Yesterday, Apple kicked off a new Apple Pay promotion that will see users enjoy discounts when using the platform online to make purchases from select retailers.
Apple’s mobile payment service has been enjoying popularity throughout the United States as well as some parts of Europe. The Apple Pay summertime promotion, which will run through 1st August, is only available in United States. In keeping with the seasonal theme, the deals apply to typical summertime activities like movies, travel, and concerts. Some of the discounts available include:
- $5 off two or more movie tickets at Fandango
- 20% off local deals in the Groupon app
- 10% off bookings made through the Hotels.com app
- $10 off your first order of $15 dollars or more at GrubHub
- $10 off your first order of $15 or more at Seamless
- Free shipping on top furniture, rugs and lighting from Houzz
To take advantage of the deals, users must make their purchases with Apple Pay from within the partners’ apps. The discounts will not apply in stores.
Apple Pay expanding geographically
Apple Pay recently added a handful of new banks in the US to the long list of those that already support the service. It is also now compatible with select banks in Norway and Poland. This week also saw the addition Apple Pay for customers of the Spanish bank BBVA. It’s also supported by a long list of popular UK banks, including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, NatWest, Santander, and American Express. Austria is expected to join the list in the next few months.
Clever new Apple Pay ad campaign highlights person-to-person payments
Last week, Apple launched four humorous short ads highlighting the integration of Apple Pay Cash with its Messages platform. This feature allows users to send money to friends, family, and other people simply by sending a text.
For example, one ad depicts roommates sending one another cash to cover the rent. In another ad, a mother sends grocery money to her child after being sent photo of their empty refrigerator. Another shows off the ability for users to request money from a second person. The tagline for the campaign is “Just text them the money.”
Apple Pay is easy to use, and there are no charges involved for those who have supported devices such as iPhones or Apple Watches, and supported bank accounts. To use Apple Pay, users must have an eligible Apple device, a supported card from an issuing bank that is participating in the program, an Apple ID that is signed into iCloud at the time of purchase, and the latest version of Mac OS, iOS, or Watch OS.
