Apple Pay

Apple Pay is a mobile digital payment service launched by Apple on October 20, 2014. It’s built into the iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad, and lets device owners add participating credit and/or debit cards to the iPhone’s Wallet app.

At stores that support contactless mobile payments, you can use Apple Pay by double-clicking an iPhone button, then tapping the device on the point-of-sale terminal (an NFC card reader). Apple Pay works similarly with Apple Watch.

Apple Pay: Advanced security and useful features like Apple Pay Later.

Apple Pay is fast, secure and in place at many retail outlets around the world. You also can use Apple Pay within apps and on websites. Plus, it works with some transit agencies.

A feature called Apple Pay Later allows qualified users to split up purchases into four payments over six weeks.

Read the latest stories on Apple Pay from Cult of Mac:

How to pay with an Apple Cash card number

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Imaginary Card, Real Money
Create a virtual card for your Apple Cash.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can get a temporary debit card number to pay with Apple Cash online in case you want to pay with your balance on a site that doesn’t accept Apple Pay. If you have a lot of money sitting in your Apple Cash account, this can be a convenient way to pay without using your other cards. (It’s also handy if you don’t have any credit or debit cards from other banks.)

In case it’s unclear, Apple Cash is what you receive when someone sends you money via iMessage. It’s not to be confused with the other products with similar names. Apple Card is a highly rated credit card you can apply for. (It’s a physical card, made of titanium.) Apple Card Savings is a high-interest savings account for people with a physical Apple Card. And Apple Pay is a payment method (secured by Face ID, Touch ID or your device’s passcode) that lets you pay with credit/debit cards from other banks.

Previously, you could only pay with your Apple Cash via Apple Pay (or transfer it to your bank). Now, you can tie your Apple Cash to a virtual card number to pay using your Apple Cash balance online. Here’s how to set it up.

Apple Pay Later loans now appear on your credit report

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Apple Pay Later lets shoppers buy now then pay in installments
Apple Pay Later can boost your credit score now that these small loans go on consumers' credit reports.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

Experian now includes small consumer loans made through Apple Pay Later on consumers’ credit reports. That makes Apple the first “buy now pay later” provider to supply this information to the credit reporting agency.

This can improve the customer’s credit score.

Shopping online with Apple Cash is about to get a whole lot easier

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Shopping online with Apple Cash is about to get a whole lot easier
Apple Wallet will soon be able to turn Apple Cash into a virtual debit card.
Image: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Cash will soon give shoppers everything they need to make purchases online. Starting with iOS 17.4, a debit card number can be created for the financial service, along with the usual associated details.

This will be a boon for those who depend on the digital payment system, especially teenagers.

Apple opens iPhone tap-to-pay to third parties in EU

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Hold Near Reader payment sheet for third-party NFC tap-to-pay implementation on iPhone in the EU.
Soon, third-party developers can offer tap-to-pay options utilizing the iPhone's NFC chip ... but only in the European Union.
Image: Cult of Mac

To comply with EU mandates, Apple will open the iPhone’s NFC payment chip to third parties, the company said Thursday. Starting in March, users in the European Economic Area will be able to utilize tap-to-pay services other than Apple Pay when making purchases.

The new payment option, part of sweeping changes forced on the iPhone and iOS by the EU’s Digital Markets Act, could cut into Apple’s services revenue. And the company warns that it could put users at risk.

Apple reportedly offers to open iPhone NFC to other payment systems

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Apple Pay Tap-to-Pay
We may soon be making "tap and go" payments with something besides Apple Pay.
Photo: Apple

The days of the iPhone’s NFC capabilities being limited to just Apple Pay could be coming to an end. Apple is reportedly open to allowing other systems to use the wireless payment system.

It’s the company’s solution to European Union objections to the iPhone’s NFC limitation.

How to set up repeating Apple Cash payments

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Automatic Apple Cash Payments
Schedule payments using the easiest way to pay someone — Apple Cash.
Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

Set up repeating, scheduled Apple Cash payments to send money to your friends or family on a regular basis. You can use this to pay back your housemates for bills, send your kids some money or pay back personal debts.

Whatever the reason may be, Apple Cash is a fast and easy way to send money. I even have a pro tip for scheduling a singular payment in advance. Here’s how to set up recurring payments.

PayPal and Venmo credit/debit cards now work with Apple Wallet, Apple Pay

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Add your PayPal or Venmo credit or debit cards to Apple Wallet for use with Apple Pay.
Add your PayPal or Venmo credit or debit cards to Apple Wallet for use with Apple Pay.
Photo: PayPal

If you use Apple Wallet and Apple Pay, now you can add your PayPal and Venmo credit and debit cards to the mix for easy payment on the go using iPhone or Apple Watch, PayPal said Wednesday.

This follows a previous PayPal announcement in November 2022 and some testing earlier this year.

Split up payments with Apple Pay Later

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Give me my money! (In four scheduled installments)
Instead of paying once, you have the pleasure of paying four times! (But a little less.)
Image: DigiGal DZiner/Wikimedia Commons/D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac

You can split up a big purchase across four smaller payments using Apple Pay Later. Unlike other similar services like Klarna, Afterpay and Affirm, there’s no interest — you pay the exact same amount of money as if you were purchasing at once.

Payments are expected every two weeks, matching the most common paycheck schedule in the United States. It’s easy to use and transparent about what you’ll pay when; it couldn’t be more straightforward.

Even Tim Cook’s Apple Card application got rejected

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Tim Cook has plenty of money, so that couldn't be the reason.
Tim Cook has plenty of money, so that couldn't be the reason.
Image: Canva

Not just anyone qualifies for a new Apple Card — including Apple CEO Tim Cook, according to a new report. The Goldman Sachs underwriting system apparently rejected his application a while back.

Amid reports lately that Goldman is losing money on its deal with Apple, and the two might part ways, it almost sounded like payback. But that’s not it.

Apple Card and Apple Pay could soon launch in India

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Apple Card works hand-in-hand with iPhone
Apple wants to bring Apple Card and Apple Pay to India.
Photo: Apple

Apple is reportedly in talks with HDFC Bank to bring Apple Card to India. The latter is among the country’s largest credit card issuers and private banks.

The Cupertino giant also held discussions with NPCI to launch Apple Pay in the country.

Recurring payments are coming to Apple Cash

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Apple Cash reoccurring payments in iOS 17
Regularly send money to friends, family, etc. with reoccurring payments, coming to Apple Cash.
Photo: Apple

Making regular, reoccurring payments will soon be a feature of Apple Cash. This will make the payment system useful for rent or allowances or other financial transactions that happen each week or month.

Plus, the system will be able to automatically bring in more money when needed.

Apple Pay Later gives you 6 weeks to pay off interest-free loans

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Apple Pay Later lets shoppers buy now then pay in installments
Apple launched a new way to pay off expensive items on Tuesday.
Photo: Apple/Cult of Mac

A new Apple Pay Later service allows consumers to pay off purchases of under $1,000 in installments. No interest or fees are charged. And it’s not only for Apple products — the service can be used for any expensive item.

It begins rolling out on Tuesday with broad availability “in the coming months,” according to Apple.

Apple refuses to give up on iPhone hardware subscription service

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iPhone 14 Plus vs. iPhone 14
Multiple Apple financial services efforts have hit engineering hurdles.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple continues working on its long-rumored iPhone hardware subscription service despite hitting several roadblocks. The service was first rumored to launch in late 2022.

With a subscription service, Apple will allow customers to get the latest iPhone by paying a monthly fee. This would save them from shelling out the total device cost upfront.

Apple Pay Later could launch next month with iOS 16.4 [Updated]

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Apple Pay Later
Apple Pay Later could finally be ready to launch.
Graphics: Apple/Rajesh

Apple Pay Later reportedly has entered beta testing among Apple’s retail store employees, signaling that the “buy now, pay later” service is nearing public release.

The move comes months after Apple announced the financing option at its Worldwide Developers Conference last June.

Apple Pay is now bigger than MasterCard

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A major regulator points at Apple Pay Later to express concern over Big Tech entering the short-term loan business.
Apple Pay adoption keeps growing by leaps and bounds.
Photo: Apple

Apple Pay is now handling over $6 trillion in transactions a year, according to new research. That means the iPhone’s wireless payment system is now bigger than MasterCard and Alipay.

Since its inception in 2014, analysts report that Apple Pay has slowly grown to the point where a large majority of iPhone users now have it activated.

Want to support national parks? Use Apple Pay this week.

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The Southwest Conservation Corps’s Leaders of Color crew provides a supportive space for aspiring BIPOC conservationists to break into the field.
The Southwest Conservation Corps’s Leaders of Color crew provides a supportive space for aspiring BIPOC conservationists to break into the field.
Photo: National Park Foundation/Jeremy Wade Shockley

Apple pledged Monday to donate $10 to the National Park Foundation (NPF) for many Apple Pay purchases. If you buy via Apple Pay on apple.com, in the Apple Store app or at a U.S. Apple Store through August 28, you’re helping national parks.

Cupertino said it’s a way to celebrate 106 years of the U.S. National Park Service. And you can also enjoy special content and collections on Apple Maps, Apple Podcasts and more.

New Apple Pay promotion offers up to 70% off at major retailers

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Apple Pay fun in the summertime: Get big discount from 13 retailers.
Apple Pay fun in the summertime: Get big discount from 13 retailers.
Photo: Apple

Cupertino sent out a new summer-themed Apple Pay promotion Thursday with special deals on clothing, shoes, accessories and more. You can get up to 70% off items from GOAT and significant discount from a dozen other retailers. That means you can get the crazy-looking Yeezy 450 ‘Sulfur’ sneakers for $157 (regularly $200).

The discounts come from popular stores like Crocs, Ray-Ban, J.Crew, Lands’ End, Gymboree, Matt & Nat, The RealReal and others. Hit the links below.

3 quick video ads tout Apple Pay security advantages

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3 quick video ads tout Apple Pay security advantages
Apple points out the security weaknesses of physical credit cards.
Screenshot: Apple

The iPhone’s wireless payment system is more secure than credit cards, and Apple wants to make sure everyone knows it. That’s why the company created three short video ads to show off the advantages of Apple Pay.

Watch them now to learn more about the contactless payment system built into certain Apple devices.

Class-action lawsuit claims Apple Pay blocks competition

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The lawsuit alleges that Apple Pay blocks the competition from tap-to-pay.
The lawsuit alleges that Apple Pay blocks the competition from tap-to-pay.
Photo: Apple

Apple violates U.S. antitrust law by making sure Apple Pay is the only e-wallet way to tap to pay via an iPhone, iPad or Apple Watch, a new class-action lawsuit filed Monday alleges.

The complaint says Apple profits illegally to the tune of $1 billion a year or more by blocking competitors like Google Pay and Samsung Pay from offering tap-to-pay transactions on Apple devices.

Apple Pay gets close to letting you chop up your credit cards

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Apple Pay gets close to letting you chop up your credit cards
You might be surprised how many businesses let you pay with your iPhone.
Graphic: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

After a mishap, I recently had to go on vacation without a credit card. I was ready with cash but it never mattered – to my surprise, wireless payments and Apple Pay let my iPhone make all the purchases I needed.

It’s clear we’re really not far away from physical credit cards becoming obsolete. That’ll be one less hassle in our lives.

EU may soon force Apple to open iPhone NFC to other payment services

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Apple Pay Tap-to-Pay
iPhone users might soon be able to use tap-to-pay with non-Apple payment systems. In the EU, anyway.
Photo: Apple

The European Union reportedly plans to accuse Apple of violating the law by limiting access to the iPhone’s NFC capabilities to the company’s own payment system. The goal is to give rival systems like PayPal access to the iPhone’s convenient tap-to-pay function.

Apple claims the limitation is there to protect users’ financial information. The EU calls it anticompetitive.

Cupertino offers deals to ‘Make Mom’s day with Apple Pay’

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Do Mother's Day with Apple Pay this year.
Do Mother's Day with Apple Pay this year.
Photo: Apple

As you may have nervously noted, given past lapses (You? Never!), Mother’s Day is fast approaching. It falls on Sunday, May 8. To help you out, Apple sent out a series of Apple Pay promotions Wednesday that’ll save you a few bucks on thoughtful gifts for mom.

Discounts are outlined below. And in case you missed it, Apple also put out a gift guide for the occasion.