It’s an Apple Pay day for AIB customers as mobile wallet service arrives

18 Jul 2017

Image: A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock

Apple Pay now works with AIB debit and personal credit cards.

One of Ireland’s biggest banks, AIB, has become the latest to activate Apple Pay, the Californian tech giant’s mobile wallet app.

Apple Pay can be used anywhere that contactless payments are accepted, including regular retailers, restaurants, hotels and more.

‘The way people are banking is changing and with Apple Pay, our customers will have even greater choice in the way they purchase goods and services’
– FERGAL COBURN

The arrival of the new service will mean AIB customers can use their smartphone, iPad or Watch to buy goods in-store and online.

Fergal Coburn, head of digital products and payments at AIB, said it’s about making banking more convenient for its customers.

“Supporting Apple Pay is the latest in a number of innovative, customer-focused developments that cements digital banking as an essential part of our customers’ daily lives,” Coburn said.

“The way people are banking is changing and with Apple Pay, our customers will have even greater choice in the way they purchase goods and services.”

It has been something of a watershed year for mobile wallet services in Ireland.

Google’s rival Android Pay was first out of the blocks in December with AIB and KBC Bank. This was followed in March by Apple Pay, supported by KBC Bank and Ulster Bank.

Now that AIB accepts Apple Pay, that only leaves Bank of Ireland, which has yet to launch the service.

How Apple Pay works

It’s an Apple Pay day for AIB customers as mobile wallet service arrives

Image: AIB

Each transaction is validated either through Touch ID or a passcode at the terminal.

In stores, Apple Pay works with iPhone SE, iPhone 6 and iPhone 7 as well as Apple Watch.

Online shopping in apps and on websites accepting Apple Pay is as simple as the touch of a finger with Touch ID.

When paying for goods and services on the go in apps or Safari, Apple Pay works with iPhone 6 and later, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3 and later. You can also use Apple Pay in Safari on any Mac introduced in or after 2012, running macOS Sierra, and confirm the payment with iPhone 6 or later, Apple Watch, or Touch ID on the new MacBook Pro.

Security at the core of Apple Pay

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 authorised with a one-time unique dynamic security code.

Apple Pay logo. Image: A. Aleksandravicius/Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com