Apple Pay in the UK: These are the retailers and restaurants signed up for the July launch
Some of the UK's biggest retailers are lining up to start accepting Apple Pay when it launches in the UK next month.
As well as being able to use your iPhone or Apple Watch to seamlessly glide through ticket barriers on the Tube, the Silicon Valley giant has its finger hovering over the button that will make contactless payments happen in shops.
Marks & Spencer, one of the UK's largest and most venerable high street names, is among those to have signed up as a launch partner. It will accept Apple Pay at more than 620 of its UK stores “including railway and airport franchises”, making it one of the country's biggest Apple Pay retailers.
Other retailers including Boots, BP, Dune, JD Sports, Lidl, Liberty, New Look, Spar, Waitrose and the Post Office will accept Apple Pay. Naturally all 39 Apple Stores will also “accept iPhone”.
Restaurants and cafes including Costa, KFC, McDonald's, Nando's, Pret A Manger, Starbucks, Subway and Wagamama will do likewise.
In fact, more than 250,000 locations across the UK will accept Apple Pay from launch.
It will also work with apps including Addison Lee, Airbnb, Argos, Booking.com, British Airways, Domino’s, EasyJet, Hailo, HotelTonight, Hungryhouse, Just Eat, lastminute.com, Miss Selfridge, Ocado, Stubhub, thetrainline.com, Top10, Topshop, Uncover, Vueling, YPlan, Zalando and Zara.
Apple Pay works with iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch. It will support American Express, MasterCard and Visa Europe cards issued by banks including First Direct, HSBC, NatWest, Nationwide Building Society, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank.
Bank of Scotland, Coutts, Halifax, Lloyds Bank, MBNA, M&S Bank and TSB Bank will follow later this year.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of internet software and services, said: “We’re thrilled to bring Apple Pay to the UK with support at launch from the most popular banks, an incredible roster of merchants and many of our users’ favourite apps.”