from a UAE headquartered bank told ‘Emirates24|7’.
"They initiated discussions with us sometime last October. It picked up momentum initially. But so far no agreements have been reached," the official said without going into additional details.
It could well mean that Apple Pay may not be launched here in the UAE in the near future.
There have been reports that Apple might launch in some European countries within the next few months. According to reports, a Belgian bank has tweeted a response to one of its customers enquiring about Apple Pay service that it could be rolled out in this summer.
Meanwhile, tourists and businessmen with a payment card issued by an US bank have been able to use them at outlets including Starbucks.
Mashreq bank had in August 2014 become the first financial service provider to launch an NFC related payment service when it announced the launch of Tap n Go, an NFC enabled sticker that loaded Mashreq bank issued cards to process mobile payments.
It is widely believed that despite the presence of various similar solutions in the market, Apple Pay could act as a game changer and enable the widespread use of the system.
According to a report by NFC World almost 46 per cent of iPhone 6 owners in the US have used Apple Pay and are expected to reduce the use of cash in future.
Online and mobile payments in the UAE too has been picking up fast. According to another recent research online shopping has increased gradually over the last two years, with local online trading websites, emerging as a popular choice. According to the study 83 per cent of UAE residents had made a purchase online during the three months.
Top categories for online spending include airlines, travel and hotels, followed by shopping for home appliances and clothing.
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