Let's clear this up: You can use Apple Pay in any store that supports contactless

Apple Pay in the UK
Apple Pay in the UK

Apple Pay can be used all over the UK, and it's not just restricted to Apple's partnered stores – you can use it in any store with a contactless terminal at the checkout.

Some sites and retailers are reporting that Apple Pay isn't supported in certain stores, but if they support contactless then they do. We tried it out in a Tesco store, and despite Tesco telling people on Twitter that it doesn't support Apple Pay, it worked.

Jeremy Nicholds, Executive Director of Mobile at Visa Europe told TechRadar, "All retailers that currently offer their customers the option to pay using contactless can accept Apple Pay."

Such confusion

"In the UK this includes household names such as Boots, Tesco, Nandos, Café Nero, the Co-operative Food and Morrisons." But that's not the be all and end all – it's all UK retailers big or small that support contactless.

Earlier today we headed into a Tesco store in Paddington to try the feature out and it worked perfectly with no hassle yet we were stopped by staff who explained they didn't even know Apple Pay was launching.

Tesco Apple Pay

Much of the confusion has been down to a lack of training within retailers and many don't realise Apple Pay works regardless of if the retailer themselves have opted in.

Tesco's support feed on Twitter has been reporting all morning that the store doesn't support Apple Pay but has now switched its stance to claim it will support it.

It's all very confusing but even Apple's official press release clearly states "This is not an all inclusive list, there are many other shops and apps accepting, but this is a good sampling."

James Peckham

James is Managing Editor for Android Police. Previously, he was Senior Phones Editor for TechRadar, and he has covered smartphones and the mobile space for the best part of a decade bringing you news on all the big announcements from top manufacturers making mobile phones and other portable gadgets. James is often testing out and reviewing the latest and greatest mobile phones, smartwatches, tablets, virtual reality headsets, fitness trackers and more. He once fell over.