Apple Pay has finally launched in the United Kingdom today, after the company announced at WWDC earlier this year that the mobile, contactless payment service would arrive sometime in July.
At launch, Apple Pay will be supported in more than 250,000 stores around the United Kingdom, including Waitrose, Lidl, Nando's, KFC, McDonalds, Subway, Costa Coffee, Starbucks, Marks & Spencer, and across the entire Transport for London network. Most Apple Pay purchases will be capped at £20 initially, although that cap is set to rise to £30 later this year.
To use Apple Pay your bank will have to support the payment technology, though luckily a large range of UK banks have signed up for its launch, including Bank of Scotland, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, Satander and more. You'll also need to have either an iPhone 6, 6 Plus or an Apple Watch to use Apple Pay in supported retail outlets.
The launch of Apple Pay in the UK now means the payment service is available in two countries (the United States being the other). According to The Wall Street Journal, the next country on Apple's radar for Apple Pay is Canada, where the service may launch this fall.