In a rather major announcement Monday, Discover, a notable Apple Pay holdout, said it will be joining the Apple Pay party this fall. The move will permit Discover cardmembers in the United States to make contactless payments in participating stores through Apple Pay using their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch.
As a bonus, Discover cardholders will continue to receive current benefits when using Apple Pay. This marks the last of America’s four major credit card networks joining Apple’s mobile payments initiative.
In addition to paying in stores, “millions of cardmembers” can also use Apple Pay with their iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 when paying for goods and services within apps beginning this fall, said the company.
“As part of the agreement, Discover Network will enable eligible financial institutions, including Discover Debit issuers, to let their card holders use Apple Pay,“ reads the media release.
When using Apple Pay, Discover credit cardmembers will still receive all of their current benefits, including Cashback Bonus and the new Freeze It security tool that allows them to stop any new purchases, cash advances and balance transfers when they temporarily misplace their cards.
“As the mobile payments landscape matures, Discover remains committed to giving cardmembers secure options for using their cards and mobile devices,” said Diane Offereins, Discover’s president of payment services.
“Discover’s focus on simplicity and value for our cardmembers aligns well with the way Apple Pay makes purchases easy and convenient.”
Apple provides a running list of Apple Pay participating issuers in a support document here.
Source: Discover