Banco Popular in Puerto Rico Now Offers Apple Pay Support
The renowned contactless payment service, Apple Pay, has officially made its debut in Puerto Rico, thanks to the recent integration by a key local financial institution.
While residents of the United States have enjoyed Apple Pay’s convenience for over ten years, those living in Puerto Rico had limited access. Prior to this rollout, utilizing Apple Pay required connections with major banks from the mainland U.S., as no local bank had previously enabled this feature.
As reported by MacRumors and echoed by several Spanish-language news outlets, Banco Popular has now embraced support for Apple Pay. This advancement allows iPhone and iPad users to link their qualifying Banco Popular credit or debit cards within the Wallet app. Consequently, customers can make purchases at any store that accepts Apple Pay seamlessly.
This innovative payment method enables users to make transactions via their iPhones without needing to present a plastic card physically; however, its journey wasn’t immediate—similar services encountered growing pains initially even on the mainland. The slow adoption reflects a broader trend where systems gradually build acceptance over time—a fact that may explain why it took until now for a bank in Puerto Rico to join the fray.
In an interview conducted in October 2024 with Jennifer Bailey—the Vice President overseeing both Apple Pay and Wallet—she highlighted that thorough consumer education and collaboration with merchants played pivotal roles in driving adoption rates. “Apple dedicated immense efforts toward providing an exceptional consumer experience,” Bailey stated.
From an initial landscape where only approximately 3% of merchants accepted it upon launch, acceptance has surged significantly; according to Bailey’s insights, over “90% of businesses are now integrated with our payment system.” With these strides made thus far, Apple’s goal is clear: enhance accessibility across diverse markets globally—with Banco Popular being among the latest adopters.
In parallel with this rollout on Tuesday for users in Puerto Rico, Apple’s famed “Tap to Provision” functionality has expanded into regions like Hong Kong, Macao, and Mongolia. This feature grants users the ability simply tap compatible cards onto their iPhones for easy digitization into their Wallet apps.
Looking ahead at future implementations of contactless payments beyond U.S shores—exciting developments await as significant credit card networks in Qatar and UAE announced plans for supporting Apple Pay soon. Additionally noteworthy is November 2024 when Paraguay welcomed this service officially—a signpost indicating potential rapid growth among global banking partners likely following suit。
