HSBC UK says Apple Pay support coming within 2 weeks

"We are excited to be one of a small number of Apple Pay launch partners. We have been working closely with Apple and are now properly reviewing and testing our systems before launching in two weeks," an HSBC spokesperson told AppleInsider reader Rob Richman. "We look forward to bringing Apple Pay to our customers by the end of the month."

HSBC was initially announced as one of Apple's UK launch partners, but account holders found themselves unable to add their cards when Apple Pay went live in the country on Monday. Anecdotal evidence indicates that temporarily swapping a device's region from the UK to the U.S. might allow some users to add HSBC cards, suggesting that HSBC may have run into last-minute technical or operational issues and chose to hold off until those problems were resolved.

Despite the delay, HSBC continues to feature heavily in Apple Pay's UK marketing alongside fellow financial institutions American Express, First Direct, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander and Ulster Bank. Halifax, Barclays, Lloyds Bank, and Bank of Scotland will come on board this fall.

UK-based iPhone or Apple Watch owners can use Apple Pay in a number of major retailers including Boots, Waitrose, and Pret, along with London's underground and overground transit services. Following the UK launch, Apple Pay is expected to makes its way to Canada and China.