Apple Pay expected to launch in the UK within two months

Industry sources told the Telegraph Apple Pay technology will cross the Atlantic in around two months, marking a milestone for the payments industry.

The technology giant is expected to reveal details of the launch later today at its annual software developer conference WWDC in San Francisco.

Apple Pay allows iPhone 6 and Apple Watch owners to upload their bank card details to their handset and pay for products in retailers using contactless technology.

Retailers with the technology in place for card transactions will not need to upgrade their chip-and-pin point of sale solutions again. In fact, Transport for London, which began accepting contactless debit and credit cards last year, is already accepting Apple Pay payments from American tourists.

Payments are approved using biotmetric technology on the phone, which consists of a thumbprint scanner.

But Apple Pay was delayed from coming to the UK because of negotiations with banks over what data Apple will be allowed to access. One bank was reportedly uncomfortable with the amount of personal and financial data Apple aims to collect about its customers.

Apple has hired former Visa and PayPal executive Duncan Olby to spearhead the launch of Apple Pay in the UK.

Apple Pay has got off to strong start in the US. Between its October launch and January, the tech giant’s payment offering makes up more than $2 out of every $3 spent on all purchases using contactless payment across the three major US card networks.