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Do you use Apple Pay on your watch or your iphone ?


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PIN is required for Apple Pay only if paying with a debit card, which is no different from using the physical card. Credit cards (at least our version which is chip and signature) do not require a PIN regardless of the transaction amount.

I think contactless by definition means no PIN, hence the low transaction limits that non-US customers speak of. I suppose that means it's inherently insecure because otherwise they wouldn't have these low limits.

Almost all cards here are chip and pin and, as cards get replaced, most are now contactless with a limit of £30. Apple Pay uses the same contactless terminals; if retailers have upgraded these fir Apple Pay then the £30 limit disappears but if they haven't then Apple Pay is treated like a contactless card payment which means the limit applies. Contactless cards are insecure as the moment someone gets hold of your card they can use it which is why it's only for low value transaction. Apple Pay is secure, hence no limit. Retailers here are slower to upgrade terminals because we were already using contactless; it means Apple Pay was accepted almost everywhere from day one but that in many places there's a limit.
 
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Contactless cards are insecure as the moment someone gets hold of your card they can use it which is why it's only for low value transaction. Apple Pay is secure, hence no limit.

That's what I suspect, but here's what I don't understand: Our US-based credit cards, which are traditionally processed by swiping and are now switching to chip and signature, are equally insecure as anyone can get a hold of them and go on a spending spree, yet we have had absolutely no limit. Anyone can fake a signature.

The only defense we have is the CC companies' fraud algorithm usually stops most of them cold at point of sale, and any unauthorized charges that do appear are of course reversed.
 
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As a Brit who moved to the US about 18 months ago, having never been, I have to say I was appalled at the state of payment and banking in the US. Cheques, swipe and signature, huge delays in electronic payments and virtually no NFC just a year and a half ago. The chip and pin part and the NFC part are changing, oh so slowly, but now it's inconsistent everywhere you go. Signature? PIN? NFC/Apple Pay? Who knows - it's a lottery.

Anyway, to remain on topic, I can finally use Apple Pay here on my watch and phone and do so whenever possible due to the increased fraud protection. No skimming, no shoulder surfing etc.
 
I only ever use Apple Pay on iPhone if its in-app. Contactless in stores always the watch. It's already out, no need to pull phone out my pocket
 
That's what I suspect, but here's what I don't understand: Our US-based credit cards, which are traditionally processed by swiping and are now switching to chip and signature, are equally insecure as anyone can get a hold of them and go on a spending spree, yet we have had absolutely no limit. Anyone can fake a signature.

The only defense we have is the CC companies' fraud algorithm usually stops most of them cold at point of sale, and any unauthorized charges that do appear are of course reversed.

Chip and signature is more secure than contactless in that you do have to sign and in theory the retailer has to check the signature carefully. In practice, mist people's signatures vary a lot and checking isn't exactly thorough. When we switched from signature to chip and pin the responsibility shifted somewhat from retailer (checking the signature) to cardholder (protecting the PIN).

The security of the PIN (and previously the signature) means that there's no limit (beyond your own credit limit/how much is in the account) for dedit and debit card purchases unless the card is used for a contactless payment. Because of the lack of security for that there is a limit.

My choice is generally Apple Pay as it's a more secure option (as well as a more convenient one). One thing I find Apple Pay unexpectedly useful for is being able to go straight from the room I teach in to the canteen for lunch without having to go up to my office for my wallet.
 
I have only just got my Apple watch, and am loving it. My phone is a 5S which cannot be used for Apple Pay AFAIK, however the watch seems to have all the facilities and I have loaded a credit card onto it. However when I tried to use it pay today nothing happened.

Will it only work if paired with an iPhone that has the capabality?
 
I have only just got my Apple watch, and am loving it. My phone is a 5S which cannot be used for Apple Pay AFAIK, however the watch seems to have all the facilities and I have loaded a credit card onto it. However when I tried to use it pay today nothing happened.

Will it only work if paired with an iPhone that has the capabality?

Pay should work on the watch without a capable phone. Hard to say what went wrong for you.
 
Tried using it on my Casio watch. Was pretty cool... Found all kinds of things when I pressed the buttons. But the retailer kept saying that the payment hadn't been received.

I tried using it on my iPhone 5... But again no matter how many times I smacked my phone into the machine, nothing happened.

So yeah, no go for me.

Ok, on the serious side... If I could use it, I wouldn't. No interest in all the extra motions and steps.

I've read through all the forums, the questions, how to's, etc. just not worth the trouble.
 
Tried using it on my Casio watch. Was pretty cool...
Ok, on the serious side... If I could use it, I wouldn't. No interest in all the extra motions and steps.

I've read through all the forums, the questions, how to's, etc. just not worth the trouble.

I don't really care whether you use it, or want to use it, or not but what do you imagine these "extra steps" to be vs. using a card?


Seems to me that double-tapping home on phone or a button on watch and touching the payment pad, then walking away is simpler than any other form of payment
 
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Chip and signature is more secure than contactless in that you do have to sign and in theory the retailer has to check the signature carefully. In practice, mist people's signatures vary a lot and checking isn't exactly thorough. When we switched from signature to chip and pin the responsibility shifted somewhat from retailer (checking the signature) to cardholder (protecting the PIN).

Which is pretty much moot because I have never met a merchant who actually compared the signature on the back of the card against the signature on the receipt. I do get carded often, although they're technically not allowed to require photo ID as a condition of the purchase (unless the card is unsigned).

The POS fraud algorithm set in place by the CC companies is really the only protection we have.
 
Which is pretty much moot because I have never met a merchant who actually compared the signature on the back of the card against the signature on the receipt. I do get carded often, although they're technically not allowed to require photo ID as a condition of the purchase (unless the card is unsigned).
On my cards, instead of my signature, I've written in magic marker, "CHECK I.D.", with the hope that the person handling the card will actually ask for my ID.

I think it's happened three times since getting my latest card. :D

The POS fraud algorithm set in place by the CC companies is really the only protection we have.
My favorite thing about this discussion is the acronym for Point Of Sale. ;)
 
On my cards, instead of my signature, I've written in magic marker, "CHECK I.D.", with the hope that the person handling the card will actually ask for my ID.

I think it's happened three times since getting my latest card. :D

I find they don't even bother looking at the back of the card and go straight to checking the photo ID. Some don't look at the card at all and just glance at the ID, probably just to show their boss that they're doing their job.
 
I don't really care whether you use it, or want to use it, or not but what do you imagine these "extra steps" to be vs. using a card?


Seems to me that double-tapping home on phone or a button on watch and touching the payment pad, then walking away is simpler than any other form of payment

With my current cards, I just stick it in the reader, it sees the chip. It's done.

No asking if they accept Apple Pay.

No trying Apple Pay just to have it fail and then pulling out my cards anyway.

No entering my cards into the phone and authenticating them.

No selecting my card in the phone if I want to use a different one.

No dealing with the variety of glitches that are brought up in the forums.

No worrying about whether my phone is on, or trying to make sure I budget my phones battery usage to make sure it's not going to be dead if I have to go buy something. My credit cards always work, even if my phone's battery is dead.

My cards are always in my front pocket. I just pull it out, stick it in the reader. And it's done. No hassles, no extra thought processes, simple and works everywhere.

Simply put, my cards are much simpler to use. And the best part... I'm not tied to the Apple Eco system. I can move to any phone I want, without worrying about how it'll affect my daily life.
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On my cards, instead of my signature, I've written in magic marker, "CHECK I.D.", with the hope that the person handling the card will actually ask for my ID.

I think it's happened three times since getting my latest card. :D


My favorite thing about this discussion is the acronym for Point Of Sale. ;)

Wait until you get the young kid who looks at the signature, and asks to see your drivers license, and then says: "sorry, according to your license, your name is not Check I.D., I can't allow you to use this stolen credit card."
 
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No asking if they accept Apple Pay.

No need to ask. Just wave your AW or iPhone over the POS terminal.

No trying Apple Pay just to have it fail and then pulling out my cards anyway.

I've yet to have that happen.

No entering my cards into the phone and authenticating them.

This is any different from the one-time only task of authenticating the new or replacement physical card you get in the mail (in order to activate it)?

No selecting my card in the phone if I want to use a different one.

This is any different from picking a card in your wallet if you want to use a different one?
 
No need to ask. Just wave your AW or iPhone over the POS terminal.



I've yet to have that happen.



This is any different from the one-time only task of authenticating the new or replacement physical card you get in the mail (in order to activate it)?



This is any different from picking a card in your wallet if you want to use a different one?

Yes, very different. With my cards I don't have to navigate a menu, I just grab the card. It's faster. 2 cards in my pocket, use the one I want without picking it through a menu.

Waves an overpriced watch that I purchased to use a credit card already in my pocket? No thanks.

Waves wrist past the terminal just to find out it won't work at that store, look like an idiot, then pull out my credit card?? No thanks.
 
Yes, very different. With my cards I don't have to navigate a menu, I just grab the card. It's faster. 2 cards in my pocket, use the one I want without picking it through a menu.

If you normally use a default card, Apple Pay is actually faster. Just put your thumb on the TouchID button and the iPhone wakes up automatically with the default card when you wave it over the terminal. Navigating the menu is only if you want to select a different card, but that's really no different from digging out the secondary physical card that sits in the wallet behind your most used card.

Waves an overpriced watch that I purchased to use a credit card already in my pocket? No thanks.

And that's different from using the iPhone you purchased using a credit card for any tasks? Maybe come up with a more convincing argument.

Waves wrist past the terminal just to find out it won't work at that store, look like an idiot, then pull out my credit card?? No thanks.

You can usually tell if the POS terminal takes contactless, or you know from experience.
 
With my current cards, I just stick it in the reader, it sees the chip. It's done.

Really? You just insert our card and that's it? No pin? No signature? Sounds like you're trying very hard to make one method sound more convenient than the other, doesn't it?
 
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Really? You just insert our card and that's it? No pin? No signature? Sounds like you're trying very hard to make one method sound more convenient than the other, doesn't it?

Yep, it makes as much sense as saying "With my iPhone, I just place my thumb on TouchID and wave it over the reader. It's done."
 
Really? You just insert our card and that's it? No pin? No signature? Sounds like you're trying very hard to make one method sound more convenient than the other, doesn't it?

Yep, simple. Stick it in and done.

Watched a lady buying at target tonight. The lady tried using Apple Pay with her watch. Didn't work. They went through several attempts to get it to work.

Then the cashier got out the scanning wand, the customer held her wrist out and the cashier scanned her Apple Watch and then after that didn't work, got out her credit cards.

I waited 5 minutes as they went through various efforts to pay. The whole time they were talking about frustrations with Apple Pay.

Then I walked up, stuck my card in the machine, got my receipt. And walked out the door.

5 minutes for her to pay. And mere seconds for my whole transaction. I was rung up, paid, and out the door in less than 30 seconds.

I'll stick with my card.
 
Yep, simple. Stick it in and done.

Watched a lady buying at target tonight. The lady tried using Apple Pay with her watch. Didn't work. They went through several attempts to get it to work.

Then the cashier got out the scanning wand, the customer held her wrist out and the cashier scanned her Apple Watch and then after that didn't work, got out her credit cards.

I waited 5 minutes as they went through various efforts to pay. The whole time they were talking about frustrations with Apple Pay.

Then I walked up, stuck my card in the machine, got my receipt. And walked out the door.

5 minutes for her to pay. And mere seconds for my whole transaction. I was rung up, paid, and out the door in less than 30 seconds.

I'll stick with my card.

Good for you.

Why don't we just ditch the card as well as after all, if we are all about convenience, why bother signing up for a card, wait for it to arrive and use it ? Just makes sense to use good old cash as cash is still king !

Cheers !
 
The cashier tried scanning her watch with the handheld laser scanner? WTF. Talk about user error.
 
Btw, if it sounds like I'm saying it takes no skill to be a cashier, I've also seen customers try to do self-checkout. WTF x 100.
 
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Yep, simple. Stick it in and done.

Watched a lady buying at target tonight. The lady tried using Apple Pay with her watch. Didn't work. They went through several attempts to get it to work.

Then the cashier got out the scanning wand, the customer held her wrist out and the cashier scanned her Apple Watch and then after that didn't work, got out her credit cards.

You can stop right there. Target doesn't even support Apple Pay for in-store purchases (the Target app does support it for in-app purchases). It's not a matter of your physical card working and Apple Pay not working at Target.
 
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You can stop right there. Target doesn't even support Apple Pay for in-store purchases (the Target app does support it for in-app purchases). It's not a matter of your physical card working and Apple Pay not working at Target.

Oh so wait... So you're saying that woman went through all that for nothing???

Guess I was right... Gotta waste time asking the store if they take Apple Pay. Except in her case even the cashier was apparently misinformed... They should have called management to ask if Apple Pay was accepted before wasting 5 minutes trying to get it to work.

Yep... I'll stick with my cards. Accepted everywhere without hassle.
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Good for you.

Why don't we just ditch the card as well as after all, if we are all about convenience, why bother signing up for a card, wait for it to arrive and use it ? Just makes sense to use good old cash as cash is still king !

Cheers !

Cash works good too. I generally prefer it, unless I'm being lazy. Then I stick my card in the slot. The difference in time is negligible. But the card is still faster if I'm being lazy. Almost the same as walking past them and doing nothing.
 
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