Glossary
X-Pays (Apple / Google / Samsung Pay)
The big-tech wallets. Getting cards into them requires token-requestor integration with the schemes' token services (Visa VTS, Mastercard MDES).
X-Pays provisioning replaces the card number with a device token via the schemes' tokenization services. Users expect it from day one, so every card programme needs a provider that handles VTS/MDES integration, push provisioning and lifecycle.
The trade-off: the wallet UX (and data) belongs to Apple/Google. The European alternative is the issuer wallet (HCE) - your own app as the wallet - which the EEA's iOS NFC access makes uniquely viable in Europe.