New iPhones Herald Apple Pay’s Launch in Japan

Apple’s newly announced devices, the iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2, will launch internationally in late-September, and when they arrive in Japan, they’ll come with Apple Pay.

The mobile payment platform should get a big push in the country, too, thanks to a partnership between Apple and the JR East transit company. The latter will support Apple Pay with its contactless Suica payment card, which is also accepted by numerous merchants along transit lines.

Accordingly, Apple has also announced that its Apple Maps app will offer detailed transit support for Japan starting in October, a move that could help to encourage JR East ridership and commuters’ Apple Pay-enabled shopping.

Of course, Apple has also sought out financial services and merchant support more broadly, and to that end has already secured partnerships with card issuers like JCB, Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos, UC Cards, and more; and merchants including AEON, JapanTaxi, and Circle K, among many others. In a statement announcing Apple Pay’s upcoming debut in Japan, Apple also noted that the mPayment platform will be accepted wherever Suica, iD, and QUICPay are accepted, “encompassing nearly two-thirds of all transactions at Japan’s largest merchants.”

New Apple devices always make a splash when they debut, and it should be even bigger in Japan with the addition of Apple Pay.