If you’re an Apple iPhone, Watch or Mac user and you bank with AIB, KBC or Ulster Bank, did you know you can use Apple Pay to pretty much pay for everything in your daily life which requires parting with your hard earned cash? It’s ok if you feel like you need your regular morning Latte Macchiato Lite fix.
One of the main advantages of a digital wallet service is that you just need your phone to pay for items. So if you do pop out at lunchtime to collect your favourite sambo and realise at the last moment that you have forgotten your wallet, you can still pay for your lunch and stave off hunger. Assuming, of course, you haven’t also forgotten your phone, but who does this? Also, if your hands are full and your card is buried in your wallet, your phone is probably easier to grab.
Let’s dive into what Apple Pay really is.
How Does Apple Pay Work?
Woah there you say, Apple pay, what’s this all about? Apple Pay is a mobile payment/digital wallet service introduced by Apple in 2014, initially in the US and a handful of local banks. It allows Apple users to add debit and credit cards to their virtual wallet app. You can then use this virtual wallet to pay for items the same way you would with your debit or credit cards. Of course, you can’t stick your phone in a card machine so Apple Pay works on the same principle that your card’s contactless payments work on. It has since been rolled out across the globe, with many more banks jumping on-board too, including certain Irish banks in 2017. Currently, AIB, Ulster Bank and KBC offer Apple Pay.
How to Use Apple Pay
Setting up Apple Pay is super simple too. Just add your debit or credit card into your wallet app, answer a few security questions and your setup and ready to go. Paying is also nice and easy. When it comes time to pay, point your iPhone or Watch at the terminal and, if you use touch id, verify you’re you with your fingerprint. Alternatively, with the iPhone X, your Face ID is used to authenticate. Apple Watch just requires a double tap of the side button to authenticate the payment. Your previous 10 transactions are held within the Wallet app so you can audit your transactions and feel really bad about all those lunches out you’ve bought.
Where Does Apple Pay Work in Ireland?
Apple Pay is available in most stores that accept contactless payments with more and more being added every week. Some confirmed locations you can use Apple Pay in include:
- SuperValu
- Dunnes Stores
- Aldi
- Lidl
- Boots
- KFC
- M&S
- Insomnia
You can also use Apple Pay when checking out online with sites like Ryanair, easyJet, deliveroo, Booking.com.
How Secure is Apple Pay?
Short answer – super secure. In fact, just like Google Pay, it’s more secure than using your debit or credit card because unlike with these forms of payment, your card details are not stored or transmitted on the terminal held by the vendor. With Apple Pay, Apple uses a unique device code and unique transaction code, so your card details are never stored on your iPhone or Watch. They don’t even go near Apple Servers. When a payment is initiated, these one-time unique numbers are used instead of sharing your card details with the shop or online service.
How Much Does Apple Pay Cost?
Apple also doesn’t charge any extra transaction fees for using Apple Pay, but remember your bank might.
What is Apple Pay Cash?
Irish Apple Pay users will soon have an additional service called Apple Pay Cash. This is a peer-to-peer payment service, or in plain English, a service letting you can send money to other Apple Pay users. This has become increasingly popular in recent years with services like Plynk entering the market.
Apple Pay Cash will make fixing up with your friend for dinner as easy as sending an iMessage. No more embarrassing dramas about splitting restaurant bills or paying for cinema tickets. All you need to do is pop into your text the amount you want to send to your fellow Apple Pay friend and hey presto, it’s transferred to their bank account.
So there you have it. If you’re an iPhone user give it Apple Pay a go. There’s a very real chance that you’ll stop reaching for your debit card to pay for your morning coffee. Just remember, you are still spending real money.
