Apple Pay could see phased rollout in France in 2016

After rolling out its mobile payment service, Apple Pay, in China, Apple is planning to launch it in France in a few months. The tech major is reportedly in active conversation with French banks for a phased rollout.

While there is no confirmation of the time and date of the launch, the Cupertino-based handset maker is expected to start off with a "handful of banks" in France and gradually expand the service to other banks.

Apple Pay service will arrive gradually, bank by bank, and it would take more than six months before it is made available for the general public in France, as partner banks would first run a pilot for three to four months, reported French publication Les Echos.

At present, Apple Pay is negotiating on the banks' charges and commission per transaction. The fee has always been a matter of concern for both parties — the digital payment firm and the banks. Though official numbers have not been disclosed, in the US, Apple is said to earn 0.15% of the transaction and it is even lower in the UK.

According to the Les Echos, in Britain, Apple Pay gets 5 cents per transaction, which is a little "more than half of the average income", earned on a transaction. Typically, banks would receive 9 cents per transaction made through a debit card.

In China, Apple signed a very different agreement with the banks, according to which it would take no share of the transactions for two years. Apple Pay would start earning only from the third year, which would be one-third of the current commission charged by banks. French Banks are reportedly trying to strike a similar deal with Apple, where they get to keep the entire share of the transaction.

Apple Pay is already available in the US, UK, Canada and Australia and is expected to launch in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Spain by the end of 2016. Apple had recently launched the mobile payment service in China in partnership with China UnionPay and 19 other banks.