Apple Pay Touches Down in Puerto Rico: Banco Popular Leads the Way

Apple Pay Expands to Puerto Rico

March 18, 2025

Apple Pay has officially launched in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico, thanks to support from Banco Popular, a prominent local bank. This marks the first time a local Puerto Rican bank has offered Apple Pay services, allowing iPhone and iPad users with eligible Banco Popular credit and debit cards to make contactless payments at stores that accept Apple Pay.

Apple Pay was initially launched in the United States over a decade ago, but its adoption in Puerto Rico had been limited to accounts with major U.S. banks. The service's gradual expansion has involved educating consumers and merchants, as well as improving merchant acceptance rates, which have risen from about 3% at launch to over 90%.

In addition to the Puerto Rico launch, Apple's 'Tap to Provision' feature is now available in Hong Kong, Macao, and Mongolia. This allows users to add compatible credit and debit cards to the Wallet app simply by tapping their iPhone. Apple Pay is also set to expand to Qatar and the UAE, following its official launch in Paraguay in November 2024.

This expansion continues Apple's efforts to increase the availability of Apple Pay across different markets and credit card networks.