Apple Pay Review: Fees, Complaints, Comparisons & Lawsuits
(877) 255-5923 Apple Pay Payment Processing
Apple Pay is a mobile wallet application for all iPhone models after the iPhone 6 and for the Apple Watch. It utilizes the iPhone’s NFC capability in conjunction with a built-in fingerprint scanner to enable customers to pay for products with their phones at physical retail locations and within various iPhone and iPad apps. In September 2018, Apple also added the ability to send money to other Apple Pay users in the Messages app (known as “Apple Pay Cash”), similar to Venmo or Square Cash.
Apple Card
On August 20, 2019 Apple launched the Apple Card. The card integrates into Apple Pay users’ digital wallets. The card also provides users with similar benefits to conventional credit cards. Those benefits include 3% cashback for purchases from Apple, and 2% for any purchase made using Apple Pay.
Competes with Samsung and Google
Before they can use the service, Apple Pay users are first required to enter their card information into each device’s Wallet application, where the card information is tokenized and stored. They can then use Apple Pay to make purchases at all NFC-enabled credit card terminals with just a tap of their phones. Apple Pay’s primary competitors are Samsung Pay and Google Pay. Tim Cook is the CEO of Apple, whose headquarters are located at 1 Infinite Loop, Cupertino, California.
Apple Pay Review Table of Contents
- Costs & Contract: Apple Pay is free for users.
- Complaints & Service: Apple Pay has received generally positive reviews from experts and users.
- BBB Rating: Apple Pay does not have a profile with the Better Business Bureau at this time.
- Sales & Marketing: Apple Pay comes pre-installed on iPhone 6 and later models as well as on the Apple Watch.
- Rates & Fees: How Merchants Can Get The Most Out Of Apple Pay
Apple Pay offers a mobile payment processing service similar to Google Pay and Samsung Pay
Apple Pay Customer Reviews
Here's What Their Clients Say
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Online Complaints | 20+ |
| Live Customer Support | Yes |
| Most Common Complaint | User Abuse |
Largely Positive Feedback
Many positive Apple Pay reviews mention its ease of use, powerful security features, and all-around convenience. Most expert reviewers acknowledge that it is a useful payment method and that it operates as advertised, but they also consistently cite a lack of participating locations as a major drawback. Several Apple Pay complaints echo this frustration, and many wish the service was available in older iPhone models.
Room for Improvement
Most reviewers still see loyalty card integration as a major opportunity for improvement, and it appears that there is some inconsistency with how Apple Pay interacts with different terminals—e.g., tip interfaces and “confirm payment” prompts. There have also been reports of users who use Bank of America cards being double-charged through Apple Pay, but it appears that this glitch has been corrected. Additionally, there have been complaints of poor performance when making in-app purchases.
More Reviews to Come
Since Apple Pay is bundled with the Apple Wallet app, it does not have its own profile in the App Store. Since NFC payments have yet to gain traction in the payments world, it is likely that more consumer reviews will appear in the coming years.
Apple Pay Lawsuits
We have not found any outstanding class-action lawsuits or FTC complaints filed against Apple Pay. There have been a number of Apple Pay patent lawsuits, but the company continues to win these or they get dismissed. Dissatisfied merchants who wish to pursue a non-litigious course of action against the company should consider reporting it to the relevant supervisory organizations.
In early 2020, Apple agreed to pay up to $500 million to settle litigation associated with intentionally slowing down older versions of iPhones to incentivize users to purchase new products or batteries.
Apple Pay Customer Service Options
Apple hosts a dedicated customer service page for its Apple Pay service for users to troubleshoot issues with using the features and reviewing security and privacy concerns. However, speaking with a customer service representative must be done through Apple’s general customer support services.
Apple Pay Online Ratings
Here's How They Rate Online
No Dedicated Profile
The Better Business Bureau does not maintain a profile specifically for Apple Pay at this time. We therefore will not factor a BBB rating into our review at this time.
Apple Pay Fees, Rates & Costs
A Closer Look at The Contract
| Item | Result | >
|---|---|
| Apple Pay Cash Debit Rate | 0% |
| Apple Pay Cash Credit Rate | 3% |
| Apple Pay Cash Transaction Limit | $3,000 |
| Apple Pay Cash Monthly Limit | $10,000 |
| Merchant Fee | 0% |
Simple To Use
Apple Pay offers one of the simplest transaction experiences of all smartphone mobile wallets currently on the market. The process is as follows: Customers simply hold the phone against an NFC-compatible terminal, place one finger on the iPhone’s home button when prompted, and wait for the transaction to finish. The entire process only takes a few seconds and doesn’t require the user to unlock the phone, select a card, enter a PIN, or type in card information. Apple Pay does not charge a fee for debit transactions though a rate of 3% applies to purchases made with credit cards.
Touch ID Feature
This ease-of-use is made possible by the iPhone’s Touch ID feature, which verifies the user’s identity using a preauthorized fingerprint. In theory, this makes it impossible for Apple Pay to process a payment unless the phone’s approved user is holding the device. As a result, the user can set a default card for all transactions and trust their iPhone to automatically interact with any NFC-enabled payment terminal, since no payments will occur without the user’s fingerprint.
Secure Apple Watch Use
Apple Watch users can utilize Apple Pay by double-tapping the watch’s side button and holding the watch up to a contactless terminal until the transaction is complete. Upon initial setup, Apple Watch owners will be prompted to set a PIN in order to access the Apple Pay app. Then, each time the watch is removed from the user’s wrist and then put back on, the user will need to enter this PIN in order to use Apple Pay. This helps to prevent unauthorized use of the app while also limiting the number of times a user has to enter his or her PIN.
Widely Compatible
Apple Pay is also compatible with nearly all major card issuers, including American Express, Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank, Barclaycard, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, USAA, and US Bank. Many regional banks and credit unions are also supported (full list here), but not every card-issuing bank is compatible with Apple Pay at this time.
Loyalty Card Integration
The only major feature that Apple Pay lacked previously was the ability to store and track loyalty cards. Apple Pay loyalty card support now exists for a number of retailers, including JCPenny, Walgreens, and various restaurants. Apple Wallet allows users to store their loyalty cards in their phones, and Apple Pay can now automatically apply discounts linked to these cards for several, but not all, merchants.
Solid Security Measures
In terms of security, Apple Pay requires the fingerprint of an authorized user or a PIN in order to process a payment, making it impossible for a thief to commit fraud unless he or she can somehow deceive the fingerprint scanner or guess the user’s PIN. In addition to the identification required for each in-store transaction, Apple Pay will allow users to remotely deactivate their Apple Pay accounts in the event of theft. This is a secondary countermeasure against unauthorized users making one-touch in-app or online purchases with Apple Pay. This kind of feature compares favorably to our list of processors with the best merchant services.
Tokenized System
If a thief obtains access to the user’s phone, the user’s credit card details will not be compromised because Apple does not store the card data itself on the device. Instead, Apple Pay tokenizes each card’s data, replacing it with a chain of letters and numbers that is itself meaningless but can be decoded by Apple and the card networks. So if the actual token itself is somehow intercepted, it will be worthless to the fraudster who has obtained it.
Apple stated that it will not save or share users’ transaction information, although this claim is nearly impossible to verify.
Apple Pay uses advanced tokenization to protect its payments
Apple Pay Employee Reviews & Sales Tacitcs
Should You Work For Them?
| Item | Result |
|---|---|
| Employs Independent Resellers | No |
| Advertises Deceptive Rates | No |
| Discloses All Important Terms | Yes |
Straightforward Free Service
Apple markets Apple Pay as a free service for anyone with a compatible iPhone. Apple Pay comes pre-installed on compatible Apple devices, but users will need to add their payment details to the app in order to activate it. The service is free for iPhone users, so it doesn’t even seem possible for Apple to somehow misrepresent its costs in its advertising. This compares favorably in its category to our list of best credit card processors.
The Next Generation of Payment Processing
Like all other products that Apple offers, the company predicates its marketing of this service on its innovative nature. Cut from the cloth of its typical “the future is now” marketing approach, Apple Pay is marketed as a method for payment processing that is already becoming ubiquitous, making traditional merchant accounts all but obsolete. The service is beneficial for merchants who are not charged a fee for debit transactions while credit card payments are charged a flat rate of only 3%. One component of the service is its reliance on NFC technology which allows customers to use their iPhones to process payments. This requires merchants to use payment processing terminals that are NFC compatible, though Apple Pay does not provide that hardware to merchants at this time.
Our Apple Pay Review Summary
Our Final Thoughts
A Decent Mobile Wallet Choice
Apple Pay may not be the most compatible or innovative mobile wallet available, but it is the first mobile wallet to compete with actual credit cards in terms of convenience and security. While it is not currently competitive with other mobile money transfer apps, its design and ubiquity position it nicely within the mobile payments arena. We will be updating this review as more information becomes available.
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How Did Apple Pay Treat You?23 Responses
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jason
I double-clicked my apple pay to pay £15.19 then the screen froze, later I found they took an additional £6.99 & another £13.99. I only double-clicked my apple pay once when it said £15.19 they (mad muscles app)then took all this extra without me asking for or authorising the transaction.
mad muscles are only in it for the money and don’t care about customers I understand that but how does apple pay let this happen
Kelly
No wonder Tim Cook is so rich, ripping people off like they do. My grandson wanted something to do with a game and as it was just a couple of bucks I said ok. When I checked my account Apple had taken about 50 bucks total out of my account for an additional 3 other charges. I contacted Apple and requested my money back but they kept it anyway. Crooks!
Nancy Ronk
Apple wallet/pay is a joke. Used it for 1st time several transactions they locked the account with my money in it. Get the round about every time I call. Told different things. Told to they not gonna give me my money back $653.70. Said when account goes dormant in 2 to 5 years will send to my state’s treasurer and I would have to get my money from the state treasurer. I’m on a fixed income and for them to not give me my money back has devasted us. And they don’t care Each person says sorry nothing they can do. Big scam artists
jimmie canabera
Cancelled when I began to see a lot of unauthorized charges to my credit card for Grand Harvest Solitaire game I had played for years. I would now and then buy coins but not what was being charged so cancelled Apple Pay entirely.
Sandra
Do not use. I was on a dating app going through some chats when an ad popped up. I tried swiping away the app, which did not work. So I went to close the entire window and when I did that it scanned my finger print and purchased a $130 of some sort of credits. Who would spend that kind of money on a dating app! I contacted them twice about the situation and they would not give a refund. Disappointing. I will never purchase another Apple product in my life. I am now an android girl!
Johnny Long
Apple are thieves. They claim I owe them $14. They locked me out now of getting free apps like games etc. until I pay them $14 they say I owe. I have now left my 4 iPhones and 1 iPad to move over to android and Google play.
John Doe
-Ditto- some sorts. Returned Apple merchandise due to misleading information by Apple Card which got the full refund, immediately. Weeks later, GS Bank sent me a payment notice for $40.00. Have no clue what is it for?
My credit history has been threatened…Contacting Apple Support, as well as, Government Consumer Protection Agencies with no avail, as they act as business-not consumer- protection. For some reason, Apple Card now continues their harassment to pay-only-$38.00 !
I was an avid Apple products, Now, I’m pissed off !!! Peace Man…!
Gary Walker Jackson
A potential client approached me about the drop in his credit score. It happened after he had accepted a solicitation from ApplePay/Goldman Sachs about receiving a credit card with a “soft” inquiry. He was approved, and then the inquiry became “hard,” which showed up on his credit report and brought his score down several points. Is there some way to stop this scam?
Naomi
I wish I read these reviews BEFORE I was scammed by Apple Pay. I was a
New user and suddenly I saw -$1,700 on the Apple Cash card I never used! When I contacted Apple Customer Service to resolve this issue they totally blew me off! I called 4 times and even talked to a “specialist.” Absolutely USELESS!!! As it stands now (after months of trying to get this resolved) my Apple Cash card still shows -$1,700!!!! Very Scary Scam Apple Pay is running!!!
Karen Champ
Don’t use Apple Card. I couldn’t get Apple support to tell me what a charge was for so I closed the card. I used another VISA to pay monthly charges with Apple. Apple’s bank reported that I failed to pay $13 (which was paid on the Visa) and my credit score dropped!!!! I have written to credit agency and Apple’s bank and am being ignored. I still have $30.25 Apple cash that I cannot get transferred to my bank. I called Apple support and zero help. Frustrating. Stick with the conventional charge card companies that will resolve issues — Apple Card sucks.
Kim
Don’t Use Apple Pay or Cash, this is a scammers heaven and there isn’t a damn thing that Apple or GreenDot will do to help.
Josh Andrews
Apple pay is useless. There is a lot of communication problem with them. I went to a store and tried NFC and it failed multiple times and also it does not link to my bank which sucks.
Tailyn Harvison
DONT USE IT THEYRE COMPLETELY GARBAGE YOU CANT RESLLY BUY ANYTHING ANYWHERE ITS HORRIBLE THEYRE CUDTOMER SERVICE FUCKING S****.. THEY JUST S***, ITS USELESS IF YOU DONT HAVE A BANK ACCOUNT
David Burke
My iPhone 6S Plus broke and I took it to the Apple Store and they informed me that it could not be repaired. I asked the employee what he recommends which he did and I might add he did a terrible job. I applied to pay for the phone by the opening a new account with Apple Pay and it was approved. I did this because I wanted to pay in installments. To make a long story short when I got home I quickly found out that this phone wold not meet my needs. I went back to the store and got a phone that was adequate. They punched the new numbers for the phone in which as more expensive. When I looked at my account on Apple Pay and their appeared to be several discrepancies. so I called their call center. The people at the call center could not answer my questions, I then found a another big discrepancy and called back to the call center who appeared to be extremely inexperience. I got so discussed because I couldn’t get any answers. I finally asked him what it would take to completely pay off the debt. All least he could do that. I then told him to cancel my account immediately. It appears to me that this is a shoddy company and I will not deal with this kind of company.
Louis P
Apple Pay doesn’t offer any support for any transactions made with Apple Pay or An Apple Cash card. I was recently scammed and after over an hour online I was told to go to my local law enforcement authorities to file a complaint, that there was no way of disputing the transaction, although the other party must have had a bank or some sort of financial account linked to their apply pay account they were unable to reach out to them to assist me in retrieving my funds. So using Apple Pay is not safe, be careful when using your Apple Pay Apple Cash card it’s any of form of payment methods affiliated with Apple, they will not support, or assist you if you have any issues.
ralph conner
I have discontinued the use of all apple pay functions. Recently, I tried two different apps. Both offered free trials. I cancelled both within the free trial period and APPLE PAY charged me for both. I have sent multiple emails to APPLE. Somehow this communications technology company has not replied. I am directing my staff to also discontinue the use of APPLE PAY and APPLE WALLET. If APPLE can not or will not resolve improper charges, why would anyone do business with such an organization.
Jack
Contrary to Apple’s claim that they value their customer’s privacy, they give your email address to each and every merchant you do business with. This includes both Apple Pay and Apple Card.
It doesn’t matter whether you give the merchant a different email, Apple will always give them the one you have on file with Apple. You don’t have a choice in the matter. You may not opt out of giving a merchant your Apple email address. Apple makes that decision for you.
As for Apple Card, you cannot receive a paper statement. You may not review your transactions online or see your statement on the large screen of your computer or iPad. You may only see it on your iPhone. That’s it! Should your iPhone be lost, stolen, broken, etc,, you’re screwed!
I will never again trust Apple with my personal information, and I’ll never again use Apple Pay.
Melanie
Two women I know have been scammed through using Apple Pay, they sent money and never received what they had bought.
Apple Pay doesn’t offer any protection for the buyer/individual at all.
Do NOT use Apple Pay.
600 dollars in 2 days from the two women I know of. God knows how many more they have scammed through using Apple Pay.
This post will help: Best Mobile Payment Processing Apps
-Phillip
Kris
The app is crap. You aren’t protected. If you know something I don’t, help me recover the $1850 that was taken from me. You can take people’s money. Apple Pay, your bank and the police will do nothing for you.
From The Editor
This Post Might Help: NFC Definition
Helen Pohl
Happened to me on 10-30-19. Attempted to make a partial payment and every time it rejected it and filled in full amount owed. Couldn’t go back to retry partial payment,, accidentally touched my home button and the whole amount payment was processed. Immediately contacted customer service who refused to cancel.
WDLaw
They somehow gave my credit card number to drop box who took 80.00 out of my bank for a business account I did not ask for.
Roger
Horrible. Falling apart like the company. All my cards got declined and was stuck with only the phone. :(. Bad on me for trusting a apple. They will not even answer the phone. The credit card company’s did. :(. Embarrassing for me owning Apple for years. Do you not trust Apple Pay. And do not leave the house without your cards. In this able all your Apple Pay from all the different places automatically take from your credit cards every month. Because are all being declined. And then to find out the Apple can’t even answer the phone at night with all the billions of dollars they can’t hire somebody for minimum wage answer her damn phone
Debbie I
Run! Do not get hooked into Apple Pay with Global Payments stl. Robbery! Since May of 2015 I have asked them over a dozen times in writing and over the phone to close my account to no avail. They have refused over and over to honor my request. They always tell me a supervisor will contact me within three business days but that has yet to happen. Now they keep fraudulently charging my account even though they promise me every time I call that they won’t charge my card. “Ma’am, I assure you we won’t charge your account again” has been told to me on five or six separate occasions but still they keep taking my money every single month and today they tried to steal another $295. from me!!!!!!!!! The last conversation I had with them they promised to have a supervisor to call me and officially close my account. That was weeks ago. Bad, bad business. I am going to write as many reviews possible on Apple and Global Systems to spread the word. I can’t afford this. I put a stop payment on these frauds and they changed the name of their company to try and get my money on the sly. Fortunately I was able to get that money back thanks to my awesome bank! Beware folks! Beware!