SunTrust offers customers Apple Pay option

SunTrust Banks Inc. is joining the Apple Pay bandwagon.

The Atlanta-based bank, which has operations in Virginia, is offering Apple Pay as a method of handing payments.
Customers with SunTrust debit and credit cards can use Apple Pay on their iPhone 6,iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, Apple Watch or iPad mini 3 to complete purchases online and at participating retailers.

Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service offered by Apple Inc.

“The addition of Apple Pay provides SunTrust clients with an innovative, secure option to make purchases,” Beverly Ladley, SunTrust’s client segments and solutions executive, said in a statement.

The SunTrust move on Tuesday follows recent announcements that Bi-Lo, Harveys and Winn-Dixie grocery stores are adopting the Apple Pay system.

SunTrust Merchant Services is offering Apple Pay equipment to merchants so that they can facilitate the “tap and pay” transactions.

SunTrust said the Apple Pay system has features designed to ensure security and privacy. When customers use a SunTrust credit or debit card with Apple Pay, the bank said, the card numbers are not stored on the device or on Apple servers. Each transaction also is authorized with a one-time security code, instead of using the security code from the back of the card.