Apple Pay credit cards

Apple Pay is a contactless mobile payment and digital wallet system for use in stores, within apps, or on websites when using the Safari browser. It converts a credit or debit card’s chip and PIN into a digital format and stores the information in an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, MacBook Pro or Mac desktop computer.

This allows the Apple device to communicate with contactless point of sale equipment in order to authorise a purchase, adding an extra level of security with either Touch ID (the user touching the device’s screen to enter a previously authenticated fingerprint) or a passcode.

Once your enabled credit card has been added to Apple Pay, you don’t need carry your credit card with you. You can just pay with your mobile device.

The benefits of using it are many, but the following three are perhaps these you would benefit from most in a day-to-day basis:

• Actually using it to pay for things in store and online is very easy and, importantly, fast.
• It is highly secure because, thanks to a technology known as tokenisation, your credit card number is not actually disclosed.
• If you know you will be making purchases at stores that accept Apple Pay, you can leave home without your wallet. Obviously the biggest benefit of that is the reduced likelihood of losing it, but it also means carrying less stuff.

No. It depends who the card issuer is (i.e. which bank or financial institution) and which particular card you have. Some Australian banks were slow to adopt Apple Pay, but it is now widely supported.

To use Apple Pay on your iPhone, you will need to have either an iPhone SE or an iPhone 6 or later model.

• To use Apple Pay with your Apple Watch, you will need to pair your compatible iPhone (iPhone 5 and later) with your Apple Watch.
• To use Apple Pay with your iPad (within apps or on websites in Safari) you will need an iPad mini 3 or later, an iPad Air 2, an iPad Pro or an iPad 5th generation or later.
• To use Apple Pay with your Mac, you will need either a MacBook Pro with Touch ID or a Mac 2012 or later model computer paired with an Apple Pay-enabled iPhone or Apple Watch.

You will need to add Apple Pay to each device on which you want to use it.

There may be slight variations in the set-up procedure depending on the bank issuing the card and your device type or model, but the basic steps are:

• On your mobile device, go to the Wallet app or setting and tap the plus symbol or ‘Add Credit or Debit Card’
• Scan your credit card using the device’s camera, or load your card details manually
• Enter your card’s security code and agree to the Apple Pay terms and conditions
• Depending on the prompt you receive, confirm the process with a verification code sent from your bank by SMS, or by calling your bank using a phone number provided
• Once your card is verified, tap ‘Next’ to start using Apple Pay.

To set up Apple Pay on an Apple Watch, you will need to pair your compatible iPhone (iPhone 5 and later) with your Apple Watch. Then:

• Open your phone’s Watch app
• Go to the My Watch tab
• Tap Wallet & Apple Pay
• Follow the steps required to add a card

Yes. You should be able to load multiple cards (up to eight). You can also select one card as a default card if you wish.

• To pay with an iPhone using your default credit card, simply rest your finger on Touch ID and hold your phone close (within 2.5 cm) to the contactless reader
• To pay with an Apple Watch using your default credit card, double-click the side button and hold your watch close (within 2.5 cm) to the contactless reader
• You may be asked to enter your PIN for payments over $100

As well as in-store payments you can also make purchases within apps on your phone, if you see an Apple Pay button on the screen.

Using an iPad, MacBook Pro or post-2011 Mac computer, you can pay on websites in Safari.

You can use Apple Pay wherever you see the normal contactless payment vector logo. Some stores also display the dedicated Apple Pay logo.

Apple Pay transactions use a specific number allocated to your mobile device, and a one-time transaction code. Your credit card details not stored on your device, or on Apple’s servers, and they are never shared with the merchant, making it not just more convenient but also more secure. Extra security is added by Touch ID, or a passcode when using an Apple Watch.

If you lose your device you can suspend Apple Pay by putting your device in ‘Lost Mode’, instead of having to cancel you card. If you don’t find your device (or if it’s stolen) you can permanently remove the card from the device. You can also phone your bank and ask them to suspend or remove your card from Apply Pay.

You can store your billing and shipping addresses, so that when you make a purchase with Apple Pay on a participating website, you don’t need to enter this information.

Apple says that you will soon be able to add your loyalty and rewards cards to the Apple Pay Wallet.

No. Many credit cards are enabled for Google Pay and for Samsung Pay as well as, or instead of, Apple Pay.