Apple Pay Used on 16% of Active iPhones Worldwide, Widespread Adoption Still Expected in 3-5 Years

[ArtOfWarfare]

My transactions in the last month:
Bought gas 3 times from two different places - neither accepts Apple Pay (although I wish they did - a skimmer stole my CC number at a gas station last year.)
Bought a meal at 7 different restaurants - none of them take Apple Pay.
Bought some groceries (my wife normally does grocery shopping). The store takes Apple Pay. Normally it works fine, but this most recent time there was a hiccup. I said it was Credit (because I haven't used debit since high school), but then tried using that new Apple Pay Cash account instead. Turns out that's a Debit account. So had to retry that transaction.

I'd love it if I could have used Apple Pay every time, but contrary to what these reports say, you can hardly use it anywhere. Besides that grocery store, the two most common merchants I go to are Walmart and Target - neither accepts it.

 

[skinned66]

Apple Pay is a home run IMO. It is my default payment method and has been since my bank signed on. My cards stay in my wallet except for the odd time merchants don't have TTP enabled. And all at no additional cost to us.
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There are very few places that I personally shop at, here in the UK, that don't support it. And it's pretty flawless.

The other week I forgot my wallet for the first time in many years, and didn't realise until I got to the checkout. Not an issue thanks to Apple Pay. Very very handy.

I just wish more of my bank cards would support it.

Same here in Canada in my experience. When I hit my neighbourhood grocer I don't even take my wallet with me. It's great.

 

[Daum]

The only thing I don't like is figuring to whether the establishment accepts Apply Pay. Now that I have a Note 8, I more confident that it will work at most places. Even the employees be like "Oh sorry no Apple Pay" and once the payment goes through I'll just reply with "It's Samsung Pay"

 

[SupaDav03]

I’ve been using Apple Pay daily for quite some time. Gas, lunch, groceries, vending machines at work, via apps & websites for online shopping. Love that NFC payments are gaining support at more & more merchant. Still a few big holdouts but have seen a good bit of progress since Apple Pay was first released. Apple Pay Cash has been a nice upgrade. Used it several times already with friends/family. Still think Apple has a ways to go though. This is anecdotal, but of the 12 people in my family (parents, in-laws, siblings, wife) only 1 outside of me uses Apple Pay regularly. A few don’t use it at all. Feel Apple needs to advertise this feature more and explain the benefits. Don’t know if I have seen a commercial strictly focusing on Apple Pay since launch.

 

[Rigby]

Given the image used in this post, I for one have been using it a lot this year since Chase Freedom is giving 5% cashback on Apple Pay (and other mobile payment services) this quarter.

Same here. I have almost maxed out the $1500 limit for the quarter already.

But for real, I wish more stores accepted Apple Pay. I’d use it all the time — it’s so much easier.

I'm using it a lot more since Safeway (big grocery chain here in CA) started accepting it. It also often works in unexpected places (like our company restaurant and small kiosks and convenience stores). I can even withdraw cash from my bank's ATMs using Apple Pay. I wish it was widely accepted at gas station pumps, since that's where skimming is most common ...

 

[ghostface147]

You handpicked a selection from the CurrentC failed project as an example? For every Walmart and Target there's about a dozen competitors who do. Kroger doesn't? Who cares? Whole foods on the high end and Safeway on the downmarket do. CVS is IN Target so I'm not surprised they are still trying to avoid it, but RiteAid and Walgreens are right across/down the street in most cases and take it (not to mention CVS is a dump by comparison). At this point the majority of major retailers aren't trying to force people into their dopey apps for the purposes of making purchases because it's annoying.

In fact, people who aren't overly concerned about that absolute lowest price don't care at all. They just want to shop without it being a huge ordeal, get to a checkout that has someone actually there (or a self-check that isn't always down), and get out of there at a reasonable price that doesn't necessarily have to be as low as Walmart. I don't know ONE person in my life who says "you know, I'm really glad I went to Walmart because it was a pleasure to shop there."

Those retailers that CurrentC failed are major retailers that a large majority of consumers shop at. We don't have a Safeway here in Houston, but our local state grocery retailer HEB doesn't support any NFC payment. A lot of people don't shop at the rip-off that is Whole Foods. CVS does suck.

 

[elmalvado]

I've basically forgotten the PIN for my debit card thanks to Apple Pay.

I evangelize the mess out of Apple Pay, now that Apple Pay cash is out I’m teaching moms everywhere how To get cash to their kids immediately in an emergency.
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I’ve been using Apple Pay daily for quite some time. Gas, lunch, groceries, vending machines at work, via apps & websites for online shopping. Love that NFC payments are gaining support at more & more merchant. Still a few big holdouts but have seen a good bit of progress since Apple Pay was first released. Apple Pay Cash has been a nice upgrade. Used it several times already with friends/family. Still think Apple has a ways to go though. This is anecdotal, but of the 12 people in my family (parents, in-laws, siblings, wife) only 1 outside of me uses Apple Pay regularly. A few don’t use it at all. Feel Apple needs to advertise this feature more and explain the benefits. Don’t know if I have seen a commercial strictly focusing on Apple Pay since launch.

It’s hard. The older generation is very skeptical of digital payments, all while they’ll gladly hand their actual physical card to anyone ever without thinking about it.

 

[OllyW]

I can't as I want to buy stuff that's over £30 in the UK

You can now in a lot of places.

Apple Pay UK Retailers that allow transactions over £30

 

[dontwalkhand]

Indeed.

Apple or Google pay won't work in the vast majority of places, even things like normal car parks in the UK.
So I need to always take my wallet anyway for cash, and in there is my credit card, which I just simply use all the time.

Cards don't even replace cash yet, despite so many many years, god knows how long before mobile payments can be relied upon as you only means of payment without the fear of getting stuck.
If you have a fixed routine, and know the stores you visit each day and know they take mobile payments then great.
But that's not reality

In the US cards have pretty much replaced cash. A few restaurants like Tender Greens are card only and have contactless!
[doublepost=1519312765][/doublepost]The good news is that Shell stations turned on Apple Pay a few days ago (inside and for those that have it at the pump as well). Though at the pump, Shell is going for “Chase Pay”...why accept Apple Pay inside and only Chase Pay outside??

But that being said I have all the payment apps installed and find I can pay with my phone at about 85% of the time. I live in Arizona by the way, and most days I don’t even have to touch my wallet.

I have Apple, Walmart, CVS, Target, Chase and LevelUp installed & set up. Walmart and Target Pay I can deal with as they’re big box stores with their own rewards programs if you use the apps to pay. AS long as most places don’t start making their own apps we are good.

Also most mom and pop stores have Apple Pay, in certain cases you have to “train” the cashier it it’s well worth it to do if you’re a regular at that store. I am and they know to turn the terminal towards me when I walk in lol! I have Apple Pay stickers I kept in my car, and have them stick it up when I Let mom and pop businesses know, and they happily do it.

 

[gsmornot]

Some/many people are just not ready for a change. My father-in-law will not text because it just seems too difficult. He would rather email as if that is easier somehow. Exxon is not always the cheapest gas but they do offer ApplePay with remote pump activation so I use that when I travel and since I have my credit card has not been stolen. Prior, I was swapping it about 6-9 months.

Stores in general want to track and to do so they want a transaction with a name attached or a loyalty card. If they allow you pay with a phone you may stop providing as much data. Walgreens has it right, I use Wallet to keep my loyalty card and follow that with a payment. Easy, I get points, and I pay all without my physical card and do it all with just my watch. Great for the beach.

 

[tmiw]

Widespread use....yeah ok. Some businesses still don’t have the chip activated on their terminals. Walmart doesn’t take Apple Pay nor does Target (but does accept it in their app). CVS doesn’t either. Kroger’s doesn’t accept it. It’s going to be a niche market for a very long time.

I don't think that the US will ever have full NFC adoption for various reasons but it's hard to deny that acceptance has gotten better. Even a year ago it'd have been difficult to max out the $1500 on my Chase Freedom using Apple Pay as mentioned above. Now? I was able to with no problem.

It's not out the realm of possibility that outside of restaurants and a few major retailers, one would be able to use it for the vast majority of purchases within 5-10 years at most. (I think restaurants will go with some other solution, possibly something app-based, since Americans supposedly hate pay at the table. As for the holdout retailers, well...)

 

[KazKam]

I've tried it a few times and wasn't overly impressed with the process. It still feels a little fiddly to me. Granted, that could be because I don't use it enough. But I don't use it enough because there aren't enough places for me to use it for it to become convenient or a habit.

Having one payment method that works everywhere is essential for me to want to use it. Until it gets much wider adoption at retail points of sale I'll be sticking with cash and credit.

 

[SoundJudgment]

I have never used it. It seems like too many steps. It’s still easier to just pull out the credit or debit card.

Push-button twice...hold up to terminal-face. **Ding!** Yeah, that's a lot of steps.

 

[justiny]

I have never used it. It seems like too many steps. It’s still easier to just pull out the credit or debit card.

To only have to swipe the card, yes it is easier. Having to use the PITA chip readers, however, Apple Pay is light years faster and easier.

 

[Westside guy]

I love using Apple Pay with my Apple Watch. I just wish they'd implement it at the places I shop more frequently - like my local grocery store - and at our local fast food drive-throughs (seriously, why do these places have it in store but not at the drive-through window?).

 

[Heineken]

I’ve been using Apple Pay daily for quite some time. Gas, lunch, groceries, vending machines at work, via apps & websites for online shopping. Love that NFC payments are gaining support at more & more merchant. Still a few big holdouts but have seen a good bit of progress since Apple Pay was first released. Apple Pay Cash has been a nice upgrade. Used it several times already with friends/family. Still think Apple has a ways to go though. This is anecdotal, but of the 12 people in my family (parents, in-laws, siblings, wife) only 1 outside of me uses Apple Pay regularly. A few don’t use it at all. Feel Apple needs to advertise this feature more and explain the benefits. Don’t know if I have seen a commercial strictly focusing on Apple Pay since launch.

Some people just don't care and are oblivious when it comes to tech or certain other things. I see it all the time.

 

[triton100]

There are very few places that I personally shop at, here in the UK, that don't support it. And it's pretty flawless.

The other week I forgot my wallet for the first time in many years, and didn't realise until I got to the checkout. Not an issue thanks to Apple Pay. Very very handy.

I just wish more of my bank cards would support it.

Really? The only places I find in the uk are some petrol stations and supermarkets but that’s it. Barely any restaurants take it. Neither high end or middle tier. Smaller shops don’t. Parking doesn’t. In the uk it is very hit and miss which is why I am forced to always bring out my wallet with me. And of course you can’t give the many homeless people in london any money with Apple Pay. So you have to bring coins too.

 

[friednoodles]

Push-button twice...hold up to terminal-face. **Ding!** Yeah, that's a lot of steps.

And you don't even have to do anything first, you can just bring the phone near the terminal without pressing any buttons and Apple Pay will automatically activate.

 

[agsystems]

I evangelize the mess out of Apple Pay, now that Apple Pay cash is out I’m teaching moms everywhere how To get cash to their kids immediately in an emergency.
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^^^too bad I show them - now they hit me up with money when they are running errands

 

[Corsig]

I use Apple Pay daily on my phone whereever it’s accepted. It’s so much easier and quicker than pulling out my cards. Instant and less hassle is always ok in my book

 

[djlythium]

Love AP, and like to hear about increasing adoption. With the watch, it’s so easy.

 

[elmalvado]

Love AP, and like to hear about increasing adoption. With the watch, it’s so easy.

Most folks don’t know about it at all, it’s up to us superusers to preach it.

 

[nburwell]

I didn't start using Apple Pay until late last year. The only time I use it is when my wife and I go grocery shopping. I do like not having to bring my wallet with me. I'm sure I will continue to use it more frequently as more retailers I shop at support Apple Pay.

 

[Norwegian_Imposter]

Still no Apple pay in Norway

 

[dontwalkhand]

And you don't even have to do anything first, you can just bring the phone near the terminal without pressing any buttons and Apple Pay will automatically activate.

Only good if you have one card. I have 6. Also on iPhone X because of Face ID, it’s a lot easier to double click the button first and preempt the card. Otherwise it’s hold, bring up, hold again.
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To only have to swipe the card, yes it is easier. Having to use the PITA chip readers, however, Apple Pay is light years faster and easier.

They did speed up a lot of chip readers. Anything is better than swiping static information to be stolen. Apple Pay is where it’s at.
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I love using Apple Pay with my Apple Watch. I just wish they'd implement it at the places I shop more frequently - like my local grocery store - and at our local fast food drive-throughs (seriously, why do these places have it in store but not at the drive-through window?).

They do have them in the drive through. A lot of them are not trained on handing the card reader out the window (in the US). In other countries with drive through it is normal for them to hand the card reader out the window.
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Really? The only places I find in the uk are some petrol stations and supermarkets but that’s it. Barely any restaurants take it. Neither high end or middle tier. Smaller shops don’t. Parking doesn’t. In the uk it is very hit and miss which is why I am forced to always bring out my wallet with me. And of course you can’t give the many homeless people in london any money with Apple Pay. So you have to bring coins too.

I’m speaking from a US standpoint but you use it anywhere that takes contactless, eg, PayPass/payWave. Which should cover a lot of those mom and pops.