Apple Pay Goes LATAM

As Apple works to push its Apple Pay services across the globe – exploring implementation of the mobile payment service in Europe and China – Apple Pay remains solely available in the U.S.

Still, Apple Pay has its eyes set abroad. Its most recent target: Brazil.

Brazilian media are reporting that Apple officials are in talks with the Bank of Brazil, Bradesco, and Itaú to support Apple Pay and launch the product at retailers in the nation. Brazilian reports also note that about 80 percent of the nation’s two largest POS suppliers support near-field communication technology, necessary for Apple Pay.

Brazil is heating up as a global mobile payments hub. Recent research found that about 70 percent of all Latin America e-commerce transactions occurred in Brazil, and the nation holds the world’s fourth-place spot for largest mobile market.

Recent federal regulations in the nation are also encouraging integration of innovative payment technologies with mobile services, experts say, as Brazil’s Central Bank takes a central role in monitoring the fees and commissions attached to the market.

Apple Pay’s rollout in the U.S. has seen its share of bumps and hiccups, but that hasn’t stopped CEO Tim Cook from rallying to bring the technology global. Just last week, rumors emerged that Apple may have finally struck a deal with China Union Pay to support Apple Pay.

In Europe, it’s unclear how much progress the tech conglomerate has made to launch its payment service. Some experts say that the European Commission’s investigation into Apple’s tax relationship with Ireland – a potentially anticompetitive one – may cause a regulatory headache for Apple to launch Apple Pay overseas. A recent Apple Pay hire, however, offers an optimistic outlook for European adoption: the company recently hired Visa Europe’s Director of Mobile Mary Carol Harris.