UK users can now link certain bank accounts to Apple Wallet
Previously in a limited beta test, Apple’s Connected Cards is now available in the UK, letting users there see their bank and card balances directly in Apple Wallet.
Originally included in a beta of iOS 17 in the UK, Connected Cards uses the country’s Open Banking API to bring financial data directly into Wallet. The trial included Barclays, Lloyds, and HSBC banks in UK, and in each case offers the same functionality.
In practice, the Open Banking API proves to be a little slow, such that it takes several moments for the latest details to be updated. But it also includes a list of latest transactions on the card, so it’s a useful option for UK users.
Since the beta trial started, there have been signs that the same or a similar system may come to the US, though. Apple has not announced this, but there are references to a US version in the legal text for the UK one, and on Apple’s website.
The US does not at present have an equivalent to the UK’s Open Banking API, however. The US Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is, though, working to introduce new banking rules that might facilitiate it.
