The news: Apple Pay has added two new markets this month—Qatar and Malaysia—with support for Visa, Mastercard, and American Express cards issued by multiple banks in each region, per NFCW and TechCrunch.

The bigger picture: Expanding internationally can accelerate Apple Pay’s growth so it can access booming digital payments usage across the world.

• Cash use is declining across the Middle East and Africa as more consumers and merchants opt for digital payments, making the region more attractive for payment providers like Apple: Mobile wallets grew 55% annually in 2021 to make up 11.8% of point-of-sale (POS) transaction value, per FIS.
• Likewise, in Malaysia, mobile wallets hold a 15% share of POS transaction value—but cash and cards still make up 66%, leaving ample room for growth. Apple can also contend with local giants and keep making inroads in Southeast Asia as the region grows.