Apple Pay is on: Contactless payment service rolls out in PH

• Courtesy of Apple

Apple Pay is now available in the Philippines, allowing eligible iPhone and Apple Watch users to make contactless payments using supported debit and credit cards through the Apple Wallet app.

According to reports, Apple Pay has expanded to the Philippines, enabling customers to add supported Philippine-issued payment cards to Apple Wallet for tap-to-pay transactions.

To use the service, customers can open the Wallet app, tap the “+” button, and add a supported debit or credit card. Card verification is completed through SMS or a phone call, depending on the issuing bank.

The rollout appears to be gradual. Reports indicate that select Philippine-issued cards are already working with Apple Pay following user testing, although Apple and participating banks have yet to make a formal announcement. Availability may also vary depending on the customer’s bank and card.

Apple Pay allows users to make secure contactless payments by holding an iPhone or Apple Watch near a compatible payment terminal. Transactions are authenticated using Face ID, Touch ID, or a device passcode, while payment credentials are protected through tokenization instead of sharing the actual card number with merchants.

The Philippine rollout expands Apple’s contactless payment service to another Southeast Asian market as digital payment adoption continues to grow. An official list of participating Philippine banks and card issuers is expected once the rollout is fully completed.

The rollout comes months after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) clarified in January 2026 that Apple Pay does not require prior registration with the central bank before operating in the country.

Apple Pay could launch in PH anytime after Google Pay — it’s now up to Apple

Earlier this year, BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto E. Tangonan said Apple Pay is not classified as an operator of payment systems (OPS) under existing Philippine regulations because it does not hold customer funds or directly process payment settlements. Instead, it facilitates credential processing through partner banks and payment providers.