Apple Inc has stepped up its battle with Australia’s banking industry over the future of mobile payments, accusing an industry consortium of attempting to “delay or even block” the expansion of Apple Pay into the country. Australia & New Zealand Banking Group Ltd. isn’t a party to the action, having decided in April to accept Apple Pay. In its latest submission, Apple said the banks’ core motivation is to avoid paying fees to use Apple Pay, or to discourage their customers from using the technology by charging for the service. The banks are ultimately asking to be “allowed to continue to free-ride on the significant investments’’ Apple has made, the filing said. “The application has never been about preventing Apple Pay from coming to Australia or reducing competition between wallets,” the banks said.

Source: The Star February 06, 2017 06:05 UTC