Taiwan's financial regulator, the Financial Supervisory Commission, has granted approval to seven major banks to offer Apple Pay – Apple's biometrically secured mobile wallet – to their customers, paving the way for the service to launch in the state.

The banks concerned are Union Bank of Taiwan, First Commercial Bank, CTBC Bank, Taishin International Bank, Sun Commercial Bank, Cathay United Bank, and Taipei Fubon Commercial Bank. As The China Post reports, the banks together account for a little over 62 percent of Taiwan's credit card market, suggesting considerable support for Apple Pay in the state when it launches officially. Apple has indicated that a launch is on the way, but hasn't yet set a date.

Meanwhile, across the East China Sea, Apple Pay is getting a big push in Japan. The mPayment service recently added six new issuers in the country, including Life, PocketCard, Cedyna, JACCS, EPOS, and APLUS, and is running a two-month promotional campaign to help further stoke interest in the service, with numerous companies offering store rewards and even cash back for Apple Pay purchases.

Dubbed ‘New Life’, the promotional campaign runs from March 1st to April 30th, with participating merchants including JR East, Mini Stop, Sukiya, Japan Taxi, Toho Cinemas, and more.

Source: mobileidword