Does Apple Pay work internationally?

Apple Pay¹ offers convenient, contactless payments in the US — but is Apple Pay international? And if you’re looking for a smart and simple way to send money overseas, can you make an Apple Pay international transfer?

This guide covers all this and more. And because Apple Pay doesn’t support direct international payments we’ll also look at a great alternative — making a payment with Wise and using Apple Pay to fund it. Ready?

Does Apple Pay work when you're abroad?

This guide will explore all things related to Apple Pay and international usage — but it’s probably good to start straight up by differentiating Apple Pay and Apple Cash².

Apple Pay is a great way to link your debit card to your phone, and make mobile payments in person and online. Apple Cash on the other hand, is a way to send and receive payments through your Apple Pay account.

This is important, because while Apple Pay is widely available internationally, Apple Cash is not. We’ll look at Apple Cash — and alternative options — later. First, Apple Pay.

If your key question is: does Apple Pay work internationally to support contactless payments? There’s good news.

Apple Pay is accepted in lots of countries and regions³. Support is very limited in Africa, and not all South American countries offer Apple Pay either. But for many regions, you’re good to go with Apple Pay abroad.

Here are some of the major countries and regions which support Apple Pay — just look out for the contactless symbol in stores to know it’s accepted.

Can you link international credit or debit cards to Apple Pay?

Yes. You can link international credit and debit cards to Apple Pay — however, the specific bank or card issuer must also support Apple Pay.

That means that not all cards issued in all countries are eligible. Contact your bank directly to check if Apple Pay is available.

Can you use your Apple Card internationally?

Yes. Apple Cards⁴ are issued on the MasterCard network, which is broadly accepted all over the world. Use it wherever you see the MasterCard symbol.

How can you use Apple Pay internationally?

As a huge global corporation, it’s no surprise that Apple offers its services all around the world, with many ways for US Apple customers to use Apple Pay internationally. Here are some key options:

• Link a local or international debit card to Apple Pay for mobile payments overseas
• Pay with Apple Pay whenever you shop online with international retailers
• Use your Apple Card to spend wherever you see the MasterCard symbol
• Use Apple Pay with a provider like Wise to send international payments easily online and in-app

What are the limits for using Apple Pay overseas?

Apple Pay limits overseas tend to be linked to local contactless payment limits. That means that the Apple Pay international payment limit will vary based on where in the world you are⁵.

As an example, if you’re in the UK you’ll usually have to enter a PIN for purchases over 100 GBP — meaning you can’t make a mobile payment with Apple Pay. In Mexico the limit is normally 1,000 MXN. And in Canada you can usually spend up to 200 CAD.

Can you send money abroad with Apple Pay?

With Apple Pay’s Apple Cash service you can make easy payments within the US to family and friends. However, this can not be used internationally to make direct payments.⁶

That said, there is a simple solution — use Apple Pay to fund an international payment through a specialist provider like Wise. That way you get all the convenience of Apple Pay with the great rates on offer from a specialist international money transfer provider. More on that coming up next.

Is it possible to send money to a friend internationally through iMessage Apple Pay?

Unfortunately, if you’re wondering — does iMessage from Apple Pay work for international payments — the answer here is also no. Keep reading for a smart alternative.

Send money abroad using Apple Pay with Wise

One of the great things about Apple Pay is the convenience it offers. However, when it comes to sending money internationally, Apple Pay can’t help you directly — but Wise can.

Open a Wise account online, to send payments with low fees and the mid-market rate, to 80+ countries. You can use Apple Pay to securely fund your Wise payments — making this a super convenient way to get your money where it needs to be.

For a fee, you can also order a Wise international debit card for use in 174 countries, which is compatible with Apple Pay for easy contactless and mobile payments — and which automatically converts currency at the best rate whenever you spend.

It takes just a couple of minutes to open a Wise account. Why not try today?

Get started with Wise