iPhone 6(S)/Plus Paying with the Phone?

[boss.king]

It is a moot point - which is my repeated point in this thread.

People act like you are safer if your phone gets stolen instead of your cards, but Visa/Mastercard do not hold you financially liable for fraudulent charges.


It really doesn’t matter if you use a phone or card to pay. It is all moot.

Your phone being stolen is a moot point. Your card being stolen is not. It’s easy for card skimmers to clone your card and make small, unnoticeable transactions for a long time before they’re caught. Your physical card doesn’t need to be taken for it to be stolen. That’s less secure.

Even if you’re not on the hook for the money (which isn’t always the case, not every contactless payment card is a Visa or Mastercard and not every country has the same protections), it’s still a hassle to get a new card issued and work out what was or wasn’t a fraudulent transaction.

None of that happens if you use Apple Pay.

Edit: for clarity

 

[jaytv111]

My understanding is that as long as a merchant accepts contactless payment, Apple Pay is then accepted. As I understand, Apple Pay is just the term for contactless payment using Apple's digital wallet. I think in terms of the radio frequency and information transmitted to the point-of-sales terminal, it's nothing unique from other contactless payment.

Happy to be corrected.

Nowadays you can't block a phone payment without blocking all contactless. I think it used to be the case, the payment networks let merchants block phone payments but let you use contactless card payments.

But in most of the world, aka not the US, they just let contactless payments go through and they don't hold back and disable the radio in readers, like the Walmarts and Home Depots of the world do. Those merchants are just jerks, they clearly have new readers that take contactless, they just hate phone payments, but I know Walmart wants people to use Walmart Pay (probably for the data, probably to advertise to users, etc), so much so that they block all contactless including cards and phones.

 

[eyoungren]

Hospital bills in the US can bankrupt a person.

Yes. This has never happened to me, but there have been times where being insured has been a good thing.

I was once admitted for approximately an hour. A bite of food refused to go down when swallowed so they gave me a drug to cause my esophagus to expand a bit. This was my clue that I had a Schotski ring back then.

Anyway, the bill for that hour was something around $15,000. My insurance paid.

My son is on a drug that runs around $450 a month, $25 with insurance. Skyrizi, a drug for Psoriasis which I have, costs around $26,000 each month. $5 with insurance.

Unfortunately, my wife had to resign about a month ago so health insurance is gone. So is Skyrizi and we've been fortunate that the pharmacy has only cost us around $150 for my son's drug. I'm covered under my job as a benefit (my employer pays the premium) but that means only one person in a four person household is covered - and at inferior rates as well. To cover everyone will cost me around $1000 out of my paycheck each month. And that's if no one needs any coverage. It does not include copays or coinsurance.

 

[MacCheetah3]

As for the other comments about credit cards, it's WAY more convenient and easy for me to touch one of those than fussing with a phone, even if the double tap does work. Card in a shirt pocket […] I need 2 hands to deal with the phone but only one for using my debit card.

So this is going to be my backup... it's still way easier for me to pull out the debit card in my shirt pocket, a one handed operation. I'm mostly talking about using this with a local businesses and unfortunately I am disabled and need to use a cane... so fussing with the phone is an issue.

That’s fine. A shirt pocket should be very accessible. You’re not obligated to use Apple Pay. Some of us are simply pointing out using Apple Pay regularly isn’t nearly the struggle you originally described.

phone in a protective carry case I have to remove to use.

A carry case as in a pouch or bag, something that covers the display? FYI… If it’s a regular protective case, you shouldn’t need to remove it to perform contactless payments.

 

[msackey]

But in most of the world, aka not the US, they just let contactless payments go through and they don't hold back and disable the radio in readers, like the Walmarts and Home Depots of the world do. Those merchants are just jerks, they clearly have new readers that take contactless, they just hate phone payments, but I know Walmart wants people to use Walmart Pay (probably for the data, probably to advertise to users, etc), so much so that they block all contactless including cards and phones.

Yeah, don't really get why Home Depot, Lowes, etc. block contactless payment. I believe Harris Teeter did too and developed their own "digital wallet" using their app. Welp, glad that seemed to have failed because some time this year they finally allowed Apple Pay and other contactless payments.

 

[Piplodocus]

Unfortunately Walmart, where around 95% of my grocery shopping occurs, obstinately refuses to allow Apple Pay. You want to pay there, it's cash or inserting your chip card. OR, what Walmart would actually prefer you to use - Walmart Pay.

Walmart Pay, which involves unlocking the phone, opening the Walmart app and then tapping on two buttons to get to Walmart Pay and then scanning a QR code is 'hugely less convenient' than actually using a credit/debit card.

Incidentally, Walmart also does not allow tap to pay with a card.

That leaves the other 5 percent. Fry's (which is Kroger in Arizona) also steadfastly refuses to accept Apple Pay. And they don't accept tap to pay either. Fry's is actually closer to me than Walmart.

Safeway/Albertsons DOES accept Apple Pay but they are out of my way.

Oh, and Home Depot, which is the closest hardware store? No Apple Pay, no tap to pay.

Apple Pay is convenient - if the vendor actually accepts it.

Living in the UK this seems complete backwards madness. I can't think of anywhere, from the biggest department store, to the smallest tiny market stall that doesn't accept Apple Pay. If the place only accepts cash is the only time I can't use AP, and more places don't accept cash and only card these days (as they couldn't be bothered to go to the bank and deal with till floats and the security risk of cash on site, etc.)

Some accept hundreds of £ limit with proper Apple Pay because it's more secure than regular contactless, but ABSOLUTELY ALL accept at least the normal contactless card limit of £80 as it's more secure and the banks support cards via it, so the shops can't really say no any more than they can to any regular VISA or Mastercard contactless payments. I actually NEVER don't use it. To the point I left my Apple Watch at home by accident a couple of weeks ago, went to buy a couple of beers at a bar and had a mild panic for a fraction of a second that I couldn't pay, before realising I actually have those old fashioned, not very secure, and less convenient cards in my pocket, duh! Most of my store benefit cards are in there too like Tesco/Boots/etc. So I'm mildly annoyed when I shop in co-op I have to get my wallet out if I need my loyalty card. But I think even that is now Wallet compatible, they just don't have barcode scanners that can read "pictures" and have the older laser ones that don't work on screens.

 

[eyoungren]

Living in the UK this seems complete backwards madness. I can't think of anywhere, from the biggest department store, to the smallest tiny market stall that doesn't accept Apple Pay. If the place only accepts cash is the only time I can't use AP, and more places don't accept cash and only card these days (as they couldn't be bothered to go to the bank and deal with till floats and the security risk of cash on site, etc.)

Some accept hundreds of £ limit with proper Apple Pay because it's more secure than regular contactless, but ABSOLUTELY ALL accept at least the normal contactless card limit of £80 as it's more secure and the banks support cards via it, so the shops can't really say no any more than they can to any regular VISA or Mastercard contactless payments. I actually NEVER don't use it. To the point I left my Apple Watch at home by accident a couple of weeks ago, went to buy a couple of beers at a bar and had a mild panic for a fraction of a second that I couldn't pay, before realising I actually have those old fashioned, not very secure, and less convenient cards in my pocket, duh! Most of my store benefit cards are in there too like Tesco/Boots/etc. So I'm mildly annoyed when I shop in co-op I have to get my wallet out if I need my loyalty card. But I think even that is now Wallet compatible, they just don't have barcode scanners that can read "pictures" and have the older laser ones that don't work on screens.

All I can say is that this is the way it is here. Not every business, not every major business too, supports Apple Pay. And of the major businesses, Home Depot and Walmart are certainly some of the most major.

I do not know for sure why they do not accept it, but they don't.

And what I said earlier about Apple itself not supporting Apple Pay? That wasn't a joke. You can't use Apple Pay at an Apple store. The staff are not set up to support it. All their equipment handles credit and debit card swipes.

 

[PegasusTenma]

Living in the UK this seems complete backwards madness. I can't think of anywhere, from the biggest department store, to the smallest tiny market stall that doesn't accept Apple Pay. If the place only accepts cash is the only time I can't use AP, and more places don't accept cash and only card these days (as they couldn't be bothered to go to the bank and deal with till floats and the security risk of cash on site, etc.)

Some accept hundreds of £ limit with proper Apple Pay because it's more secure than regular contactless, but ABSOLUTELY ALL accept at least the normal contactless card limit of £80 as it's more secure and the banks support cards via it, so the shops can't really say no any more than they can to any regular VISA or Mastercard contactless payments. I actually NEVER don't use it. To the point I left my Apple Watch at home by accident a couple of weeks ago, went to buy a couple of beers at a bar and had a mild panic for a fraction of a second that I couldn't pay, before realising I actually have those old fashioned, not very secure, and less convenient cards in my pocket, duh! Most of my store benefit cards are in there too like Tesco/Boots/etc. So I'm mildly annoyed when I shop in co-op I have to get my wallet out if I need my loyalty card. But I think even that is now Wallet compatible, they just don't have barcode scanners that can read "pictures" and have the older laser ones that don't work on screens.

That’s what I said in my other comment in this thread and some dude told me that it couldn’t be, that my experience wasn’t representative of the reality. Mate, in the UK we pay even the bus with the Apple Watch.

 

[Shirasaki]

All I can say is that this is the way it is here. Not every business, not every major business too, supports Apple Pay. And of the major businesses, Home Depot and Walmart are certainly some of the most major.

I do not know for sure why they do not accept it, but they don't.

And what I said earlier about Apple itself not supporting Apple Pay? That wasn't a joke. You can't use Apple Pay at an Apple store. The staff are not set up to support it. All their equipment handles credit and debit card swipes.

US is such A miserable country when adopting Contactless payments. Coles and Woolworths in Australia have more contactless payment self-checkouts than cash-out ones, and based on my observation, only people from China still embraces cash payment rather than card because merchant would not need to charge them credit card surcharge.

 

[jz0309]

According to the European Central Bank, 62% of point-of-sale transactions and 87% of person-to-person transactions are paid in cash in Germany.

Last time I was in Germany, store after store didn’t even accept credit cards, contactless or not, let alone Apple Pay.

I am not convinced that your personal experience is representative here.

yep, same experience here, I'd say the majority of places don't accept CCs in Germany, the 2nd part of my last trip was to London, loved holding my AW over the entry to the tube

 

[jz0309]

US is such A miserable country when adopting Contactless payments. Coles and Woolworths in Australia have more contactless payment self-checkouts than cash-out ones, and based on my observation, only people from China still embraces cash payment rather than card because merchant would not need to charge them credit card surcharge.

yes, US could adopt faster but it's getting there, slowly. I still see occasionally people paying by check at the grocery store ... and then about 3 months or so ago, when I brought 1 of our vehicles in for service, the CC machine still had dial-up ,I could actually hear it LOL.
But really visit Germany, that country is stuck in the 20th century when it comes to payments, most places don't even take CC

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

yes, US could adopt faster but it's getting there, slowly. I still see occasionally people paying by check at the grocery store ... and then about 3 months or so ago, when I brought 1 of our vehicles in for service, the CC machine still had dial-up ,I could actually hear it LOL.
But really visit Germany, that country is stuck in the 20th century when it comes to payments, most places don't even take CC

Wow, paying by cheque in the UK in shops has been gone for many years, they were refusing to accept this a decade ago to my knowledge. Interesting things like this and swiping cards on pay terminals is still done in the US though.

I visit Germany quite a lot with my job and haven’t had issues there with payments I must admit. Maybe it depends what part you go to?

 

[geta]

that's why cash is the king. And as long as they don't kill it, that's the only option.

 

[eyoungren]

that's why cash is the king. And as long as they don't kill it, that's the only option.

Yes, it is the rare store in the US that will not accept cash. Even self-checkouts at your major stores accept cash.

 

[taliz]

I haven't used cash or even carried a wallet or used cards for years.
100% Apple Pay with my iPhone XR. Granted I live in a country where no one uses cash anymore.
When I had a Tesla the phone worked as the car key too. Love not having to carry around a bunch of useless stuff.

 

[pommephone]

I use Apple Pay all the time but I do think Apple could be clearer the first time you set it up, and include a screen of instructions. Do you remember the days when things came with an instruction book (I'm showing my age now). Now you're just supposed to work it out yourself, or ask strangers for help on the internet (assuming you even know about Reddit, macrumors and the rest), or download a manual, which they don't tell you about either.

I'm sure there's plenty of information available about how to use ApplePay, including this page from Apple. I've had all my cards in my iPhone XS wallet for a few years, but I never got the hang of it and returned to using physical cards. This thread motivated me to give it another try. Yesterday, I double-clicked my iPhone 15 Pro at the grocery store, selected the card, held the phone near the reader, and bingo. Easy Peasy. And while wearing a mask!

 

[BaggieBoy]

Use Apple Pay on the iPhone all the time, I still carry the cards but getting the right card of the wallet is too much of a hassle.

Rarely use it on the Watch, in fact using on London Transport is very hard as I wear my watch on my left wrist but TfL readers are on the right side of the barriers.

 

[PegasusTenma]

Use Apple Pay on the iPhone all the time, I still carry the cards but getting the right card of the wallet is too much of a hassle.

Rarely use it on the Watch, in fact using on London Transport is very hard as I wear my watch on my left wrist but TfL readers are on the right side of the barriers.

I use the watch for the tube with Express pay always, you don’t even have to double tap to open the wallet. I also use it on my left arm but have no issue crossing my arm to tap in.

 

[Five_Oh]

And what I said earlier about Apple itself not supporting Apple Pay? That wasn't a joke. You can't use Apple Pay at an Apple store. The staff are not set up to support it. All their equipment handles credit and debit card swipes.

Interesting. Apple store in my city does accept Apple Pay.

 

[Five_Oh]

Walmart Pay, which involves unlocking the phone, opening the Walmart app and then tapping on two buttons to get to Walmart Pay and then scanning a QR code is 'hugely less convenient' than actually using a credit/debit card.

Something that may help a little here is long pressing the Walmart app icon. That immediately takes you to the submenu where you can select Walmart pay directly. I find this easier that navigating through the app itself.

(Only thing good about Walmart pay is it keeps historical receipts).

 

[eyoungren]

Something that may help a little here is long pressing the Walmart app icon. That immediately takes you to the submenu where you can select Walmart pay directly. I find this easier that navigating through the app itself.

(Only thing good about Walmart pay is it keeps historical receipts).

Thanks for that. I didn't realize I could long press the app. Primarily I just use my card at Walmart though. Just easier than going through the routine of the app.

In regards to receipts, I see receipts in the app every time I pay with my card so not really sure what the advantage of Walmart Pay is for that. Except if receipts from my card eventually drop off? I've really only ever been concerned with current or recent receipts.

 

[eyoungren]

Interesting. Apple store in my city does accept Apple Pay.

The Apple store at Arrowhead Towne Center (7700 W Arrowhead Towne Center, Glendale, AZ 85308) on Bell Road in Glendale, Arizona does not. Although the last time I tried was May 2022 so it could have changed.

Yeah, I'm calling them out. It's a garbage store where I've encountered most of my problems with Apple since 2015.

 

[saber32au]

Mate, in the UK we pay even the bus with the Apple Watch.

Very true. Was in the UK for a month earlier this year; never bothered withdrawing any cash (especially given I traveled to Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. Trying to use a N.I or Scottish banknote outside of N.I / Scotland respectively can be a right pain at times!).

Far far easier to pay using contactless (either via phone or card).

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

Very true. Was in the UK for a month earlier this year; never bothered withdrawing any cash (especially given I traveled to Northern Ireland, Scotland and England. Trying to use a N.I or Scottish banknote outside of N.I / Scotland respectively can be a right pain at times!).

Far far easier to pay using contactless (either via phone or card).

A lot of vendors outside of Scotland/Northern Ireland refuse their notes due to unfamiliarity of them and the risk of them being counterfeit. That was the policy back in the 90’s when I was a teen working in shops. They are legal tender, but businesses have the right to refuse them.

Yeah contactless is king here and I pay for most things with my Apple Watch. We do have a system here though where card readers all use the same software for transactions unlike in some other countries. Our banks agreed on this as a collective and it’s made the transition to contactless easier and sooner. I’ve been paying with my Apple Watch since 2016 and it works virtually everywhere.

 

[christlinah]

ApplePay (and digital IDs) made having and especially carrying a wallet completely obsolete for me. So no, absolutely disagree with you, OP.