Last week we spotted Commonwealth Bank’s Tap to Pay mobile app had enabled payment via credit card into their NFC payment solution. However, at that time we also noticed that Visa cards were not compatible with the service.
We reached out to Commonwealth Bank who have today released a clarification about the new service, their representative confirmed that Commonwealth Bank have no current plans to incorporate Visa payments into their service.
CBA has decided not to support Visa cards with HCE at this point in time as the majority of our customers are MasterCard and AMEX cardholders. We are always reviewing our products and services to ensure they suit our customers’ needs and will continue to bring enhanced functionality to the CommBank app in the future.
This answer may not be what some of you wanted to hear but either way it’s great to see CommBank getting back to us and being clear about the situation. For those of you who are Commonwealth customers and have Visa cards issued by them, it looks like your options are, not to use mobile payments, change to a MasterCard or contact the bank and provide some feedback that you like them to review this service.
What do you think about Commbank not including Visa credit card payments in their Android app? Let us know below.
Not surprising, considering CBA stopped issuing visa cards quite a while ago. They don’t see enough of an incentive to put more dev resources on a product they don’t sell or market.
So CBA have more Mastercard than Visa customers – but how many Visa customers do they still have? Probably hundreds of thousands .. I am not going to argue acceptance vs other cards but having had a CBA Visa card for almost 20 years, (aside from Aus taxis 15 years ago) I have found it accepted everywhere I went, including across several countries overseas. I see little reason to change, apart from CBA not bothering to implement Tap to Pay. Maybe I won’t bother to stay with CBA when it comes time to get a card that I can use… Read more »
I also have a Commonwealth Visa but I think the $5 monthly charge I now get is related to the fact that it is a Visa card. It is also a tap to pay. I will have to look into it further.
and Apple pay is finally available in Oz in the form of an Amex only issued card. While Android Pay (who was years ahead of Apple) is nowhere in sight!
I was unaware CommBank even had VISA customers anymore as they haven’t ‘sold’ them for some time now…
The dude down below saying VISA is more widely accepted than MasterCard must live 10 years+ in the past.
Not really. Different types of cards are more beneficial than others for different reasons and depending what country you are in. It’s all about what is best suited to the individual. To say someone is living in the past for using a Visa is just dogmatic. Yes, Mastercard say they are available in 50 or more countries than Visa, but in my experience Visa has been my go to card for travel to the US (after AMEX), Asia and Europe. For me, i’m not too worried about the NFC payment systems, their not 100% reliable yet but i’m sure with… Read more »
I’ve been using the app with a couple of debit cards and was happy to see I can use my Mastercard now. I’ve found the app is pretty reliable. It would be pretty annoying to have credit card support finally come but then have it not support your card.
I’ve had CBA VISA for 20+ years.
They keep pushing MasterCard/AMEX on to me. They were really pushy.
One time they tried to switch me to it without my permission.
I prefer VISA, as it’s more widely accepted than MasterCard/AMEX, and I don’t want to lug around 2 cards.
With the CBA App, NFC only works 1/5 for me.
Please provide ANY evidence that visa is more widely accepted by mastercard
It’s a few years ago now, and maybe things have changed, but when I was backpacking in central america, the only way to get cash out of an ATM was a visa. They all took visa. None would take mastercard, it was so frustrating.
Speaking yes you can , no you can’t. It’s ok personal card holders but Business card holder can go jump be cause they can’t control employees that put their company’s master card on their own personal phone, then leave their job or get sacked and continue spending on the company’s Bank Account, without the CBA being able to easily shut out the card on their NTF on the employees phone! SO now that that happens with out a fix which should be easy as listing with the bank the phones that are aloud to use each card account, to shut… Read more »
I opened up a Bank Australia account the other day, because their app offers NFC phone payments. Waiting for my card so I can input details and try it out. Any chance you guys noticed this bank doing it as well and have confirmed if it works? I think there’s claims to work with VISA by the way.
I’m with ME Bank and I think they’ll be one of the last to do it.. I might be bald by then.
I have a Bank Australia Visa credit card and their App works for mobile payments on my Android phone. It works for me every time.
Even the payment using Amex/mastercard is hit or miss..it just works 3 out of 5 times….