Apple Pay now available in Singapore – but only for American Express users

Image credit: American Express.

Its coming was foretold back in October 2015, and now it has arrived. Apple and credit card provider American Express announced this morning that Apple Pay is live in Singapore.

Members who got their cards directly from American Express can add them to Apple’s online and NFC payment system and start paying their way across the island using their phones.

American Express is currently the only way to use Apple Pay in Singapore, although support for local banks is coming soon.

According to Apple, American Express is currently the only way to use Apple Pay in the city-state, although support for local banks DBS and UOB, and for international bank Standard Chartered, is coming soon. Still, that means that most iOwners in Singapore, who aren’t American Express customers, will be miffed this morning.

UPDATE, 1:35pm SGT: Visa has also announced it will be supporting Apple Pay in Singapore “soon,” although, as with the banks, no exact time frame is provided.

For payments at participating stores, the service supports iPhone 6 and 6s, iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus, iPhone SE, and Apple Watch. Using the Touch ID fingerprint-scanning function, owners of the abovementioned devices plus iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4, and iPad Pro can use Apple Pay to shop online within apps that accept it.

Apple Pay is just one facet of Apple’s renewed interest in Singapore and the Asian market, as the company prepares to launch its first Apple Store in Singapore and has been staff-hunting for it.