Visa Announces Support for Apple Pay in Hong Kong

HONG KONG, July 20, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Visa, a leading global payments technology company, announced that starting from today eligible Visa cardholders in Hong Kong will be able to use Apple Pay and begin to make purchases at selected merchants. This transforms mobile payments with another easy, secure and private way to pay that is fast and convenient.

"In Hong Kong contactless payments have become a necessity for everyday life, consumers and retailers realize the greater convenience and faster checkouts for busy people on the go.  Visa is proud to support its financial institution partners in Hong Kong with the acceptance of Apple Pay, bringing the Hongkongers a secure and convenient way to pay." said Caroline Ada, Country Manager, Visa Hong Kong and Macau.

According to Visa's study[1], Hong Kong people are willing to try new ways of payment with 77 per cent of respondents saying that they are likely to try out or adopt new ways of paying. Moreover, 78 per cent said that they will use smartphone as the device for making everyday payments.

With the mobile security measures like tokenization built into Apple Pay, cardholders can be assured that they are protected.  When you use a credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the actual card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on your device. Each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code.

Apple Pay is easy to set up and users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by credit and debit cards. Visa cardholders can make purchases by holding their devices in front of a contactless reader and placing their fingertip on the Touch ID to authorize the payment. In participating stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE and Apple Watch. 

Online shopping in apps accepting Apple Pay is simple, without needing to repeatedly fill out lengthy account forms or type in shipping and billing information. When paying for goods and services within apps, Apple Pay is compatible with iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3, iPad mini 4 and iPad Pro.

For more information on Apple Pay, visit: http://www.visa.com.hk/en_HK/applepay/index.shtml  or www.apple.com/hk/en/apple-pay/ or contact your financial institutions for more details.  

About Visa

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is a global payments technology company that connects consumers, businesses, financial institutions, and governments in more than 200 countries and territories to fast, secure and reliable electronic payments. We operate one of the world's most advanced processing networks -- VisaNet -- that is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second, with fraud protection for consumers and assured payment for merchants. Visa is not a bank and does not issue cards, extend credit or set rates and fees for consumers. Visa's innovations, however, enable its financial institution customers to offer consumers more choices: pay now with debit, pay ahead with prepaid or pay later with credit products. For more information, visit https://usa.visa.com/ , visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

Media Contacts:
Kaman Ho
Director
Corporate Communications
Visa Hong Kong Limited
Tel: 2842 2321 / 92122045
Email: kamho@visa.com

[1] YouGov conducted an online survey with 750 Hong Kong respondents in September 2015

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