It seems like only yesterday Apple Inc. had introduced America to a new payment method called Apple Pay. Although the payment system is hardly revolutionary (Google Wallet performs the same function and came out in 2012), it did make for a nice addition to the mobile payment systems available to consumers in the US.
Now, according to reports, Apple Inc. plans to launch the Apple Pay system internationally, bringing it to Asia, Middle East, Australia, and Europe. Initially, though, not all of these continents get full coverage (of course). However, it seems pertinent that Apple plans to make its mobile payment system a norm all over the world.
The date has been set somewhere in March, according to sources, though it has not been specified when exactly the Apple Pay mobile payment system will make its entry into the international sphere. However, as the month of release coincides with that of the launch of the upcoming Apple Watch (also due sometime in March 2015 according to sources), it is being expected that the launch of the Apple Watch in the international market will accompany the launch of the Apple Pay mobile payment system. As both are complementary to each other, it makes sense why Apple would wish to launch both around the same time.
The upcoming Apple Watch is expected to work as an assistant to the wearer, providing key Apple features such as the Apple Pay mobile payment system on the go, a dedicated fitness monitor and guide, and a notification system to keep user updated with social media news and emails. Hence, the availability of the Apple Watch in the international market makes it necessary for the Apple Pay system to be available in the international market as well, considering how important a component the mobile payment system is of the new smartwatch by Apple Inc.
However, the success of the Apple Pay system in the international market is still a big question mark, considering how disappointingly the mobile payment system performed in the US. After the release of the Apple Pay mobile payment system, it was being anticipated that the new payment system would dominate the American market, and also holiday sales of the new iPhone 6 and 6 plus.
Unfortunately, that was not the case, and the new mobile payment system saw retail outlets, many of them major ones, leave support for the Apple Pay, making the new mobile payment service absolutely redundant at their outlets. Also, many people don’t wish to make the transition from their traditional credit cards to the new Apple Pay mobile payment system. Hence, demand for the Apple Pay has been dismal at best. Maybe the new Apple Watch will change that.
All matters aside, the international community may respond differently, and positively as a matter of fact (as it does in case of Apple devices). The introduction of the Apple Pay system may prove fruitful for Apple in such a scenario, especially in countries which lean towards Apple products in general, most of them European.
