In a little under a week, Apple Pay will go live in the United Kingdom. According to sources cited at several retailers around the U.K., an internal memo from the Waitrose supermarket and an employee confirmation for 9to5Mac, Apple will be ready to launch its mobile payment platform next Tuesday.
Apple store staff in the U.K. will begin getting training on Apple Pay support on July 12. That preparation includes enabling its mPOS systems in England to accept NFC payments and promoting use in retail locations. It is possible that not all stores will launch on the 14th — the rollout could be staggered — but given the variety of activity centering on or around the 14th, it seems that this will be the kickoff day for a mass of merchants.
Apple first announced its intention to launch in Britain (and Canada) at June's WWDC as part of its first international push for its mobile payments platform. As in the U.S., TouchID will replace the PIN. Unlike the U.S., and in line with British law for contactless payments, the launch will include a £20 cap per transaction.
A source told 9to5Mac, however, that this cap is only temporary, and that U.K. systems will be updated this fall to allow for bigger transactions.
China and South Korea are both rumored to be next stops on Apple Pay's international tour.
