Apple Pay adds dozens of new Chinese and US banks to growingly impressive partner roster

While Samsung Pay rapidly followed up its Cupertino-designed arch-rival in the world’s largest smartphone market last spring, the Korea-based Android device champion wasn’t able to keep up with Apple Pay’s remarkable local expansion rate.

The latest wave of Chinese banks supporting the top NFC-only digital wallet service includes official backing from 14 financial institutions.

Bank of HeBei, ChengDu Rural Commercial Bank, China Minsheng Banking Corporation, Zheshang Bank, Chongqing Rural Commercial Bank, Fujian Rural Credit Union, HSBC, LangFang Bank, Shanghai Huarui Bank, Shanxi, Rural Credit Cooperatives Union, WeBank, Xiamen International Bank, YellowRiver and Yinzhou Bank today join a catalog previously consisting of over 40 big and small money-dealing corporations in China with an eye to the future of contactless, paperless payments.

In contrast, a measly nine Chinese banks threw their weight behind Samsung Pay off the bat, with so far empty promises of many more partners eventually added to the comparatively short list.

Meanwhile, on US shores, Apple Pay also continues on a certain, gradual path to literal omnipresence by spreading its wings to a hefty new total of 30 regional banks and credit unions. There aren’t any big names on the extended list, because, well, they’ve all joined the party earlier on, but Bank Rhode Island, Bell, Brookline, Commonwealth Business Bank, Lawson, NBKC, Norwood, Roundbank or Tennessee State Bank clients deserve some tap-and-go love too.

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from Pocketnow http://pocketnow.com/2016/12/21/apple-pay-new-chinese-us-banks-supported