Transport for London (TfL) has confirmed that Apple Pay can be used on London’s public transport system when it launches in the UK in July, in exciting news for the capital’s Apple fans.
The top five London Underground stations for contactless payments
- Oxford Circus
- Kings Cross
- London Bridge
- Liverpool Street
- Canary Wharf.
The technology manufacturer’s contactless service will make it possible to pay for goods with your iPhone or Apple Watch, in much the same way as you can with a contactless credit or debit card.
Like contactless customers, Apple Pay customers will pay the same adult-rate pay-as-you-go fare as Oyster and benefit from an automatic daily or Monday-Sunday fare cap.
The Apple Pay system will be available on the Tube and busses with an iPhone 6 or 6 plus, or an Apple Watch paired with these phones or an iPhone 5, iPhone 5c, or iPhone 5s. Apple Pay will be on the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3, but only for app purchases, which is just as well - we imagine they would be a bit wieldy to use at the Tube barriers!
TfL was the first public transport provider to accept contactless payment cards and will be the first to accept Apple Pay.
TfL’s director of customer experience, Shashi Verma, said: 'With around one in ten of all contactless transactions in the UK now taking place on our transport services in London, we are delighted to welcome Apple Pay as another new and convenient contactless way for our customers to pay for their travel. I would encourage anyone who uses pay-as-you-go to try contactless. There’s no need to top up, just touch in and out with your mobile device, credit or debit card.'
Over 100 million contactless journeys have been made on TfL services since September 2014, and contactless payment is now used on 17 per cent of pay-as-you-go journeys. For more information on contactless payments on London’s public transport network, visit TfL’s website.
Source: London24