1.56 billion. That’s the estimated number of iPhone users as of 2025. With Apple capturing 62% of the smartphone market share in the United States, it’s clear as day that the iPhone is a leader when it comes to mobile technology
Research from TechReport shows “507 million global Apple Pay users, of which the US accounts for 45.4 million.”
Another interesting fact? A good chunk of consumers use Apple Pay for online purchases. According to Statista, in 2024, 60% of consumers have used Apple Pay at the point of sale (in physical locations), while 38% use it online.
All this to say that Apple Pay is a big deal, and if you take credit card payments in your business, it’s worth learning more about this mode of payment.
TL;DR
- With 1.56 billion iPhone users and 507 million global Apple Pay users, adopting Apple Pay can significantly benefit your business.
- Apple Pay offers increased security, faster checkouts, and an enhanced customer experience.
- Ensure you have the right NFC-enabled POS equipment, and configure your payment terminals to start accepting Apple Pay.
What is Apple Pay?
Apple Pay is a mobile payment and digital wallet service by Apple that allows people to make payments using their Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches, and Macs.
Apple Pay is powered by near-field communication (NFC) technology to enable secure, contactless payments at point-of-sale terminals in physical stores.
As mentioned above, Apple Pay also supports online and in-app purchases, providing a seamless and secure payment experience by utilizing Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode for authentication.
How Apple Pay works for merchants
On the merchant side, Apple Pay works via your point-of-sale and payment terminal. To accept contactless payments from Apple devices, you need compatible POS equipment with NFC technology.
During the transaction, Apple Pay generates a unique device account number and a dynamic security code, known as a cryptogram, for each transaction, ensuring that actual card details are never shared with merchants or transmitted during the payment process.
How Apple Pay works for consumers
Many consumers are fans of Apple Pay because it provides a convenient and secure way to make payments.
Users start by adding their credit or debit card information to the Wallet app on their Apple device. Then, when making a purchase, they can simply hold their device near an NFC-enabled terminal and authenticate the transaction using Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.
Benefits of Apple Pay for businesses
There are several benefits to accepting Apple Pay in your business. Consider the following.
Increased security and fraud protection
Accepting Apple Pay enhances security and fraud protection. Apple Pay uses a unique device account number and a dynamic security code for each transaction, so actual card details are never shared with merchants or transmitted during the payment process.
And since payments are authenticated using biometric data (Face ID or Touch ID) or a secure passcode, it’s extremely difficult for unauthorized users to complete transactions. This advanced level of security helps reduce the risk of fraud and, crucially, shifts the liability for unauthorized chargebacks away from your business and back to the issuing bank.
Faster checkout process
Tired of long lines or cumbersome checkout? Apple Pay streamlines the checkout process. The entire authorization occurs in under two seconds. This is significantly faster and more reliable than the chip-and-PIN process, reducing wait times, especially during peak hours.
With a simple tap of their Apple device against an NFC-enabled terminal, payments are processed in seconds.
Faster checkouts also mean that your staff can serve more customers in less time, potentially increasing sales and reducing congestion at the point of purchase.
Enhanced customer experience
The above benefits (a more secure and faster checkout) enhance the customer experience. But you’re also giving customers more payment flexibility, which can lead to increased customer loyalty and satisfaction.
Additionally, the touchless nature of Apple Pay transactions is especially appealing in today’s health-conscious environment because it’s a hygienic alternative to touch-heavy methods like cash and card payments.
How much does Apple Pay cost?
Apple Pay is free for customers in that there’s no extra charge when they add a credit card to their device and use it to pay. Of course, customers are still subject to the terms and conditions of their credit cards, which may include interest, annual fees, etc. (But that’s beyond the scope of Apple Pay).
Similarly, there’s no extra charge passed directly to the merchant when accepting Apple Pay in your store. Apple typically takes a small fraction of the interchange fee from the issuing bank, but your processing fees remain based on the rates set by your payment processor.
How to set up Apple Pay for your brick and mortar business
Ready to start accepting Apple Pay? The good news is that the process has just three main steps.
- Have the right equipment
Equip your business with a POS and payments terminal compatible with Apple Pay. This means having an NFC-enabled payment terminal, which allows for contactless transactions. If your current POS system does not support NFC technology, you may need to upgrade to a compatible terminal.
If you encounter problems, contact your POS or merchant services provider to verify your equipment’s compatibility. You should also ensure that your POS software is up to date to support Apple Pay.
- Set up your payment terminals
If you have the right NFC-enabled terminal, the process is usually a simple software activation performed by your payment processor or POS vendor to ensure the payment methods are enabled and talking to your POS seamlessly.
- Accept payments
When everything is set up, you can start accepting payments. When ringing up sales, simply have your customers hover their Apple device over the terminal to pay.
How to set up Apple Pay for ecommerce
Accepting Apple Pay on your ecommerce site is simplest when your payment processor handles the complexity. The specific steps you’ll take may vary, but the goal is to integrate the processor’s tokenization services (like Stax) with your shopping cart
For the vast majority of merchants using integrated solutions or modern shopping carts, your payment processor (or ecommerce platform) automatically handles the necessary domain verification and Merchant ID creation. You only need to toggle the Apple Pay button “ON” in your platform settings.
Apple Pay is enabled for your business. Now what?
If Apple Pay is up and running on your store and website, consider taking these extra steps to encourage adoption.
Let your customers know
Apple Pay is pretty ubiquitous these days, so you likely won’t encounter many people unfamiliar with it. That said, it never hurts to be proactive in communicating to people that you accept Apple Pay.
You can do this through clear in-store signage and stickers on or near your payment terminals.
If you have Apple Pay set up online, then consider adding the Apple Pay logo to your list of accepted payment methods.
Apple provides great info on its Marketing Guidelines page, including downloadable resources.
Train your team
Ensure that your staff is well-versed in Apple Pay. Teach them to troubleshoot your devices in the event of technical issues. It also helps you coach them on talking points, especially when it comes to explaining Apple Pay to customers.
Stay updated
Regularly check for updates from Apple regarding Apple Pay enhancements and new capabilities. Also, ensure your POS system and payment software are always up to date to maintain compatibility and security.
Remember, staying informed helps you leverage Apple Pay’s full potential and address any issues promptly.
Final words
Incorporating Apple Pay into your business can enhance security, streamline the checkout process, and improve customer satisfaction.
Ready to embrace Apple Pay? Stax is the expert solution that provides the necessary NFC-enabled terminals and the integrated API to instantly enable Apple Pay on both your physical terminals and your ecommerce checkout. We handle the technical compliance, ensuring you benefit from faster, more secure transactions with zero hassle.
See how Stax can help.
