The Globe and Mail reports in its Tuesday edition that American Express cardholders in Canada will have access to Apple Pay starting today. The Globe's David Berman writes Apple announced the Canadian expansion of Apple Pay in October after launches in the United States and Britain. The Canadian launch bypasses traditional banks and instead limits itself to American Express cardholders, who represent just 8.2 per cent of the local market. The launch is also limited to merchants that currently accept AmEx cards. This relatively narrow market share raises questions about how effective the launch is going to be and how the big banks will respond. Mobile payment services allow consumers to make purchases with their smart phones at merchant terminals equipped with technology known as near field communication, or NFC, eliminating the need to use cash or credit cards. CIBC analyst Robert Sedran said in a recent note to clients that mobile payments were "the most topical potential disruptor." Canada's Big Five banks already offer mobile payment services for Android and BlackBerry smart phones, but they have not struck a deal with Apple that would allow their customers to make purchases with their iPhones.