Facebook has secured a license from Irish banks to begin the introduction of payments over Messenger. The new license was not announced by Facebook, but can easily be found on the state bank's public register. It now allows Facebook to issue e-money payments and transfers in Ireland and, critically, the rest of the EU due to something called “passporting”. The change paves the way for the launch of new mobile services from Facebook across Europe meaning it can now compete with other “peer-to-peer payment features” on the European mainland, and Barclays Pingit feature in the UK. Whilst the technology has not taken off as quickly in Europe as it has done in the US, the recent launch of Apple Pay in Spain may act as a catalyst in growing the market. Apple has also suggested that Germany will be the next EU nation to see Apple Pay launched.
