Apple Watch purely for ApplePay in store purchases?

[mattspace]

With rumours of iPhone SE models dropping TouchID, options for immunosuppressed people to make in-store purchases, while remaining masked, and wearing (sun)glasses are seemingly constrained. What was previously a case of:

1. reach into pocket and grab phone, where your thumb naturally falls on the home button.
2. move phone directly to the reader, and wait for the beep / haptic vibration.
3. put phone back in pocket.

...as easy as using an NFC Debit / Credit card, but without spending limits, and biometrically secure, is now less simple, and less secure.

I have a vague understanding that an Apple watch can be used to do purchases, but I've never had an interest in owning one, so have no real understanding of the user-experience.

Does it need to have its own cellular connection, or does it require you to have your iPhone on your person to ride its internet connection, if you have a GPS(and wifi?)-only model.

 

[jz0309]

With rumours of iPhone SE models dropping TouchID, options for immunosuppressed people to make in-store purchases, while remaining masked, and wearing (sun)glasses are seemingly constrained. What was previously a case of:

1. reach into pocket and grab phone, where your thumb naturally falls on the home button.
2. move phone directly to the reader, and wait for the beep / haptic vibration.
3. put phone back in pocket.

...as easy as using an NFC Debit / Credit card, but without spending limits, and biometrically secure, is now less simple, and less secure.

I have a vague understanding that an Apple watch can be used to do purchases, but I've never had an interest in owning one, so have no real understanding of the user-experience.

Does it need to have its own cellular connection, or does it require you to have your iPhone on your person to ride its internet connection, if you have a GPS(and wifi?)-only model.

Apple Pay on AW works without cellular as well as without the phone in proximity.

 

[the future]

Does it need to have its own cellular connection, or does it require you to have your iPhone on your person to ride its internet connection, if you have a GPS(and wifi?)-only model.

Answer to both questions is No. If your credit card is saved in the Watch‘s wallet, the transaction is facilitated via NFC. Double click on the side button and holding the Watch near the payment terminal is all that is required.

 

[mattspace]

Thanks folks, potentially thats a lifeboat for folks who are being left behind by losing TouchID.

Is the biometrics tagged to your wrist itself, or does it need to do a kind of 2FA with FaceID/ TouchID via another iOS device for each time you put it on to authorise that wear session?

 

[jz0309]

You have to either enter the passcode or authenticate via iPhone when you put the watch on your wrist. Authentication via phone is basically unlocking your phone.
See below

Set up Apple Pay on Apple Watch

Set up your Apple Watch to make purchases using Apple Pay.

support.apple.com

 

[mattspace]

You have to either enter the passcode or authenticate via iPhone when you put the watch on your wrist.

Is that entering the passcode on the watch itself? And then it stays authenticated for that wear session?

 

[Howard2k]

You can use FaceID with a mask.

 

[jz0309]

Is that entering the passcode on the watch itself? And then it stays authenticated for that wear session?

Yes and yes. There is a “wrist detection” setting that needs to be enabled for Apple Pay, you just have to have your band “snug” on the wrist…
I always use my phone to unlock the watch, far more convenient. I enter my passcode on the watch maybe a couple/few times a year.

 

[Beefbowl]

Is that entering the passcode on the watch itself? And then it stays authenticated for that wear session?

Right, you don't need to authenticate until it leaves your wrist again. You can authenticate either with the passcode or by unlocking your iPhone while wearing it.

The only drawback I've found to AW Apple Pay is that sometimes you have to hold your arm at very odd angles to reach the pay terminal

 

[ignatius345]

Apple Watch is excellent for this. I use it to pay for the subway all the time, now that OMNY contactless payments have rolled out across all the turnstiles in the system. It's very slick.

The only drawback I've found to AW Apple Pay is that sometimes you have to hold your arm at very odd angles to reach the pay terminal

Being right-handed, I keep my watch on the left and all the NFC sensors on the subway are on the right side. So as you say I'm putting my arm awkwardly across to make it work 🤣 Very much first-world problem, though, and on the whole a hell of a lot easier than digging out my old MetroCard and hoping the swipe works on the first try...

 

[mattspace]

You can use FaceID with a mask.

Not with sunglasses, and a hat. At least, my iPad Pro can't, and if you have to drop the security level down, there's a real risk your financial providers will refuse to allow account access.

 

[Howard2k]

But you can take off the sunglasses and hat right?

At some point you need to expect that you have to make your own accommodations too. If FaceID uses your face it needs to be able to see significant parts of it.

It does "double-team" with the watch though, so if you use the watch and the phone it's more tolerant:

Unlock your iPhone with Apple Watch when you're wearing a face mask or sunglasses - Apple Support (CA)

When you're wearing a mask or sunglasses and your Apple Watch, you can simply raise and glance at your iPhone to unlock it. Learn how to set up and use the feature.

support.apple.com

Or just pay with the watch, obviously

 

[brofkand]

iPhone SE 3rd generation will remain available, if not from Apple certainly from prepaid carriers etc, for quite some time. Plus the resale market.

Android phones still commonly use fingerprint authentication as well.

 

[jz0309]

Not with sunglasses, and a hat. At least, my iPad Pro can't, and if you have to drop the security level down, there's a real risk your financial providers will refuse to allow account access.

I don’t want to start an argument re faceid, so for me faceid works fine with my prescription sunglasses as well as with my transition regular glasses. YMMV

 

[mattspace]

I don’t want to start an argument re faceid, so for me faceid works fine with my prescription sunglasses as well as with my transition regular glasses. YMMV

Well, Apple are clear that it's not designed to work with Sunglasses while wearing a mask, which is my use case, so it's a no for me. 🤷‍♂️

 

[mattspace]

But you can take off the sunglasses and hat right?

I'm not going to take off my glasses and hat every time I want to pay for something, or unlock a phone in public, when I may be using my hands to hold the thing I'm paying for.

Or just pay with the watch, obviously

That's the lifeboat.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Thanks folks, potentially thats a lifeboat for folks who are being left behind by losing TouchID.

Is the biometrics tagged to your wrist itself, or does it need to do a kind of 2FA with FaceID/ TouchID via another iOS device for each time you put it on to authorise that wear session?

Watch is tied and tethered to your iPhone on almost every level and Watch won't work without it.

In many ways, it feels like a very simplified extension of your iPhone.

The only thing that can give Watch a little independence is when using it with a cellular plan (it's still tied to your iPhone).

However, Apple Pay is an exception to this:

Even without a cellular plan, without a Cellular Watch model, or if your iPhone is completely out of range, Watch will still let you pay using Apple Pay.

All that is need is for the store to have a tap-to-pay "contactless" payment terminal (which I guess is the standard these days?).

I believe you can even use Apple Pay if your iPhone is turned off.

Another way to think of it is that Apple Pay on Watch turns Watch into a sort of "virtual" copy of one or more of your debit/credit cards using the built-in NFC chip. You've already authenticated everything on your iPhone and when you typed in your pin to unlock your Watch. So you're free to make payments with it until it powers off or you remove it from your wrist (you then need to put it back on and unlock it with your pin again).

For someone who can't use Face ID for Apple pay, Watch would seem like the obvious solution.: Contactless and no need to take off your face mask.

With that in mind, I think you should go for the cheapest one you can find if it's just for Apple Pay. The NFC chip is the same on all of them so there's no need to get anything more than an SE 2 or Series 7 (or even older if you want to).

 

[CrapShack]

Apple Pay on Apple Watch is the best invention of my lifetime. I use nothing but. You don't have to have your phone with you when you use it. Just click-click BOOP. I have spent multi-week vacations abroad and used nothing but my Apple Watch to pay for everything. Especially amazing for transit situations.

 

[brofkand]

You don’t have to take off your mask to use your physical credit card either.

 

[Howard2k]

Apple Pay on Apple Watch has no data service dependency. It's like how your VISA card doesn't need to talk to the bank, the VISA terminal analyses your VISA cards and talk to the bank. In this case instead of the terminal analysing the VISA card it analyses the virtual card on the watch.

So Apple Watch with no data connectivity of any kind (cell, wifi, BT) to any device will work for purchases.

(Once setup of course).

 

[Night Spring]

With that in mind, I think you should go for the cheapest one you can find if it's just for Apple Pay. The NFC chip is the same on all of them so there's no need to get anything more than an SE 2 or Series 7 (or even older if you want to).

It does sound like Apple watch is perfect for OP's use case, as far as contactless payments are concerned. But I do think OP should give the other functions of the watch a try, too. I think I could have picked up a lot more healthier activity habits if the watch had been available when I was younger. For those of us with physical challenges, the watch's health-tracking functions can be a great help with optimizing our health.

 

[robertosh]

There is a new crazy thing called cards with “contact less”. It works even with sunglasses!

 

[ennisw]

When I bought the original Apple Watch in 2015, I was using an iPhone 5s. Apple Pay was a cool thing but only available for iPhone 6. So I used my watch for contactless payment.

 

[mattspace]

I don't know if people with the oh so clever "use a card" understand that NFC with a card is different in enough ways that are important, that it's not a substitute. Especially when it's a debit card that's exposing your bank account.

But I'm sure people have witty "hey 75% of a staircase is enough for the wheelchair ramp" bon mots as well.

 

[Trioptre]

I don't know if people with the oh so clever "use a card" understand that NFC with a card is different in enough ways that are important, that it's not a substitute. Especially when it's a debit card that's exposing your bank account.

But I'm sure people have witty "hey 75% of a staircase is enough for the wheelchair ramp" bon mots as well.

NFC authentication is not like a debit card and does not expose your bank account.