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alanjg007
14-07-2015, 10:05 PM
Although one of the big new features of iOS 8 and the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay, the company’s own payments system, was only available in the US. It's now available in the UK, where it will arguably make a bigger impact, as our stores have largely got the contactless payment terminals required by the system. Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Pay, including how to get it, how to use it and any limitations.


What is Apple Pay and how does it work?

Apple Pay is lets you use your iPhone to pay for goods and services. It can be used in-store, provided there are NFC contactless card readers, and for in-app purchases. To fund your purchases, you have to store your existing credit and debit cards in Passbook (soon to be called Wallet in iOS 9), and money is taken out of these accounts. That’s similar to how PayPal works: you can bay for goods using PayPal, but the money is debited from your linked accounts; however, Apple Pay is much more convenient and flexible, as it works in the real-world in a larger number of shops.
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Which devices support Apple Pay

You can use a variety of different devices with Apple Pay although some of them are limited to in-app purchases rather than being used in a physical shop. The table below shows you what you can do with each device.

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Is it safe?

Completely. In fact, it’s arguably safer than using your real credit card. Rather than storing your credit card details, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted and saved in the Secure Element chip in the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. When you make a purchase, your Device Account Number is used in conjunction with a transaction-specific code, so you never reveal your credit card’s full details. This means that your card can’t be cloned or the details noted down by a dodgy shop.

Transactions are also protected by Touch ID, which means that they're made in a secure way. This is a big improvement on normal contactless, where's there's no security at all: anyone with your credit card can make a payment. Using the Apple Watch doesn't require your fingerprint, but the Watch has to be paired to your phone. In other words, if somebody wanted to use your Apple Pay account, they'd have to steal your phone and your Watch and keep them in pairing distance.

In addition, if your phone is lost or stolen, you can use Find My iPhone to turn off Apple Pay, so your phone definitely can’t be used to pay for anything. Even better, you don’t have to cancel your cards, as they can’t be used via Apple Pay.

Do I need a data connection?

As Apple Pay stores a secure transaction token on your phone or Watch, you don't need a data connection to use them. This means that you can use them when you don't have service, such as when you're on the Tube, or when you're abroad without running up a huge roaming bill. It also means that you can take the Apple Watch out on its own and still pay for goods without having to have your phone.



What’s the transaction limit?

While normal contactless payments have a transaction limit of ?20 (rising to ?30 in September 2015), Apple Pay shouldn’t have any limits, as the transactions are more secure and have to be authenticated.

“There is no transaction limit,” Visa explained to us. “This is because the authentication acts similarly to PIN.”

However, the reality is that contactless terminals are set to allow a maximum transaction of ?20. For higher limits to apply, it will require retailers to support Apple Pay and increase the amount that can be spent. That means that most people will encounter a ?20 cap at launch although some stores will increase the limit after launch: Pret is already offering unlimited transactions.

Where can I use Apple Pay?

As we said, it will work with any shop that has a contactless card reader, even those that don’t directly support it, such as Tesco and Sainsbury’s. This is because Apple Pay uses the normal contactless system. Higher limits, as we said above, will need to be supported in-store. Companies that have signed up to Apple Pay include Waitrose, Marks & Spencer, BP, Dune, Boots and Wagamama. You can also use it for contactless payments on the Tube. Apple has said that 250,000 locations in the UK will support Apple Pay, but expect this to grow rapidly.

How do I use Apple Pay?

First, you need to associate at least one card with your Apple Pay account, which can be a debit or credit card. The card's issuer must support Apple Pay. Most UK banks do, although Barclays, Halifax and HSBC will launch later, and Mastercard, Visa and American Express all support it. To use in store, you need a shop that has a contactless card reader (look out for the contactless logo) and a device with an NFC chip in it (iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the Apple Watch). The store must also support the credit card type that you're trying to use: you can't use American Express, for example, in a shop that doesn't normally take it.

How to add a credit card to Apple Pay on an iPhone or iPad

To add a credit card to your iPhone or iPad, you need to launch Passbook (Wallet in iOS 9). Tap the '+' icon next to Apple Pay to add a new card and click next. You can now use your phone's camera to line up the on-screen window with your credit card and the long number and expiry date will be read automatically.

Tap Next to continue and enter your name as it appears on the card, then tap Next. You'll now need to enter your card's security number (the three digits on the back of a Visa/Mastercard, or the four digits on the front of an American Express card). If the camera couldn't read the expiry date, enter it manually. Tap Next and you may be prompted to authenticate your card, either by a code sent to your phone or by calling the card issuer. Once done it will take a few minutes for the card to be activated for use, and you'll be prompted when it's ready.


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You can repeat these steps to add as many cards as you like. To set one as the default, you need to go to Settings -> Passbook & Apple Pay (Wallet & Apple Pay in iOS 9) and tap the Default button. You can now choose which card you want to use as your default payment method.

How to add a card to Apple Pay on the Apple Watch

If you've got an Apple Watch, you have to add them to the Watch. This is because the Apple Watch can be used independently. To add cards open up the Watch app on your phone and then tap Passbook (Wallet in iOS 9). All of the cards that you've added to your phone are listed here, so tap Add next to the ones that you want to add to your Watch. You'll need to enter the card's security number and you may have to go through the same authentication (text message or phone call). If you want to add a card to your Watch only, tap Add Different Credit or Debit Card and then follow the iPhone instructions above.

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How to use Apple Pay in store, iPhone

To use Apple Pay in a shop is easy. If you want to use your default card, hold your finger over the Touch ID sensor (don't click the home button) and hold your iPhone over the contactless terminal. The payment will be authenticated immediately. If you want to use a different card, hold your iPhone up to the reader to bring up the Apple Pay screen. Swipe left and right to choose the card that you want to pay with and then hold your finger over Touch ID (don't click) to pay.

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How to use Apple Pay in store, Watch

Using the Watch to pay in store is really simple. Double Tap the side button (just below the Digital Crown) to bring up your default credit card. If you want to select a different card, just swipe left or right. Finally, just hold your Watch up to the contactless terminal and the transaction will be confirmed.

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How to use Apple Pay in app

If you want to use Apple Pay in a supported app you have to have an iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus or iPad Air 2. When you get through the payment option screen, select Apple Pay. You can choose your credit card from the list (not all are activated for in-app transactions), and you may have to fill out some details the first time you use it (billing address, delivery address, phone number and so on). When everything's ready, just hold your finger up to Touch ID and you're away.

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To change your default card, just tap Default Card and then select the card that you want to use from the list.

berley
15-07-2015, 01:57 AM
Although I haven't used my iphone yet I'm loving the idea of contactless. My santander card is contactless and it's brill to use, however I mostly use my Bank of Scotland card which isn't contactless so this function with iphone 6 will allow me to start using it. I'm now in the process of applying the latest update to my phone and will add and try this out tomorrow.

Forgot to say, because I hadn't never used passbook on my iphone until recently (ryanair boarding passes) I could never rate it, but it's really coming into it's own now :zoom:

berley
15-07-2015, 02:16 AM
Well I'm pissed off with that as Bank of Scotland aren't supporting this until Autumn :(