Member Article

Make Your Shopping Trip Fruitful

The highly anticipated Apple Pay has finally launched in the UK, allowing thousands of people to make cash transactions with their Apple devices.

Apple Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) which is embedded in the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch to pay for goods and services by simply holding the device near a card reader, just the same as a contactless debit card.

Sounds great but we wanted to see it in action so we followed Newcastle based Apple Premium Service Provider OPAL’s Mobility Specialist (and one of their Apple geeks) Scott Tomlinson around this week to see him put his Apple Watch to work.

“I couldn’t wait to give Apple Pay a go when it launched this week. My first stop was M&S for lunch. Using my watch to pay for a sandwich definitely caused a few heads to turn, but it was seamless and fast which is exactly what I need in the lunchtime rush.”

Approaching a card reader automatically wakes up Apple Pay - without even having to open an app, and your phone will vibrate and beep to let you know the payment has been received.

When paying with an Apple Watch, double clicking the side button triggers your stored cards. Holding the Watch up to the contactless reader makes the payment, and, like on iPhone, it will vibrate and beep to confirm it’s gone through. So simple!

You can also use Apple Pay in apps, including non-Apple apps - the more the merrier, as far as Apple’s concerned. A wide range support Apple Pay, including Groupon, Uber, Starbucks, Just Eat and Topshop to name just a few.

Live in London? Apple Pay will enable you to travel around the capital after Apple struck a deal with Transport for London, meaning you can use your watch or phone on the Tube, bus and rail networks.

“Customers must make sure their iPhone or Apple Watch has enough battery to complete their journey,” a TFL spokesperson said. “If the battery runs out in the middle of a Tube or rail journey they will not be able to touch out and could be charged a maximum fare.”

The majority of payments using Apple Pay are capped at £20, the same as transactions made using a contactless debit card.

A number of big players in the banking industry have signed up including American Express, Ulster Bank, Nationwide, NatWest, Santander, MBNA and RBS, whilst Bank of Scotland, TSB, Halifax, Lloyds Bank and M&S Bank will have to wait until the autumn. HSBC and its internet-only bank First Direct were initially launch partners, but their launch date has since been delayed until July 28 following a series of last minute setbacks. It was heavily reported that Barclays were the only major UK bank who failed to sign up to the service, however they have buckled announcing a collaboration ‘in the future’.

Apple Pay is supported in more than 250,000 shops across the UK. They include well-known outlets such as Lidl, M&S, Post Office, Liberty, McDonalds, Boots, Costa, some of which will display the Apple Pay logo.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Rebecca McEwan .