Apple Pay in France

Apple Pay is common, but just like here in the SF Bay Area, some places take it and some don’t. Can’t generalize either way for every place.

Apple Pay came late to Europe. Here are the countries that have Apple Pay https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT207957. Even so, in tree weeks in Italy this summer including a week in Rome we found zero places we could use it.

I used it in France (also other countries including Germany, Luxembourg and Belgium) extensively in early August this year. Specifically France: Some places required a physical card - if I remember correctly I needed my card at one hotel. The other hotels, (cheap) restaurants, supermarkets, fuel, shops, all were with the phone. Parking meter needed cash.

Somewhere I saw a map that showed percentage of Android phone to iPhones. In Europe, with the exception of the UK, most countries have only a small share of iPhone users (In France maybe under 25%). I think that translates into how common Apple Pay is. In Paris, you likely will find "OK" acceptance, outside of Paris it likely declines quick. But that is just based on Trend Data, not personal experience.

While Paul is right about Europe useage in general, in France the two OS phones are much closer.

https://deviceatlas.com/blog/android-v-ios-market-share#france

None of the uses I mentioned above were in Paris. I was in the north and the east. I could use those screwy new regional names but I refuse. They are silly.