Shopee app in Malaysia shows Apple Pay option for payments, are we getting it soon?

Rumours are rife that Apple Pay is coming to Malaysia soon, and they’ve just gotten louder today. Netizens noticed that Shopee added an Apple Pay option to its payment methods on the iPhone app, hinting at an impending launch. We saw this feature on the previous version of the app, 2.91.28, which means it has likely been around for at least two days; the latest 2.91.29 update only went live a few hours ago.

The functionality isn’t, you know, functional as yet – if you tap on the Apple Pay option, the app tells you to “ensure there’s an active card in your Apple Pay wallet” to proceed to payment. Of course, since the system isn’t supported in Malaysia yet, you won’t actually be able to add a credit or debit card; your iPhone will simply tell you to “look for the Add to Wallet button” to add cards, keys, tickets and passes that are compatible with the Wallet app.

Now, Shopee operates across the Southeast Asian region, so it’s possible that the change was made to accommodate Singapore, where Apple Pay is available. That wouldn’t make sense, however, given that the payment options displayed are unique to each country.

Also, according to the e-commerce company’s Singaporean support page, Cupertino’s contactless payment service is still not supported in the island republic. Besides, Shopee would’ve probably made a big fuss on social media if it actually added official Apple Pay support, and it hasn’t yet.

As you know, Apple Pay allows users to make payments using only an iPhone or Apple Watch. For this feature to work, it needs the support of local banks, which Apple clearly has yet to achieve here. However, it does look like things might just be changing – on the iOS 16 Public Beta, the Wallet app displays a giant “Get Started With Apple Pay” banner, though tapping it brings up the same message as before.

If Apple Pay really is being implemented soon, Malaysia would be the second country in Southeast Asia to get it after Singapore. The service is currently only supported in nine countries in Asia (seven if you count Hong Kong and Macau as part of China), which are:

• Australia
• China
• Hong Kong
• Macau
• Taiwan
• Japan
• Kazakhstan
• New Zealand
• Singapore

We should point out that Shopee does officially support Google Pay in Singapore, and while that’s not the case in Malaysia, the service is selectable as a payment method on Android versions of the app here. So, are you excited at the possibility of Apple Pay coming to our shores? Sound off in the comments below.

Thanks Siang Xi for dropping us a tip in our RKMD Facebook Group.