Apple Pay - contact card issuer, yet no problems on record?!

I've just purchased a new iphone and when trying to set-up Apple Pay in the wallet, it won't add my cards and tells me to contact my card issuer. I have tried adding different types of card and from different issuers yet none will add. I've had to wait a week to hear back from Apple (this seems a rediculous turnaround time) and they have advised it is to do with Visa and Mastercard. I've contacted them and they say they have no control over these things and advise I speak to the card issuer. Contacting the various card issuers and they have all advised there is not block on my cards and it must be an Apple issue. I've checked the card numbers multiple times, reset factory settings, set-up and used a new Apple ID address and still no luck.

I don't know what else to do and feel helpless as Apple just don't seem to want to help. I'm now at the point that the new Iphone is back in the box and I'm using an old phone.

Has anyone else experienced this problem? I feel sick that I've paid a lot of money for a premium phone and it's not fully functional.