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Apple Pay
For the last week or so I’ve been using Apple Pay. Never before has something so simple given me so much joy (and made me poor in the process). So I thought that I’d just knock up a quick review to share my experience just in case you’ve held off taking the plunge.
First of all is the set up. Adding a card couldn’t be simpler, you just point your iPhone camera at it. You can do it manually but where’s the fun in that? Once you have registered your card number and its security code there is a little back a forth with your bank while the authorisation process takes place but you’re up and ready to go in no time.
Then there is the actual process of paying for things. I really didn’t know what to expect but I thought that I would just give it a go. So last week I bought a couple of things at my local supermarket and when it came to pay the cashier looked at me and said “paying by card?” and I proceeded to present my phone. A look was exchanged but the very helpful fella embraced the situation and went with it to.
On tapping my phone to the terminal a picture of my registered card appeared with a prompt to present my fingerprint with Touch ID which I happily did. The fingerprint was scanned and then a great big “OK”, I was done.
Then the inevitable discussion about what had just happened. I was the chaps first Apple Pay customer. I think there may have been a call to have me tried for witchcraft but as of now I have not been burnt alive.
Soon after I received a notification on my iPhone confirming the details of the payment and the vendor.
Since then I have using it in many stores. I feel that I may be buying more stuff just so I can use it which hopefully will die down as the novelty wears off.
I only have one criticism which happen to me today as a matter of fact. Many reputable publications have stated that normal contactless card payments are limited to £20 and under for obvious reasons but Apple Pay transactions should not have this limitation as it is more secure and acts in the same way as entering a pin. Unfortunately during a transaction for £20.30 it was obvious that the £20 limit was in place. The issue was that nothing actually happened. Nothing registered on screen and I just looked like a bit on a dunce while the cashier reiterated the financial limits of the service.
But apart from that I love it and will Apple Pay for many things in the future.
I’m not an Apple Watch owner so would love to hear from those of you who have been paying ‘by wrist’ and the experience you had.
Author
Paul Wright