Apple Pay w/Apple Watch

[DotCom2]

I have a series 3 SS 38mm.
Seems like every time lately, when I try Apple Pay from my Watch, it doesn't work.
Is there some special way you are supposed to hold it against the reader?
It used to work fine for me but lately, hardly ever.
My credit card shows up fine on the screen but it never goes through. I just give up so as not to holdup the line. Happened to me just a lil while ago at Walgreen's. Very Frustrating.

 

[waw74]

just hold the screen up to the reader, if your Walgreens has the same payment thing as mine, it's the blue clear plastic part at the top.
Also Walgreens has their rewards card in Apple Pay, is it possible you had that activated?

sometime it's under the screen, sometimes not, I've found it best to hold the screen of your watch over the Apple Pay symbol, (wrist upside down, glass of the watch almost touching the reader)

You Might try re-loading the card to your watch, (in the watch app on the phone)

 

[DotCom2]

just hold the screen up to the reader, if your Walgreens has the same payment thing as mine, it's the blue clear plastic part at the top.
Also Walgreens has their rewards card in Apple Pay, is it possible you had that activated?

sometime it's under the screen, sometimes not, I've found it best to hold the screen of your watch over the Apple Pay symbol, (wrist upside down, glass of the watch almost touching the reader)

You Might try re-loading the card to your watch, (in the watch app on the phone)

Thanks for your reply.
I don't have a Walgreen's card, so that wasn't it.
Does the watch face have to be held exactly horizontal and in the same plane as the reader?
I'm a small person and possibly I have the watch face angled a bit. Would that make a difference? I'm pretty sure it was in the right spot and very close. Wondering if I'm getting the angle correct though, and if that is what's stopping it.
Maybe next time I go I can try different positions if hopefully no one is in line behind me.

 

[BSG75]

Just out of curiosity, did your card issuer clear the card to be used in Apple Pay? I seem to recall that Citi MasterCard needed an additional step, while AMEX just clears the card to be used without any additional steps. It seems like each issuer does things a bit differently, at least in my experience.

 

[DotCom2]

Just out of curiosity, did your card issuer clear the card to be used in Apple Pay? I seem to recall that Citi MasterCard needed an additional step, while AMEX just clears the card to be used without any additional steps. It seems like each issuer does things a bit differently, at least in my experience.

Thank you for your response.
Yes, I have the Citi Visa , not MasterCard, and it was cleared for use and shows up on the watch when I double click the side button. I have used the card before on websites that use ApplePay and it works fine. I am just having trouble with the watch.

 

[MisterSavage]

With some merchants I've noticed you have to tell them you want to pay with Apple Pay. Other places I can just wait until the NFC payments symbol appears and I hold my watch near it. I pay with my watch almost every day.

 

[DotCom2]

With some merchants I've noticed you have to tell them you want to pay with Apple Pay. Other places I can just wait until the NFC payments symbol appears and I hold my watch near it. I pay with my watch almost every day.

Yeah, it was flashing the blue dots showing it was ready to accept but only one blue dot was flashing showing it was ready but it just kept looping and not moving on to the other blue dots showing it had finished.

 

[rugmankc]

Have you tried rebooting and/or removing Apple Pay and setting back up?

 

[DotCom2]

Have you tried rebooting and/or removing Apple Pay and setting back up?

I will try that. Thank you.

 

[Dino F]

I have found that the screen of the watch needs to almost touch the reader for Apple Pay to work.

This was certainly true on my old S0 42mm Space Grey watch and is also true on my current S4 44 Space Black watch....

 

[tgara]

I have found that the screen of the watch needs to almost touch the reader for Apple Pay to work.

This was certainly true on my old S0 42mm Space Grey watch and is also true on my current S4 44 Space Black watch....

I've noticed this as well. I have to activate Apple Pay on my watch first (double click the side button), then rotate my hand so my palm is facing up, and finally move the watch face to within about an inch of a particular spot on the reader (the particular spot depends on the reader). For the places I use Apple Pay regularly (Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Pet Smart, etc.), I've learned where these "hot spots" are on the store's readers.

This is in contrast to using Apple Pay on the phone, which is much more forgiving in terms of placement relative to the reader.

 

[DotCom2]

I've noticed this as well. I have to activate Apple Pay on my watch first (double click the side button), then rotate my hand so my palm is facing up, and finally move the watch face to within about an inch of a particular spot on the reader (the particular spot depends on the reader). For the places I use Apple Pay regularly (Whole Foods, Stop & Shop, Pet Smart, etc.), I've learned where these "hot spots" are on the store's readers.

This is in contrast to using Apple Pay on the phone, which is much more forgiving in terms of placement relative to the reader.

Ahhhh, that's what I think is happening to me! I don't know where the "Sweet Spot" is on the particular Reader I am trying to pay on??? Seems they are all different??? The Kiosk at Costco worked almost instantly, while I had a failed attempt at Walgreen's. This can get frustrating and makes me not even want to try so as not to hold up the line behind me.
And the cashier is of no help cuz they just stand there waiting on me.

 

[tgara]

Ahhhh, that's what I think is happening to me! I don't know where the "Sweet Spot" is on the particular Reader I am trying to pay on??? Seems they are all different??? The Kiosk at Costco worked almost instantly, while I had a failed attempt at Walgreen's. This can get frustrating and makes me not even want to try so as not to hold up the line behind me.
And the cashier is of no help cuz they just stand there waiting on me.

Generally speaking, if the reader has flashing blue lights, you want to bring the watch face close to that. If not, look for the little NFC symbol and move the watch face to that. And when all else fails, move the watch face slowly all around the darn reader and maybe you'll get lucky!

 

[DotCom2]

Generally speaking, if the reader has flashing blue lights, you want to bring the watch face close to that. If not, look for the little NFC symbol and move the watch face to that. And when all else fails, move the watch face slowly all around the darn reader and maybe you'll get lucky!

LOL. GAH...if you only knew how many times I tried that. I'm just gonna have to make a spreadsheet of the Establishment, what kind of reader they have, and where to place the dang watch face for each, and then try to memorize it I guess.

 

[MisterSavage]

LOL. GAH...if you only knew how many times I tried that. I'm just gonna have to make a spreadsheet of the Establishment, what kind of reader they have, and where to place the dang watch face for each, and then try to memorize it I guess.

I think you'd have the most luck going for the center of the display after you've told the cashier you intend to use Apple Pay. That covers me at Trader Joe's, Costco, etc.