Apple pay?

[QuarterMillionMan]

What is it, how does it work, what are the advantages of using it? All of this new technology stuff baffles my mind (lol). I use an iPhone 4S which may be too outdated to use this new technology.

[phantom]

Apple Pay uses the Touch ID to verify you before allowing you to make a purchase, and an NFC chip to send the payment information (similar to the chips in some credit cards). The Touch ID was introduced with the iPhone 5s and the NFC chip was introduced in the 6. So, you're out of luck with your 4s. I have an iPhone 5 myself, so I can't use it either.

Apple Pay is just another way of paying with a credit or debit card you already own. Using Apple Pay is very similar to using a newer credit card that has the capability to send your payment information with a one time use code. Security-wise, it's pretty much equivalent to using such a card, which makes it more secure than using your credit card number. I guess it's a little more secure than a credit card since credit cards don't require a fingerprint to use. But, I hate to use a fingerprint as a password. (Who wants a password that he can't change and tends to leave on everything he touches?)

[Drake3287]

I used it of the first time the other day at Whole Foods and it worked perfectly. I'm one of those people that charge everything for reward points so anything that keeps me from having to pull out my wallet and credit card is a plus. I only hope more places start excepting Apple Pay.

I think for a lot of people it's like when online banking started and everyone was afraid of the security concerns. That of course never happened and I've never had a problem since they started it years ago.

[disneysteve]

anything that keeps me from having to pull out my wallet and credit card is a plus.

Is it really that much easier to pull out your phone than to pull out your credit card? I guess I've never really seen swiping my card as taking any great effort.

I use different credit cards for different things based on the reward systems for each. With Apple Pay, can you set it up with multiple cards? If so, is it easy to switch between them or would it still be easier to just pull out the card itself?

[rennigade]

I think the biggest benefit is that it will eliminate the need to carry credit cards around.

Ive taken all of my store cards out of my wallet since there are now apps that store them all from every store that basically makes you sign up for them to receive their discounts.

I havent used apple pay yet but may in the future.

[disneysteve]

I think the biggest benefit is that it will eliminate the need to carry credit cards around.

I don't really see any benefit to that. I have to carry my wallet so it's not like I'm carrying it strictly to hold my credit cards. Plus, until every store everywhere takes Apple Pay, you're still going to need to have your cards with you.

Also, phones break, batteries run down, etc. Stuff can go wrong that could result in not being able to pay that way so I'd still want to have my card as a back up.

[rennigade]

Plus, until every store everywhere takes Apple Pay, you're still going to need to have your cards with you.

Hence the reason I havent converted to apple pay yet, not everyone is accepting this form of payment. For me, each card I can remove from my wallet is a win. I just purchased an slim wallet..one of those ones that doesnt have a place for cash since I no longer carry paper money. 2 out of the 8 cards I carry are credit cards. Doesnt seem like much but it feels thinner in my pocket with each card I eliminate.

[btctony]

I don't really see any benefit to that. I have to carry my wallet so it's not like I'm carrying it strictly to hold my credit cards. Plus, until every store everywhere takes Apple Pay, you're still going to need to have your cards with you.

Also, phones break, batteries run down, etc. Stuff can go wrong that could result in not being able to pay that way so I'd still want to have my card as a back up.

I'm in total agreement. It's a "neat" idea, but it isn't practical. I've used it a few times, but the majority of the time, it doesn't even come to mind when I'm at the point of sale. You're not exactly fumbling around trying to find an app (as with the apps that you can store rewards cards), but it isn't any easier or less time consuming than pulling out your wallet either.

It will never become mainstream unless all retailers adopt it, and I don't see that happening. Not to mention, a lot of other things would need to happen in the smart phone industry, before it could ever replace every card that is in your wallet.

Coin and the other companies that are doing something very similar will blow Apple Pay out of the water, if they can assure 360 day battery life. I can't remember exactly what it was, but I think I recall Coin saying that it needs to be able to communicate with your phone. That's a big downfall.

The solution will be one card (like Coin) with a year of battery life, swapped out every 6-8 months at the expense of the company. No need to communicate with your phone for purchases. Passcode that you enter on your card at the point of sale.

[Drake3287]

My wallets a lot like George Constanza's wallet from Seinfeld, so anything that keeps me from pulling out credit cards is a plus for me. And yes, it's easy to switch between cards on Apple Pay.

[Tabs]

A similar downside is that, should you misplace your phone, or have it stolen, and assuming you don't carry your CCs as a backup, then you may be out of luck if you need to use it for anything.

The easy way to fix it is if you carry your CCs as a backup. However, if you are carrying CCs already, then why not just use that?

As someone else mentioned earlier, it's a neat idea, but I don't see any practical benefit to using it right now.

Oh, one last thing I want to add. Apple Pay will also work with the Apple watch. That is, if you have one of those. It's a pretty neat thing to see someone swipe their watch, but I find the price to be too steep myself.

[disneysteve]

Apple Pay will also work with the Apple watch. That is, if you have one of those. It's a pretty neat thing to see someone swipe their watch, but I find the price to be too steep myself.

This follows in the footsteps of Disney's Magic Bands which are rubber wrist bands you can wear on your Disney World vacation. The bands have an RFID chip programmed to be your park ticket and link to your credit card so that all you need to do to enter the park or pay for your purchases is to tap your wrist band to the sensors. That's all very nice but I have no desire to strap a rubber band on my wrist all week when I'm in Florida, especially during the summer. I don't even wear a watch. I'm perfectly happy swiping my credit card instead.