Tom Warren, writing for The Verge:
It all started when I left my house without my wallet. I had ventured out to grab some lunch with no cash or cards to pay for it, only my iPhone or Apple Watch. I’ve used Apple Pay on my iPhone and Watch before, but this was the first time it was actually useful. I paid for a sandwich at my local store with my Watch, and thought nothing more of it.
Unlike the US, Britain has widely adopted contactless payments, and most bank cards have the technology enabled by default. Big retailers accept payments up to £30 ($42) by simply placing your card on a reader. There’s no need for a signature or PIN code, you just touch and you’re done. Here in London, we can even use contactless cards or Apple Pay to travel on buses and trains. My brief lack of wallet got me thinking, could I rely on an Apple Watch to replace my cash and cards?
A very interesting read, rang true for me. It’s still early days for Apple Pay and Apple Watch, but the concept has been proven well enough. Unlike Google Glass, which constantly fought acceptance, Apple Pay and Apple Watch both have a pretty reasonable acceptance rate. There’s little negative energy there, and plenty of positives. A good early sign.
Apple Pay has been great for me since Day One when I first used it at Whole Foods. The only slight negative was a little awkwardness in holding my iPhone 6+ against the terminal while holding my fingertip against the home button. Very slight.
But then when I got my Apple Watch last June and tried Apple Pay with it, THAT was the capper. A very easy and much more convenient twist of the wrist to hold the watch against the terminal.
Now, by using Apple Pay through my Watch, I’m getting the full impact of the elegance of this system, its inherently heightened security, and its convenience.
Great stuff, Apple! Thank you!
just curious, what was the issue using your iPhone at WF? you were placing it at the terminal glass-side facing the ceiling, right?
I love Apple Pay with my iPhone. But damn, most of the places I go don’t use it. It’s awesome though, and I have so much less qualms about paying for things that way than with a credit card.
The U.K. and ApplePay is truly awesome.
90%, possibly more, of my financial transactions have been with my Watch since moving to London. Using it as an Oyster card to travel on public transport is such a friction free experience that I am constantly impressed.
Right. It was just the awkwardness of handling the relative bulk of the phone while holding my thumb against the home button. It’s easier for me to twist my wrist and place my Apple Watch against the terminal instead.