Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple Inc. that allows users to make payments in person, in iOS apps, and on the web using Safari. Apple Pay – definition It is supported on the iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac. It digitizes and can replace a credit or debit card chip and PIN transaction at a contactless-capable point-of-sale terminal. It does not require Apple Pay-specific contactless payment terminals; it works with any merchant that accepts contactless payments. It adds two-factor authentication via Touch ID, Face ID, PIN, or passcode. Devices wirelessly communicate with point of sale systems using near field communication (NFC), with an embedded secure element (eSE) to securely store payment data and perform cryptographic functions, and Apple’s Touch ID and Face ID for biometric authentication.
Originally launching in the United States, Apple Pay is available in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Mexico, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, China, New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Macau, Georgia, Belarus, Montenegro, Serbia and all countries in the European Economic Area (EEA).[1] Apple Pay supports both international payment schemes—such as American Express, Visa (including Electron and V Pay), Mastercard (including Maestro), and Discover—as well as country-specific domestic payment schemes like China’s UnionPay, Japan’s JCB, France’s Cartes Bancaires, Canada’s Interac, Australia’s eftpos, Saudi Arabia’s mada and Germany’s Girocard. Participating banks vary by region. Apple Pay can also be used to ride some public transport networks[2] either through the use of credit/debit cards (open loop) or dedicated travel cards such as JR East‘s Suica, the Chicago Transit Authority‘s Ventra, or the New York MTA‘s OMNY (closed loop). In April 2021, Apple Pay announced compatibility with Clipper, the transit payment method for accessing Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART), the San Francisco MUNI transportation system, and the Caltrain commuter rail system.
Apple Pay Cash was announced at WWDC 2017. It lets you send money to other iOS users via Messages. Sent money is taken from the Apple Pay card(s) already in use. When cash is received, it is added to a new virtual payment card found in the Wallet.
