Apple CEO Tim Cook declares Apple Pay a success with 1 million activations in first 3 days

LAGUNA BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Apple’s CEO is declaring the company’s new mobile payment system a success.

At a tech industry conference in Laguna Beach, California, last night, Tim Cook boasted that the Apple Pay system had over 1 million activations in the first three days after it became available, and is now more widely used than any competing payment system. He says Visa and MasterCard officials have told Apple that Apple Pay is already seeing more use than similar “contactless” methods of paying for purchases.

Apple has partnered with major banks and large retail chains including Macy’s, Walgreen and McDonald’s on Apple Pay, but critics have noted that it’s not accepted by a number of other large chains. Among them are the drugstore chains CVS and Rite Aid, which belong to a retail coalition working on a rival system.

Cook also said he plans to talk with the head of Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba later this week about a possible partnership, although he offered no details. Jack Ma told the same audience earlier in the day that he would be “very interested” in teaming with Apple to bring Apple Pay to China.

%@AP Links

031-c-16-(Brandon Bailey, AP correspondent)-“contactless purchase system”-AP correspondent Brandon Bailey reports Apple CEO Tim Cook is declaring the company’s new mobile payment system a success. (28 Oct 2014)

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032-c-14-(Brandon Bailey, AP correspondent)-“Pay to China”-AP correspondent Brandon Bailey reports the Apple CEO says he’s interested in talking to a giant Chinese e-commerce company about possible partnerships. (28 Oct 2014)

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033-c-14-(Brandon Bailey, AP correspondent)-“actual account number”-AP correspondent Brandon Bailey reports people seem very interested in Apple Pay’s potential benefits. (28 Oct 2014)

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034-c-11-(Brandon Bailey, AP correspondent)-“that it’s private”-AP correspondent Brandon Bailey reports Apple Pay’s makers say the new pay system could offer customers convenience and safety. (28 Oct 2014)

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APPHOTO NYBZ145: FILE – In this Sept. 9, 2014 photo, Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces Apple Pay during an event in Cupertino, Calif. Cook on Monday, Oct. 27, 2014 said Apple’s new mobile payment system had over 1 million activations in the first three days after it became available, and is now more widely used than any competing payment system. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File) (9 Sep 2014)

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