Up to four million Australians will soon be able to use Apple Pay following a deal Cuscal has made with Apple, reports news.com.au. Cuscal is an independent provider of payment solutions including card and acquiring products, mobile payments, fraud prevention, EFT switching and direct entry.
While Australia’s biggest banks continue to fight it out with Apple in an Australian Competition and Consumer Commission inquiry, more than 30 credit unions and small banks today will announce that their customers will be able to use Apple Pay. Cuscal managing director Craig Kennedy, in announcing the deal, called on the big banks and Apple to resolve their dispute for the good of consumers.
In July, Australia’s three largest banks (including the top lender, National Australia Bank), lodged a joint application with anti-trust regulators seeking approval to collectively negotiate with Apple to install their own electronic payments applications on iPhones.
Apple, which operates its Apple Pay mobile payment service, doesn’t allow third-party electronic payment apps to be installed on the smartphone. The banks are seeking to be able to negotiate jointly for access to Apple’s phones without themselves being accused of violating anti-competition law.
