Apple Pay set for Phl launch in second half of 2026

Mobile wallet and digital payment service Apple Pay is expected to enter the Philippine market in the second half of 2026, according to Lito Villanueva, founding chairman of Fintech Alliance PH.

Speaking in an interview last Friday, 23 January, Villanueva said banks must first meet specific technical requirements to ensure a smooth rollout of the service, with a third-quarter 2026 target giving institutions ample time to prepare.

“There are still tech requirements since it has to be from the side of the bank. They need to comply, they need to be able to satisfy the requirements of Apple Pay,” Villanueva said. He added that Apple Pay is waiting for certain “key players” to be ready at the same time to allow for an efficient nationwide launch.

“They need to ensure that key players would be on board or would be ready,” Villanueva said.

“As regards having to ensure that the key players would have to be ready by the time that they launch, so it’s not like phase one, phase two, it should be all,” he added.

Apple Pay’s planned entry follows the recent launch of Google Pay in the Philippines on 18 November, allowing Android users to make contactless payments at supported terminals. Android devices currently account for 93.71 percen tof the Philippine mobile market as of October 2025. At launch, Google Pay supported Visa cards, with additional integrations for local banks such as Maya and UnionBank.

Villanueva earlier said in November, following Google Pay’s debut, that Apple Pay would arrive sometime in 2026.

“The good thing is that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) gave the green light for both entities [Google Pay and Apple Pay] to operate in the Philippines,” Villanueva said at the time.

Apple Pay’s potential launch comes after BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan clarified in August 2025 that both Apple Pay and Google Pay are considered technology service providers and are not required to register as operators of payment systems (OPS).

“The money doesn’t pass through them. They just read the credentials, and there’s no contract between them and the merchants. You’re considered an OPS in other countries where Apple Pay has an account that holds funds, but in how they operate here, there’s no such thing,” Tangonan said in Filipino.

Apple Pay is a secure digital wallet that enables contactless payments in stores, apps, and online using Apple devices, supported by security features such as Face ID and Touch ID. Google Pay offers similar functionality across a wider range of devices and emphasizes cross-platform access, broader bank partnerships, and additional features such as rewards and app integrations.