If you have an iPhone Apple Pay is a big deal. It’s a major push for contactless payments, allowing you to use your phone to pay for things in shops. Better yet, it now works with all major UK banks and can be used in almost 500,000 stores.
Apple Pay is designed to be simple and it’s available to all Three customers (assuming you have a compatible handset). To make things even easier we’ve created this quick start guide to using it. Read on to find out what you need and how to get up and running.
Apple Pay requires both a fingerprint scanner and NFC chip to function. So it works with the iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and iPhone SE for payments both in store and in apps.
If you have an Apple Watch you can pair it with an iPhone 5, iPhone 5S or iPhone 5C to enable the service in shops.
You can’t use it in store with an iPad, but the iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4 and iPad mini 3 all support Apple Pay for in app payments.
You need to register your card with Apple Pay in order to use it. So not only do you need a compatible device but to be with a bank that supports the service. Fortunately, that now includes all major UK ones.
Barclays, Bank of Scotland, First Direct, Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA, Nationwide, NatWest, Royal Bank of Scotland, Santander, TSB and Ulster Bank all support Apple Pay. It’s also compatible with American Express, MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards.
Apple Pay is available as a payment option in almost half a million UK stores, including Boots, BP, Costa, KFC, M&S, Nando’s, Pret, The Co-Operative Food, Starbucks, Subway and Waitrose.
That’s only a partial list. It’s actually supported anywhere which accepts any kind of contactless payment, including Transport for London, where you can use it for bus and tube travel. So just look out for the contactless payment or Apple Pay logos.
Setting up Apple Pay on Three is simple and using it is even easier. First, you need to make sure your device is running iOS 9 or above, but ideally make sure it’s on the latest version of the OS (which is currently iOS 9.3), as new features are added all the time.
Next you need to add a credit or debit card to the Wallet app. If you already have one registered with iTunes you can add it by simply entering the security code. But to add additional ones just tap the plus sign and follow the onscreen instructions.
Your bank will then verify your details and once done you’ll be ready to use Apple Pay.
To use Apple Pay simply hold your iPhone near a contactless card reader, while your finger is on the Touch ID sensor. If you just have one card registered with Wallet the payment will automatically be taken from that. If you have more than one you’ll then be able to select which to use.
Yes. Neither your card number nor your identity is visible when paying with Apple Pay. Apple Pay also doesn’t save the details of your transactions and as a fingerprint or passcode is required with each payment it’s far more secure than using a contactless card.
Transactions are currently capped at £30, other than in Pret a Manger and Apple stores, so you won’t be able to make any big ticket purchases with Apple Pay. Though this is set to change in the future.
