In an extension of the bank's efforts to give its customers access to their money on their terms, those with BBVA Compass Visa® consumer credit and BBVA Compass Visa® consumer and business check cards* are now eligible to add their cards to Apple Pay. Apple Pay lets customers make mobile payments in participating stores from their iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and, after it debuts, the Apple Watch. It also allows customers to make purchases within apps using an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3.

"Mobile banking is a must-have for so many of our customers, and innovative new offerings — like this one — are changing what they expect to do with their devices," said BBVA Compass Chief Digital Banking Officer Jeff Dennes. "Our aim, always, is to meet and exceed those expectations and offering Apple Pay to our customers helps us do just that."

Users will continue to receive all of the rewards and benefits offered by their BBVA Compass credit and debit cards.

Apple Pay creates a secure and private environment for payments and is designed to protect customers' personal information. When customers add credit or debit cards to the service, the card numbers are not stored on the device, nor on Apple servers. Instead, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and securely stored in the Secure Element on the device. In addition, each transaction is authorized with a one-time unique dynamic security code, instead of using security codes from the back of customers' cards.

"Our customers increasingly rely on mobile technology to organize, complete and monitor their daily activities," said BBVA Compass Executive Director of Issuing Melissa Jankowski. "So we're continually seeking to provide new, innovative digital offerings that simplify and improve banking experiences. We're pleased to bring Apple Pay to our customers."