Apple Watch Users Embracing Apple Pay for Everyday Purchases

[anthonylambert]

The watch is great but:
The readers are all wrong. Most people are right handed which means most people have their watch on their left hand. Maybe everyone should start wearing there watch on the right now we have to do something with it?

1. The readers on all buses in London are on the left but placed too high and the wrong angle to easily tap your watch against.
   
2. The readers on the underground are on the right. So you have to almost do a 180 to get to the reader while going through the barrier.
3. Marks and Spencer (shop) has it readers above the counter but below shelves/product. The reader has no gap behind it so there is nowhere to put your hand! Would be ok with a card as it doesn't extend further unlike a hand!
4. No one displays there payment limit - usually £20, but unknown others have higher limits. Puts me off trying to pay if I think it is anywhere near £20 the limit.

All these readers were designed for use with a card which is simpler to "touch" against the display. My wrist will only bend so many ways in the 10 seconds I have to pay without the person behind me starts giving me a hard time and I they think "hey, it one of those di*ks trying to pay with his watch" ;-)

Tony

 

[Ted13]

Problem 1: Finding a place that accepts it
Problem 2: Finding a place that accepts it and it actually works

Whole Foods; Duane Reade (aka Walgreens); Petco -- all of them do accept it, and all of them work just fine, all three are widely available in New York City, and especially at Whole Foods which has huge lines all day long quickly paying with Apple Watch the second after you finish emptying your basket makes things faster and more convenient for everyone.

Yes, there are a few other places that I shop at that don't have support for it yet - Fairway, Zabars, AMC/Loews, Levain Bakery, local restaurants and dry cleaners - but NYC being NYC I'm sure that they will sooner than later.

As far as it working: I am yet to encounter your number 2 -- where wasn't it working when it is supposed to?

 

[Mike MA]

Apple Pay on the watch is very convenient. Unfortunately, not enough retailers accept Apple Pay yet.

Well, at least it was rolled out in your home country at all

 

[BillyTrimble]

Well, you have to use it for something!

I use it for many things. You don't actually own one, do you? Have you actually seen one or tried one? Didn't think so. So how can you condemn it?

 

[Azzin]

The watch is great but:
The readers are all wrong. Most people are right handed which means most people have their watch on their left hand. Maybe everyone should start wearing there watch on the right now we have to do something with it?

1. The readers on all buses in London are on the left but placed too high and the wrong angle to easily tap your watch against.
   
2. The readers on the underground are on the right. So you have to almost do a 180 to get to the reader while going through the barrier.
3. Marks and Spencer (shop) has it readers above the counter but below shelves/product. The reader has no gap behind it so there is nowhere to put your hand! Would be ok with a card as it doesn't extend further unlike a hand!
4. No one displays there payment limit - usually £20, but unknown others have higher limits. Puts me off trying to pay if I think it is anywhere near £20 the limit.

All these readers were designed for use with a card which is simpler to "touch" against the display. My wrist will only bend so many ways in the 10 seconds I have to pay without the person behind me giving me a hard time.

Tony

The current limit for contactless is £20, so if you buy anything under that limit, you'll be fine.

Having said that, the limit is rising to £30 next month apparently, which should give you a bit more breathing space.

AFAIK, the UK AP "Launch Partners" listed on Apples UK website are the ones that have no limits (not 100% certain), plus somebody here knocked up www.whoacceptsapplepay.co.uk ...

 

[Recognition]

I use my watch whenever possible around London, its failed a couple of times at coffee shops only to work again a few days later. i put that down to their contactless terminals not working correctly as the watch worked fine in a different shop immediately afterwards.
I did have a strange experience yesterday before going through the underground ticket barriers, I went to swap my watch but the barrier screen said 'Use one card at a time' i can only imagine my iPhone was too close to the barrier and the barriers nfc was picking up 2 separate signals? I had to use my card. On the way back it the watch worked with no problems and my iPhone was well away from the reader.
Anyone else experience 'card clash' with the iPhone and watch being too close?

 

[vertsix]

It's surely more convenient than using your iPhone, but certainly not a reason to buy an Apple Watch.

 

[sss4r]

Maybe you should be Amish. That's their philosophy. No washing machines, no powered lawn mowers, no cars. No conveniences that would make you become Wall-E.

Interesting, the Amish will enslave animals for their convenience, but they won't enslave a washing machine.

 

[TonyC28]

Whole Foods; Duane Reade (aka Walgreens); Petco -- all of them do accept it, and all of them work just fine, all three are widely available in New York City, and especially at Whole Foods which has huge lines all day long quickly paying with Apple Watch the second after you finish emptying your basket makes things faster and more convenient for everyone.

Yes, there are a few other places that I shop at that don't have support for it yet - Fairway, Zabars, AMC/Loews, Levain Bakery, local restaurants and dry cleaners - but NYC being NYC I'm sure that they will sooner than later.

As far as it working: I am yet to encounter your number 2 -- where wasn't it working when it is supposed to?

Walgreens and McDonalds. To be fair though, most times at Walgreens it works perfectly.

 

[The Game 161]

It's better on the watch I imagine. .using it on your phone you still need to take it out your pocket like with a card..not with the watch it's quicker

 

[BillyTrimble]

Problem 1: Finding a place that accepts it
Problem 2: Finding a place that accepts it and it actually works

I use it at Whole Food, Petco, Walgreens, Subway, and other places. Not once, repeat not once, has it failed. You seem to have problems the vast majority of us don't have. Ask yourself why. I'm really beginning to believe that most of these bashing posts aren't even close to being grounded in reality but are simply made up from some twisted fantasy of hatred. I feel sorry for those of you who do this.

 

[LotusLord]

I actually really like using it, and have no problem using my phone to do it, but there are too few stores supporting it at this time. Walgreens is the only place I go with any frequency that takes it. Target, any of the local grocery chains, Best Buy, Home Depot, Menards, Kohls all do not (at least as of the last 2 weeks) support it.

 

[BillyTrimble]

Walgreens and McDonalds. To be fair though, most times at Walgreens it works perfectly.

Perhaps there is a problem at that particular Walgreens. Did you try it at multiple terminals in that store? Did you ask the manager about the problem. Did anyone else with the watch have the problem. I'm quite sure you'd rather use the issue to complain than actually investigate it.

 

[blairh]

Never bothered setting up Apple Pay on my 6 Plus. Didn't see it as hugely more convenient than removing my CC from my wallet and swiping. AP with the Watch is another story. Love using it.

 

[Recognition]

Living in the UK, I am constantly using my Apple Watch to pay for my travel on the TfL network and also for making small purchases in stores. There have been a few times recently where I leave my Oyster card at home by mistake and Apple Pay 'saves the day' lol

I'm not one to use my debit card very often, I tend to always try to use cash, but Apple Pay on Apple Watch is such a time saver and its one less card to carry in my pocket - which I rarely carried in the first place.

Overall, I believe Apple Pay is the best service Apple has ever brought to the UK

I agree! Commuting to London everyday I can easily make it through a whole day without ever touching any cash! I actually made it through one day using solely my watch! Pretty remarkable I think!

The readers on the underground are on the right. So you have to almost do a 180 to get to the reader while going through the barrier.

Do you mean a 180 with your wrist or your entire body?!
I find it easy enough just to turn my wrist over and across my body to the right hand side in one swift motion!

 

[anthonylambert]

Do you mean a 180 with your wrist or your entire body?!
I find it easy enough just to turn my wrist over and across my body to the right hand side in one swift motion!

I can swap a card to my right hand... Hmmm.... if I reach across my body my arm isn't long enough to reach the reader... so I also have to twist at the same-time - not sure I have the technique nailed yet !

 

[anthonylambert]

Maybe apple should come out with a "Apple Bangle" for the other arm which talks to the Apple Watch... and has another reader in it ;-)

 

[ctdonath]

Hmm.. are we getting more trolls or are they getting better at provoking responses??

Sometimes fans WANT a troll to respond to. Justifies blathering on about something one really enjoys.

 

[Kaibelf]

Apple Pay on the watch is very convenient. Unfortunately, not enough retailers accept Apple Pay yet.

I think it depends on where you live. In my area of Chicago & burbs I can use it at just about everywhere I shop now, including my top 3 grocery chains (Jewel/Heinen's/Whole Foods). I have literally swiped a card once in the past 2 months, and it was at lame Target, but they should be on board soon.

Society is getting lazier and lazier. Too much effort with a wallet eh? Sheesh.

It's not about being lazy, it's about security. If you want someone to get your card number, then be my guest, but don't insult me for taking the initiative and protecting my own money.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Agree AP w/ AW is perfect. But AP on iPhone has saved my bacon @ Walgreens a few times when on a run as I don't have my AW on then, but my iPhone is w/ me. Maybe 2016 will be the year retailers finally come onboard with NFC en masse.

 

[Waxhead138]

Same results for me. I think I've had better luck with the watch than the phone. Every time I use it the cashier and anyone in line near me is like "What did you just do?"

The only issues I've seen aren't exactly failures...but just clunky implementation, let me explain. No fault of Apples I don't think either:

A local higher end grocery store here called Harris Teeter has had NFC implemented for quite some time. Apple Pay works with it pretty well, but not 100% as imagined. For instance at these locations, you hold up the phone, scan your print...but because the POS terminals aren't exactly configured to work with Apple Pay, but with NFC in general...you have to go through an extra step or two. Normally its just pressing the buttons on the terminal like you would when you run debit....verifying the amount of purchase and whether you want cash back, etc. By this point it may even be corrected. It's been a few months since I've tried.

I can see someone knowing how Apple Pay is supposed to work, seeing these extra steps, and getting confused maybe the first time around....but instances like that should be easy to adapt to, especially at places people frequent.

 

[MacDarcy]

I wonder if apple watch owners will be compelled to upgrade next year when they release the new apple watch like they do with their iPhones. Should be interesting what Apple does. If they release an apple watch with a camera and a better battery, I wonder how many will upgrade.

 

[TonyC28]

Perhaps there is a problem at that particular Walgreens. Did you try it at multiple terminals in that store? Did you ask the manager about the problem. Did anyone else with the watch have the problem. I'm quite sure you'd rather use the issue to complain than actually investigate it.

While your defense of Apple is admirable, you're actually helping to make my point and that of many others. I don't want to try multiple terminals. I don't want to wait for the manager to come out. I don't want to investigate it. I want to pay for my stuff quickly and securely. I'm not saying a faulty terminal is the fault of Apple, just that for this to be worth it it has to at least be as quick as swiping my card. I don't have an Apple Watch so my experience has just been with my iPhone.

Edit: I forgot to mention the time it wouldn't work at the Apple Store. That was an awkward moment for the employee.

 

[sulpfiction]

And yet I've never had it fail once. Interesting.

I love Apple pay! Especially on the watch. BUT I have had the embarrassing experience of 2 or 3 failed attempts only to have to pull the actual card out of my wallet. It may not seem like a big deal, but it definitely makes me think twice about using it. Especially in a busy place. It has been way better over the past few weeks it seems, but I wouldn't say it's perfect by any means.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

You gotta draw the line somewhere. Seen the movie Wall-E yet? Once everything becomes convenient as you say, we will be doing next to nothing. Just sayin'

No. Lazy people are lazy people that mooch off convenience be it technology or the generosity of others. Motivated people use convenience to work more efficiently to increase time to do things a machine can't do to better thier own life and others.