Apple Pay debuts in UK

(ShareCast News) - Apple introduced its Apple Pay app in the UK on Tuesday, after the company unveiled in June its plans to launch the service in the country this summer.The new service allows users to pay at more than 250,000 businesses including Tube stations, coffee shops, supermarkets and travel services, through a contactless reader on Iphone, Apple Watch and Ipad devices.The app is backed by some of the UK's largest banks, including NatWest, Nationwide Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank, and major networks of credit and debit cards from American Express, MasterCard and Visa Europe.Barclays confirmed on Tuesday that its debit card users and Barclaycard credit card holders will be also able to use Apple Pay in the future.HSBC, which also backs the app, said it was experiencing some technical problems, leading to a two-week delay before its UK clients are allowed to sign up to the service.The company emphasised that one of the app's most attractive points is the security and privacy it provides, personal information, transaction data, and credit and debit card information would be protected. Each transaction will be authorised with a one-time unique dynamic security code.Apple has been reported to be working to introduce its Apple Pay in Canada, South Korea and China.