Apple Pay now boasts more than 500 US banks thanks to latest round of additions

By Roger Fingas

Apple on Tuesday added 46 US banks to its list of Apple Pay backers, putting the total over 500 for the first time as it prepares to roll out a series of further improvements to its mobile payment platform.

Some important firms in the update include Citizens Bank, E-Trade Bank, and the credit unions for MIT, Johns Hopkins, and McGraw-Hill. Many of the new issuers are highly localized, such as Austin's Amplify Federal Credit Union.

The update is Apple's first since its Sept. 9 press event. That day, Discover announced that its credit cards would be ready for Apple Pay on Sept. 16, alongside iOS 9. On Sept. 11, U.K. banks Lloyds, Halifax, and the Bank of Scotland joined the platform.

When iOS 9 debuts it will usher in other important changes, for instance renaming the Passbook app to Wallet, and implementing support for store credit and rewards cards. iPhone owners will also be able to open Wallet by double-tapping the home button when their phone is locked.

The complete list of new U.S. banks includes: