It is rumored that in 2010, USR CEO Kenneth Weiss visited Apple's office. He came there not empty-handed, but with a ready-made development of secure contactless payments. The idea was presented to the Board of Directors of Apple and Visa. Alas, the matter did not move beyond the presentation…
But Apple would not be Apple if it denied itself the introduction of another mechanism that would allow the company's adherents to spend their hard-earned money. Therefore, the company decided that, secretly from Weiss, they would create this system and would not pay him for patent agreements. Thus, according to Kenneth Weiss himself, contactless payment technology, Apple Pay, was born. As you already understood, this article will focus on this technology. We figure out how to pay with Apple Pay in stores and the metro, which banks the system works with and how safe it is to use.
System Requirements
Contactless payment technology, as in the case of bank cards, only works with an NFC chip. Therefore, you will need an iPhone 2014 or newer to pay, as only these models have the necessary technical equipment. Suitable if you have an Apple WatchiPhone 2012 and newer.
Apple Pay-enabled iPhones:
- iPhone 5 (when connected to Apple Watch);
- iPhone 5S (when connected to Apple Watch);
- iPhone 6 (including Plus version);
- iPhone 6S (including Plus version);
- iPhone SE (first and second generation);
- iPhone 7 (including Plus version).
You can also shop online with Apple Pay:
- Works with any iPad 2013 and newer.
- Any Mac 2011 and newer (when iPhone is connected).
- MacBook Pro with TouchBar.
Before using Apple Pay, make sure you have a working Apple ID account.
Banks that work with Apple Pay
During the period when the technology began to be introduced on the territory of Russia, only one bank worked with Apple - Sberbank. Visa cards didn't work with Apple Pay on iPhone either. A month later, all restrictions were lifted, and other banks joined Apple. Now Apple Pay on iPhone is supported by all popular institutions, including Rocketbank, Tinkoff Bank, Alfa-Bank and others.
How to connect?
To get started with Apple Pay, you need to add your credit or debit card to the Wallet app (Apple Pay section). What cards can be added? It must be supported by the bank. It must support PayPass or PayWave technology. Initially, it was possible to use only cardsMasterCard, but over time this restriction was abolished, but there are some banks that still prohibit attaching Visa plastic to Apple Pay.
If the card is suitable, then go straight to adding it to Wallet and enabling contactless payments:
- Open the Wallet program and click on the "Add new card" button.
- In the window that appears, enter your bank card details (if you plan to use a card already used in iTunes, it will be enough to enter your iCloud password).
- After clicking the "Next" button, the bank will start checking your plastic.
- Once your card has been verified, you can start using Apple Pay.
On MacBook computers with TouchBar, the setup process is similar. The Wallet menu is located in the system settings.
How do I pay with Apple Pay in stores and subways?
So we have the right smartphone. We've added a credit card to Wallet. It's time to pay. Before paying in a store, make sure that the terminal supports contactless payments - they are usually marked with a company logo or a PayPass icon. If a suitable terminal is found, then put your finger on the Touch ID of your iPhone, and keep your smartphone near the terminal - two to three centimeters. Payment will occur automatically and the phone can be removed as soon as confirmation of the payment appears on the screen.
How to pay with Apple Pay on the subway? This issue is especially relevant in July, when the fare on the MCC, paid withusing Apple Pay, there is a 50% discount. To pay for a ride on the subway, you need to hold your finger on the Touch ID sensor and lean your smartphone against a suitable terminal (usually it is located to the right of all the others). If you manage to buy a ticket during the promotion, then in a few minutes half of the amount spent will be returned to your account.
To activate Apple Pay on Apple Watch, double-click the button located on the side of the case. After that, you need to turn the watch over with the screen facing the terminal and hold it until you feel a slight vibration.
How do I pay with Apple Pay online?
Apple, unlike Google and Samsung, decided not to limit itself to just imitating a bank card, but went further by introducing functions into websites and applications. To buy something online or in an app using Apple Pay, you need to find the corresponding button - usually it has the Apple Pay logo and nothing else. Immediately after clicking, the program will prompt you to enter an address for billing and delivery of goods (you need to enter it once, and Wallet will remember this data). At the end, you need to confirm the payment by placing your finger on the Touch ID sensor.
How to pay with Apple Pay on iPhone and Mac on websites? Actually, exactly the same. You need to find the button with the Apple Pay logo, click on it, enter your details and confirm the payment. In the case of a phone and tablet, this is done using the Touch ID sensor. For a Mac, you'll need to place your finger on the fingerprint scanner on the nearest iPhone connected to your computer.
Safety
Apple is famous for its attention to information security. The company's operating systems are protected like no other in the world. Naturally, when launching its own contactless payment system, Apple could not ignore such an aspect of its work as security.
Your payments are protected on three levels at once:
- The first level is the operating system. Your card details saved in Wallet are secure within iOS. The system cannot be hacked remotely, and if you lose your smartphone, you can activate the Find My iPhone function and erase all data from the phone, even if it is already turned off.
- Second level - Touch ID. Every payment made with Apple Pay is verified with a fingerprint sensor. This means you don't have to be afraid of 21st century pickpockets walking around with portable payment terminals.
- The third level is tokenization. When paying in a store, the terminal or application does not receive your card data, but a generated set of numbers (token), in which the command is encrypted to confirm the payment by the bank. Your credit card details will remain permanently on iPhone and will not be shared with third parties.
Errors when connecting and paying
Many owners of smartphones from Apple faced problems with the payment system. The terminals simply do not respond to their phones in any way. What could be the problem and how to use Apple Pay if the terminal refuses to accept payment?
- The first thing to pay attention toattention, region. Check to see if Apple Pay works in your area.
- If so, please try updating your software to the latest version. To do this, go to "Settings - General - Software Update".
- If this fails, then try deleting the card, to do this, go to "Settings - Wallet", find the non-working card and delete it. Then add again accordingly.
- You can solve the problem with the region by changing it in the smartphone settings. Some users managed to cheat the system by changing their region of residence to the UK.
- If none of the above helped, then there is only one option left - going to a service center. Your device may have a broken NFC chip.
Impressions and reviews
The launch of Apple Pay in Russia was accompanied by a great response. People across the country have started uploading videos of themselves buying food in supermarkets using the new technology and paying for gas stations. The payment system made a vivid impression on the population of the country, as it worked flawlessly in 9 cases out of 10. Only some sellers were dissatisfied, who took phone manipulations for a new type of fraud.
Paying the bill at a restaurant or entering the subway using a watch is not only convenient, but also interesting. The new experience that Apple Pay gives is reminiscent of some kind of fantasy novel, where bracelets turned into some kind of multi-passport combined with a wallet. Most importantly, paying with Apple Pay very quickly entershabit. Something similar has already happened with Touch ID, life without which is no longer possible.
Promotions, discounts, new features
It would be blasphemy on Apple's part to leave such a promising and popular technology without development. And they didn't leave. Interest in paying with Apple Pay is fueled in every possible way with the help of various promotions, discounts and special offers. Those who just added a card to their wallet were faced with unprecedented generosity and could get a free movie ticket or a juicy hamburger at a popular cafe. Those who did not have time can now ride the MCC with a 50% discount. This is not the end. Apple really wants you to pay using their smartphones, which means they will not leave partners alone for a long time, redeeming special offers from them for their users.
Great attention is paid to the development of the functional component of Apple Pay. So, in iOS 11 it will be possible to send money to other users. Each iPhone owner will receive a virtual account that will work in parallel with real bank cards. It is to this account that you can send money using iMessage.
Instead of a conclusion
What do we have in the bottom line? In fact, all of the above can be described in one word - the future. More and more aspects of our everyday life are realized through smartphones. Now our wallet has been added to them. Your phone was a great player and camera, and now it has turned into the most reliablea wallet in the world from which it is impossible to steal money. Perhaps that says it all, and there is not a single reason to deny yourself the opportunity to try out new technology in practice today.
