How do i do apple pay on my iphone

How to use Apple Pay

Apple Pay is that simple system that turns your iPhone, for instance, into a digital wallet, making card payments so simple you don’t even need to take your actual wallet out of your pocket or bag.

But while the Apple payment mechanism quickly becomes second nature, there can be a learning curve, and sometimes it’s steep enough for people, after an initial misstep, to turn away from it. That’s a shame, because Apple Pay is brilliant: straightforward, intuitive and secure. Here’s everything you need to know.

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Set-up is simple

If you’ve just got a new iPhone, part of set-up is the option to add cards to Apple Pay. Adding cards is sublimely simple: hold the physical card where the iPhone camera can see it and the number, name and expiry date will be read and appear on the iPhone screen as if by magic. You simply enter the card verification number and you’ll be asked to confirm it’s you by entering a code sent by text message, for instance .

If you’re upgrading from a previous iPone, you may be using the super-smooth way that’s been around since iOS 11 where you hold one iPhone in front of the other and leave the two handsets to get on with transferring data. In this case, you will find details of the cards are there already and you just need to activate them.

What’s wrong with a real card?

When writing an earlier version of this guide, four years ago, I was asked several times why a regular credit or debit card isn’t as good. Well, it is, except that in many retailers, the upper limit required for a physical card is not there for Apple Pay. And, of course, you don’t need your physical wallet with you to pay by Apple Pay. Since the card in your iPhone wallet doesn’t show your full card number, it has a security aspect there, too.

Apple Pay with Touch ID iPhone.

How to use Apple Pay with Touch ID iPhones

If you have an iPhone with Touch ID, from iPhone 6 onwards, using Apple Pay is extremely simple: rest your finger on the Touch ID button, hold the iPhone near the card reader screen. And that’s it.

Remember, if you find Siri popping up by mistake, you’re pressing too hard. After all, it’s Touch ID, not Press ID.

How to use Apple Pay with Face ID iPhones

You don’t have to wake the iPhone to use Apple Pay. From any screen, including any app, the home screen and the lock screen, you simply double-press the side button.

The result will be that Apple Pay will open and your default card shows. As you look at the screen, it will recognize you, showing a smiling face in a circle which turns into an iPhone in a circle, with the words “Hold near reader”.

Apple Pay using an iPhone with Face ID.

In a second or so, it will have completed the transaction. Cool, huh?

To change which card is your default, go to Settings, Wallet & Apple Pay and choose Default Card under Transaction Defaults.

Apple Pay Express Transit

This recent addition to Apple Pay is very useful. At certain transport networks, such as London Underground, New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority and plenty of other places, you can choose a card for Express Transit. In Settings, choose Wallet & Apple Pay and then Transit Cards (or Travel Cards). Pick the card you want to use and you’re away.

With a card saved as your Express Transit choice, just take the iPhone out of your pocket and touch it to the card reader.

You don’t need to pre-arm or even to wake either screen. So long as it’s not actually turned off, it will work automatically.

Apple Pay Express Transit with Apple Watch

Apple Pay on Apple Watch

This works exactly like the iPhone: double-press the side button and hold the Watch, screen down, next to the card reader. Note that you don’t need to look at the Watch, it’s authorized by the fact that you’re wearing it, not via Face ID, which isn’t on the Watch. It works just the same for Apple Pay Express Transit, that is, once you’ve picked which card, you don’t need to press the side button, it’ll all work automatically.

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Apple Pay can be used to check out at many retailers, including Target

With contactless options becoming the standard in everything from deliveries to pickups to payments, Apple Pay has become many iPhone users' go-to payment option. But learning how to use Apple Pay is probably way simpler than you think.

The hardest part of using Apple Pay is setting it up and adding your cards, and that's as easy as simply entering your card information. Once you set it up, you can use Apple Pay to check out contactless at most retailers with your iPhone or Apple Watch, and also use it to check out online from many online stores. 

How to use Apple Pay

Step 1: Set up Apple Pay

To set up Apple Pay, you just need to go to Settings, then find Wallet and Apple Pay. 

Then tap on Add Card and follow the prompts to add your new card. 

Once you add your card to your Wallet, you can edit your settings to suit your needs. You can choose to enable Apple Cash, enable the double-click side button to work as a shortcut for Apple Pay, add Express Transit Cards to pay for transit automatically without passcode or Face ID, edit your transaction information like default card, shipping address and contact info, and toggle payments on Mac on and off. 

Step 2: Double-click right side button

Double-click-- or double-press --the side button to pull up Apple Pay

Double-clicking the button on the right side of your iPhone brings up your cards to pay. Just choose your payment card when the Wallet comes up.

Step 3: Enter passcode to pay

Once you've chosen a card from your iPhone's Wallet, you'll be prompted to enter your passcode to authorize and pay for your purchase.

Step 4: Hold near reader

Entering your passcode authenticates your payment, then just hold your phone within about an inch of the card reader to process the transaction.

That's it, Apple Pay is as easy as Apple pie. Sorry, I had to. 

FAQ

Aside from using Apple Pay at the store, you can also use it in apps or online retailers. There are a lot of online merchants that accept Apple Pay just like they take PayPal or a credit card at checkout. And on top of being more secure, using Apple Pay online is more convenient as you don't need to enter your shipping address or card number to check out. Etsy, Starbucks, and Uber Eats, just to name a few, all accept Apple Pay.

To use Apple Pay online, tap on the Apple Pay option at checkout from your iPhone or other Apple device. Then you'll be prompted to either enter your passcode or use Face ID to authorize the payment. After this, you'll be able to check out as usual with your Apple Pay information already filled in, so you won't need to sign in again or enter your card information. 

Also: How can I keep my credit card details from being stolen online?

Using Apple Pay or Google Pay at checkout is more secure than swiping or inserting your card. This is because your credit or debit card number and information are encrypted and never shared with the retailer when you check out. A new code is created each time you pay with one of these retailers, making it safer to protect your financial data from being cloned or stolen.

You can use Apple Pay wherever there is a payment terminal with NFC. Most retailers out there have them, with some exceptions. Just look for the NFC symbol on the card reader. Some banks even accept Apple Pay at NFC-enabled ATMs to make withdrawals or access your account. 

NFC stands for near-field communication. It's a technology that employs magnetic field induction to allow wireless communication between two electronic devices at a short-range, typically less than 4 centimeters or 1.5 inches.

The days of "I forgot my wallet" are long gone. Once you add a card to your Apple Wallet, you enable Apple Pay on your iPhone. If you have an active Apple Watch linked to that iPhone, you can then use Apple Pay with just your watch, even if you don't have your iPhone on you when you check out. 

See also

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