Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple Inc. that allows users to make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web although Apple Pay web support is limited to the Safari browser only. It is supported on the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac. It digitizes and can replace a credit or debit card chip and PIN transaction at a contactless-capable point-of-sale terminal. Apple Pay does not require Apple Pay-specific contactless payment terminals; it works with any merchant that accepts contactless payments. It is similar to contactless payments, with the addition of two-factor authentication via Touch ID, Face ID, PIN, or passcode. Devices wirelessly communicate with point of sale systems using near field communication (NFC), with an embedded secure element (eSE) to securely store payment data and perform cryptographic functions, and Apple's Touch ID and Face ID for biometric authentication.
Originally launching in the United States, Apple Pay is available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, Georgia, Belarus, Serbia, Montenegro and all countries in the European Economic Area (EEA). Apple Pay supports both international payment schemes—such as American Express, Visa (including Electron and V Pay), Mastercard (including Maestro), and Discover—as well as country-specific domestic payment schemes like China's UnionPay, Japan's JCB, France's Cartes Bancaires, Australia's eftpos, Saudi Arabia's mada and Germany's Girocard. Participating banks vary by region. Apple Pay can also be used to ride some public transport networks either through the use of credit/debit cards (open loop) or dedicated travel cards such as JR East's Suica or the MTA's OMNY (closed loop).