Survey: Only 6% of U.S. iPhone Users Who Set Up Apple Pay Actually Use It

[Pipefish]

That's nuts that only 70% of US merchants have contactless payment facilities. I'm in the UK and I'd say it's close to 100% that have contactless here.

Apple and Google Pay use is very widespread here. Every time I'm in any shop I see multiple people using Apple/Google Pay. Those who don't use their phone use a contactless credit or debit card.

 

[BillyBurke]

I too, think people are slooooo to adopt this better way to pay. No skimming, no problems. I use it at McD drive through, gas stations, and darn near anyplace that uses it. I make it a point in stores to ask if they do Apple Pay.

Use it via my AW4, so the Watch could be the critical factor, i.e., always "out".

 

[jimmysalg]

that's exactly right. i don't get it either. i don't see how they benefit from using cards vs. apple pay, especially given how easy it is to integrate at this day in age...

But what's in it for the merchant? Why block it?? they don't pay anymore...at least that's what im told

 

[WitchDrAsh2]

I find that a very low number, maybe people are more comfortable with cards, contactless is nearly ubiquitous in the U.K. now so I don’t think my wallet has left the house in 6 months because I just use Apple Pay for everything

 

[Ronald Reagan]

I see it taking a while to achieve widespread adoption. Using a physical wallet is more convenient in most people’s minds (ability 2 forms of payment + IDs, no authentication process, ingrained in psyche).

Apple can continue to tout the security/privacy, convenience, etc. They could even introduce a new seamless authentication system to compete with the ease of use of physical cards. I still don’t see them making a big dent to move numbers quickly.

 

[WitchDrAsh2]

But what's in it for the merchant? Why block it?? they don't pay anymore...at least that's what im told

Does it need to be explicitly activated? I’m the U.K. if a store takes contactless they take Apple Pay by default, some have legacy systems that limit the purchases but most now treat Apple Pay as a full card payment where the limit is your cards limit

 

[alexandr]

But what's in it for the merchant? Why block it?? they don't pay anymore...at least that's what im told

my point exactly — i don't know either!

 

[ss2cire]

I don’t know who they surveyed, I use Apple Pay every chance I get. Mask wearing does make it a bit more complicated but if you have an Apple Watch, using that makes it much more convenient.

 

[jayducharme]

I love using Apple Pay! My bank sent me a new debit card. They made it NFC, and I refuse to carry it around. So I'm completely reliant on Apple Pay for debit transactions. But what I've found frequently is that NFC terminals are poorly maintained. About half the time, the terminals don't work and the clerk has no clue why. I've started hearing the excuse, "We're updating our terminals." Also, there are still numerous large chains (Home Depot and Walmart, for example) that are flatly refusing to support NFC. I avoid those stores when I can. But it seems like NFC is moving into its awkward teen years now. I hope the tech matures sooner rather than later.

 

[ikramerica]

I use it because it’s on my watch. My wife has a watch and iphone and forgets to ever use it.

 

[ikramerica]

I find that a very low number, I don’t think my wallet has left the house in 6 months because I just use Apple Pay for everything

True, but there are so many cool features of the iPhone I don’t use because I simply forget they are there or wasn’t aware of them. So I can imagine I am not alone, and for any particular non-basic use feature, only 6-10% use that feature at all.

 

[ravenstar]

But what's in it for the merchant? Why block it?? they don't pay anymore...at least that's what im told

Simple: Tracking. Places like Walmart and Homedepot use the credit card number to track the user. It was spooky when I recently got email from Walmart listing all the in-store purchases I had made in the last year. I try to avoid them when I can, but there's really no option right now where I live. The only way they could have done that was via my credit card number. Now I have yet another reason to despise them.

 

[WitchDrAsh2]

True, but there are so many cool features of the iPhone I don’t use because I simply forget they are there or wasn’t aware of them. So I can imagine I am not alone, and for any particular non-basic use feature, only 6-10% use that feature at all.

Wouldn’t surprise me, but I’ve always been a take a minimal amount of stuff out sort of person, I dropped using cash probably a few years ago and then being able to make larger payments on my phone has led me to dropping my wallet as a standard take out with me item, keys are next

 

[zalusky]

I like the fact that ApplePay sends a token and does not send your actual credit card number. Many chip cards still have a stripe that could be skimmed. I have often been caught in a situation at "I hate you Home Depot" where the chip reader failed and I had to swipe.

 

[Pipefish]

I think the US has a problem with calling it 'Apple Pay', over here it's just, 'contactless', which means contactless cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Fitbit Pay, Garmin Pay, whatever else Pay. It's all the same technology as far as the payment terminal is concerned. You wouldn't say, 'Do you accept Apple Pay?', it would have just been 'Contactless?'

It wouldn't even be that now, because it's universally accepted. Every shop I go into, by default assumes that you're going to pay by card so the terminal pretty much automatically says, 'Insert card or tap against terminal...' on it before you've even thought about paying.

It probably helps that we had chip + PIN and contactless cards before Apple and Google Pay came out. So Apple Pay was technically already accepted here before it was even released.

 

[Flight Plan]

I don't get it. Apple Pay is way more convenient than paying with a plastic card.

Right! And it doesn't force you to use cash, either. Fewer germs to share!

 

[ravenstar]

I too, think people are slooooo to adopt this better way to pay. No skimming, no problems. I use it at McD drive through, gas stations, and darn near anyplace that uses it. I make it a point in stores to ask if they do Apple Pay.

Use it via my AW4, so the Watch could be the critical factor, i.e., always "out".

I think the problem is simple: Some major retailers don't take contactless. Walmart doesn't. Homedepot did, but turned it off, probably when they realized they couldn't track Apple/Samsung Pay customers. It's often difficult to tell if a terminal accepts contactless payment, too. And if it's not universal, it's not more convenient to go to a terminal wonder if it's contactless, wave your phone around then feel silly because you have pull out your credit card instead. Whenever I can, I avoid stores that don't accept contactless cards. Defeating Apple Pay or any other contactless system shows me they don't care about their customers. But in rural areas there aren't often many choices, so sometimes I just have to get over it.

 

[WitchDrAsh2]

I like the fact that ApplePay sends a token and does not send your actual credit card number. Many chip cards still have a stripe that could be skimmed. I have often been caught in a situation at "I hate you Home Depot" where the chip reader failed and I had to swipe.

Magnetic strips are dead here, all my cards have been replaced over the last 12 months and not one has a magnetic strip on it

 

[arkhanjel]

Wow! That’s extremely low. I think people are just not educated enough to get to use Apple Pay.

Haha. Yeah it does seem low. I don’t think education has anything to do with it. But I do think that the lack of working terminals everywhere does. I can’t even count the number of times where I can’t use Apple Pay because only the chip reader is working. Most everywhere has the newer machines but few are set up correctly to accept any kind of tap to pay out of laziness or cheapness of the businesses.

 

[zalusky]

Magnetic strips are dead here, all my cards have been replaced over the last 12 months and not one has a magnetic strip on it

Not here. Every one of my AmEx/Chase/Citi cards have both chips and strips.

 

[WitchDrAsh2]

Not here. Every one of my Chase/Citi cards have both chips and strips.

Guess it’s just a much larger number of machines to replace, the last time I swiped which is maybe 10/12 years ago was because my card chip was faulty and the machine refused to take the swipe because the card had a chip

 

[Flight Plan]

Wow! That’s extremely low. I think people are just not educated enough to get to use Apple Pay.

Maybe bringing back fingerprint ID would help.

I use it through the Shell app. Uses geolocation to find the station you're at, you enter the pump number, and then Apple Pay. Never have to touch or tap the pump terminal.

Why would this matter? Half of my Apple Pay uses are from my watch. FaceID is WAY more reliable.

I was just wondering the same thing lol I could forget my wallet at home (which I have) and I would not be worried lol

In some parts of the US, a traffic stop could result in the driver going to jail if they don't have ID and proof of insurance.

Is the US still catching up on deploying these machines?

It's not "the US" that needs to catch up. It's US Retailers, and only certain ones, that need an intervention.

I STILL can't use ApplePay at Lowes or Home Depot. But my grocery store, Wawa gas stations, McDonalds, and other restaurants; they all accept ApplePay.

i keep saying this: a LOT of places still don't have apple pay, even in big cities like new york or miami.

It definitely is getting better. I can go to some cities and not even bring cash.

 

[Flight Plan]

I use it through the Shell app. Uses geolocation to find the station you're at, you enter the pump number, and then Apple Pay. Never have to touch or tap the pump terminal.

Do Shell stations offer Ethanol Free fuel?

In my area, once Wawa stations started offering Ethanol free, I stopped going to all other gas stations, because they didn't do this.

And with Wawa, I don't need to use an app. I just wave my iPhone or Apple watch in front of the sensor on the gas pump, and I'm good to go. I can fill up and pay without going inside the store or pulling out a card. But then...Wawa stores make a pretty good Philly Cheesesteak sandwich, so I can usually still find a reason to go inside, lol!

 

[reggoboy]

"That's something that Apple has failed to do over the last seven years – including over the last two years, when contactless payment in-store was its (and every Pay's) oyster.

"Seven years in, Apple Pay just hasn't lived up to its potential for transforming the point-of-sale experience in the store."

This is irresponsible analysis.

Everyone who uses Apple Pay loves it. And there was never a better reason to use it than COVID.

The reason it fumbles is because stores have implemented it inconsistently.

- Home Depot and other big vendors have been stubborn and refuse to allow it.

- many small vendors actually support it BUT DON'T REALIZE THEY DO. I have to insist they bring that little POS box over so I can tap my watch and then their eyes light up saying "I had no idea I could do that!" And they have been TELLING THEIR CUSTOMERS they don't support it because they were not properly trained. But most customers don't want to harass the cashier, and so it's just easier to hand a CC, especially if there is a line of customers behind you.

- another problem is that sometimes it JUST DOESN'T WORK. This is also true of Credit Cards. But there are enough times when the CC works, but Apple Pay doesn't. This is likely not Apple's fault but a problem with the POS device. Again, if people are burned once by this, they will often NEVER try again because it's just not worth the stress at checkout time.

These factors combined have caused the product to stumble.

 

[Flight Plan]

I use it sometimes when I'm buying something online. It's tied to the credit card I use for almost everything. For in-store purchases, especially now that I wear a mask, I find it marginally easier to pull out my wallet and pull out my credit card.

Apple Watch does not require face-id, and therefore will not require you to pull down your mask.