Tough call to break into largely cash-only Germany

New: Gift this subscriber-only story to your friends and family

At first sight, merely a routine corporate PR exercise: Mr Tim Cook, Apple's boss, has just announced that the computer and phone giant will launch its Apple Pay mobile payment system in Germany later this year.

But Apple's announcement, which comes hard on the heels of Google's decision to roll out its own mobile payment solution in the German market, amounts to nothing less than a revolution. If the Apple and Google launches succeed, they may end up reshaping consumer preferences in Europe's biggest country.

Already a subscriber? 

Read the full story and more at $9.90/month

Get exclusive reports and insights with more than 500 subscriber-only articles every month

Unlock these benefits

  • All subscriber-only content on ST app and straitstimes.com

  • Easy access any time via ST app on 1 mobile device

  • E-paper with 2-week archive so you won't miss out on content that matters to you

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.

A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 10, 2018, with the headline Tough call to break into largely cash-only Germany. Subscribe