Over 1 Million iPhone and Apple Watch Card Registrations on First Day
Apple's contactless payment system 'Apple Pay' saw over one million devices registered for use on its first day of service.
Jung Tae-young, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Card, posted on his Facebook account on the 22nd, stating, "As of 10 PM on the 21st, Apple Pay token issuance exceeded one million," adding, "The Apple team says this is the 'highest record ever,' but we will carefully review the specific meaning and criteria."
The 'token' mentioned by Vice Chairman Jung refers to the number issued by encrypting card information when registering a credit card on an Apple Pay device. Apple Pay does not store card numbers on Apple servers or personal devices; instead, it generates a unique device account number, which is encrypted and stored in the device's secure chip. If one card is registered on two devices such as an iPhone and an Apple Watch, an Apple Pay token is issued for each device. This means that on the first day of service, the 21st, the number of Apple Pay devices with registered card information exceeded one million.
Regarding the card registration delay issue that occurred the previous day, Vice Chairman Jung explained, "We are aware of the Visa registration delay issue and are currently working hard to resolve it." Industry insiders believe the delay in token issuance was caused by a surge in Apple Pay registration applications the day before.
Earlier, Apple and Hyundai Card held a 'special event' at Hyundai Card Understage in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to announce the launch of the Apple Pay service. As a result, those who own an iPhone and Hyundai Card can use Apple Pay for simple payments without the physical card at compatible stores.
Currently, available stores include offline merchants such as convenience stores nationwide, Costco, Hyundai Department Store, Lotte Department Store, Homeplus, and Daiso, as well as online merchants like Baedal Minjok, Musinsa, Korean Air, Paul Bassett, and Innisfree.
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