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

[QuarterSwede]

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

It’s mostly the big retailers that don’t take it. And when they do you don’t always know because the same pin pad that doesn’t take it at one retailer will take it at another. That’s the problem.

ex. I didn’t know Costco would take it at the pump until I tried one day. All of a sudden it worked when it never did before. No signage saying so either.

 

[T Coma]

I mainly used it because getting my phone out of my pocket was easier than rooting around in my wallet.

Would love to not carry a wallet. Some holdouts, including the drivers license.

come on, man!

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I’ve been using these for a long time; I don’t know when I last used a proper wallet. Don't miss it one bit. Mine fits a debit card, costco card, CC, DL, and insurance card.

Just use money clip for the times I know I’ll need cash.

 

[dontwalkhand]

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

To a lot of people, tapping a plastic card is easier than Face ID/Touch ID.

 

[NapoleonIV]

So much for the "build it and they will come" mentality. It is so much faster. I find that the people I know resist using it for two basic reasons: 1. They erroneously believe that it is less secure, 2. They have always used their cards and so they forget that they even have Apple Pay.

 

[dannyyankou]

I think this was the case like a couple years ago, but it seems to be catching on more and more lately.

 

[bobcomer]

Exxon/Mobil does. A lot of the stations have NFC terminals at the pump, but their APP also takes Apple Pay, and you can use the app at any of their stations

I have seen commercials for the app, never tried it though. A card is just too easy to use. At least we don't have to go in anymore!

 

[dontwalkhand]

Also, for the record, the website PYMNTS has been staunchly very anti-Apple Pay.

 

[bpeeps]

i get better rewards on my other cards for specific purposes.

I was afraid that was a factor.

It's not a factor though. Apple Pay doesn't affect your credit card rewards, your rewards will be exactly the same. It's just a different method of paying.

 

[Zonck]

I’d love to see the stats for the UK/other countries where contactless payments are pretty much the default.

 

[5105973]

I've used Apple Pay since launch and use it in multiple countries regularly with both UK and US accounts. Never had it not work for me. I find it's more reliable than my normal cards where I've on occasion had a chip fail to read.

Well as you know, the US is huge and so much can differ culturally across states and even counties within a state. Dialects, habits, how things are done vary. A lot of time I think people who stick to major cities and their immediate suburbs aren’t aware how different it can be outside of that sphere. If you’re going between the UK and the US I’m not sure how much time you’re spending and getting experiences in areas that are slower to keep up.

So much about Apple does seem very Californian to me. It is designed and engineered with the idea everyone has excellent connection to the cloud. Everyone has excellent phone connectivity all along their commute and everyone lives a tech oriented lifestyle and the populace is largely youthful and in tune with the trends.

If you go to more rural communities like mine, that starts to fall apart fast and the hiccups and workarounds start to come into play. I don’t like to spend too much time in cities, so my travel and leisure is also centered around less developed areas.

So when I went on vacation recently, I had to use the magnetic strip on my card. And even where I live, where we still have Fall hayrides and festivals centered around produce, I haven’t had to do that in years!

 

[coachgq]

Wal-mart doesn't want to make it work. They want to track your purchases in their app, that's why they added Wal-mart pay.

So frustrating.

 

[Benjamin Nabulsi]

The study doesn’t make sense. MasterCard should be able to report better.

 

[I7guy]

Exactly.

I live in both the US and the UK and find it incredibly frustrating that I cannot use contactless (or Apple Pay) at so many merchants here in the States. […]

Where I live any merchant virtually that access contactless payments, accepts Apple Pay.

 

[ZMacintosh]

who was this survey sent to? iPhone 4 users? use it all the time wherever I can, digital ID will add to the experience.

 

[alexandr]

It’s mostly the big retailers that don’t take it. And when they do you don’t always know because the same pin pad that doesn’t take it at one retailer will take it at another. That’s the problem.

ex. I didn’t know Costco would take it at the pump until I tried one day. All of a sudden it worked when it never did before. No signage saying so either.

sadly a lot of small restaurants don't accept it either...

 

[shakopeemn]

ex. I didn’t know Costco would take it at the pump until I tried one day. All of a sudden it worked when it never did before. No signage saying so either.

Doesn't Costco still require the CC credit card or membership card before payment?

 

[alexandr]

I think the poster is referring to Apple Cash which is still limited to the United States.

In the UK myself and much prefer Apple Pay. Granted the mask element hasn’t always made it easy during the pandemic and whilst nothing is ever 100% ‘secure’ I know, at least, my ugly mug has approved the transaction 😂.

right, and which has no relation to apple way whatsoever
i use my aw when i wear it. it's sooo funny when i try to use my regular watch to pay))))

 

[joelt999]

This is absurd. I have used Apple Pay multiple times per day for years but never from my iPhone, only Watch. I am sure this is pretty common. These data tell us nothing.

 

[GenesisST]

Not surprised...

Getting my wife to use Apple Pay has been like pulling teeth, I just gave up.
Not a divorce offence... yet...

I keep telling here it's more secure, if only for the fact that it uses a new throwaway credit card number for every transaction!

 

[RickDEGH]

How? I use it all the time here in Deutschland.

 

[decypher44]

I used to use Apple Pay all the time when I’d wear my Apple Watch. Quick and easy. However, as I’ve returned to “traditional” automatic watches, I’ve been using my contactless credit card. It’s faster than using my phone’s Apple Pay. I usually now only wear my Apple Watch maybe twice a week. Those days I’ll use it if I’m paying for anything.

 

[alexandr]

There's a third option: you're just wrong. Not saying you are, but you can't discount the possibility.

Stats are hard to find, but Visa says that more than 75% of US transactions occur at a terminal that can accept contactless payments: https://navigate.visa.com/na/spending-insights/tapping-into-the-future-of-payments/.

i guess i misunderstood when to my "apple pay?" question they responded with a "no". my mistake.

 

[alexandr]

Yeah, I noticed that also. I noticed my station now has the logo but wouldn't take it. Had to pull out my wallet. Annoying.

it really is, especially given that the hardware is clearly there.

 

[alexandr]

I'm not sure what its called but its like the venmo version/part of apple pay. Where you text money to people. Sorry if that was confusing haha

yea, that's apple cash, not related to apple pay other than you can use the apple pay option to pay with apple cash not confusing at all ))))

 

[HudsonSteele]

For those who care, I will tell you why I don't use it more places. Let me preface this by saying I would use it everything if possible, but here are the reasons I don't/can't: First, I live in a smaller area and most retailers STILL do not accept contactless payment. There are a couple, but there are only 3 grocery stores in my city, and only 1 takes Apple Pay (its also the most expensive). Second, many stores are coming up with with their own forms of mobile payment , which the other two stores in my town have (Walmart pay and Kroger pay). I save way more money going to those stores so I am forced to use their payments and they are extremely annoying. The gas station I frequent does take Apple Pay, but has a specialized debit card for their stores. I save at least 6-10 cents in gas each time I fill up so its worth it to use that card in the long run, but that card doesn't work with apple wallet (yet, I'm hoping).

Long story short, I think that credit card processing machines are where apple needs to focus their efforts. Convince processing companies to roll out new devices to business not currently taking them and they will see increase in areas like mine. Even Home Depot got brand new machines, with no contactless payment option...the very same machines that DO have contactless payment at other stores I have gone to.