Tech giant Apple has scored a small victory with news another Aussie bank has signed on.
Apple has been involved in a feisty spat with Australia's Commonwealth Bank, National Australia Bank and Westpac in an effort to get them to adopt its Apple Pay service.
Until now only ANZ has embraced Apple Pay, Apple's NFC payment system that lets users’ make purchases using an iOS device. As it seeks to further penetrate into the Australian marketplace Apple has now added another bank to its growing stable.
Saying there had been high demand from customers for Apple Pay, ING in Australia has announcement it will offer its half a million Orange Everyday customers Apple Pay.
Demand And Supply
«Approximately 70 percent of our Orange Everyday customers who use our app connect with us through Apple devices and they’ve been asking us for Apple Pay, ee’re delighted to be able to deliver,» said John Arnott, Executive Director, Customers.
While Australia is the first of ING’s countries to introduce Apple Pay, the institution said it cannot rule out adopting it in other markets.
Ongoing Dispute
Apple is accusing three of Australia's big four banks of pushing the costs of Apple Pay on to their customers, delaying the expansion of the service to 70 percent of Australian card holders.
In its submission supporting last year’s draft ruling by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), Apple said the banks’ refusal to negotiate with it during the process was «evidence of the chilling effect of the proposed collective conduct on competition through innovation enjoyed by 3,500 banks to millions of consumers in over 13 countries».
