As noted in the fine print of Apple’s website, Apple Pay person-to-person payments will will only be available in the United States at launch, with other countries likely to be added in 2018.
As part of iOS 11 which is scheduled to arrive in September, Apple Pay’s new person-to-person payments feature will allow users to send money to friends and family members through the official Apple Pay iMessage app however; one thing Apple kept relatively quiet during the announcement at WWDC was that like Apple pay when it launched in 2014, the service will only be available in the United States at launch.
According to Apple, when a user is paid they will receive a “Apple Pay Cash” account, which they can then use instantly to make a purchase using Apple Pay in stores or online, send as a payment to someone else, or transfer it from Apple Pay Cash to their bank account.
Undoubtedly causing disappointment for many, this means that like the initial launch of Apple Pay back in 2014 users outside the United States will need to wait for Apple to roll out support for the new payment system in their country. As of yet Apple Pay itself is available in the U.S., UK, Ireland, China, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, France, Hong Kong, Russia, Singapore, Japan, New Zealand, and Spain.
Person to person payments and Apple Pay Cash are available only in the U.S. on iPhone SE, iPhone 6 or later, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air 2, iPad mini 3 or later, and Apple Watch.