Over the last few decades, the way we make payments and how money is used has changed significantly. First, we saw a shift from using physical currency to card payments, with the advent of platforms such as Visa, Mastercard and American Express. This was revolutionary and gave us an unparalleled level of payment convenience.
Fast-forward to today and things are becoming even easier due to the next-generation payment systems – mobile payments. This is essentially a method where you use an app on your phone to make payments. Leading the charge in this technology is Apple Pay.
As we can see from this Apple Pay is incredibly popular, and many people rate it as the best mobile payment method on the market. We take a look at the reasons for this below.
Quick & Flexible Payments
Many retailers are integrating Apple Pay into their online stores. For example, Apple Pay is popular with online casino players as it allows them to deposit funds quickly and safely. Online payments for travel booking, clothes shopping etc are a breeze as you don’t have to spend time entering your card details. The added security of payments using your device account number also greatly reduces the chance of data leaks and your payment info being stolen online.
Like PayPal, Apple Pay allows you to link multiple payment cards to your one account. This means you can always have funds available and take money from the right account. It makes the payment app incredibly versatile and flexible compared to just using a single debit or credit card.
Great Security Features
When using cards or cash there is always the potential for security leaks. Someone could steal your cash or your card, or they could try and scam you with a fake card reader, for example.
This just doesn’t happen with Apple Pay. Verification is done using Apple’s Face ID or Touch ID systems, which use facial recognition or fingerprints – it’s essentially impossible for someone to use your app without chopping your fingers off!
Forgot your pin? No problem!
Have you ever been in that horrible situation where your contactless payment has failed, and you have to slot your card into the reader, only to realize that you can’t remember your PIN? Contrary to popular belief among the older generation, the answer here is NOT to write your PIN down on a sheet of paper and put it in your wallet or purse.
Instead, Apple Pay eliminates the potential for forgetfulness as everything is validated using Face ID or Touch ID so that no PIN is required.
Convenience
As more businesses support Apple Pay, its convenience continues to rise. You can use it at many establishments like gaming arcades and even places that offer things like afternoon tea. When using a payment card, there is more work involved and if contactless isn’t available or you are over the contactless limit, you have to fiddle around inserting the card and remembering your pin, which all adds stress.
Of course, cash also has some setbacks when it comes to convenience. Trying to count out cash or accepting the change, or just withdrawing cash from an ATM in the first place can be a nightmare. Compare this to the simplicity of opening the Apple Pay app on your smartphone and there is a clear winner for pure ease of use.
Track Your Spending
When using a card or paying with cash it’s tricky to keep track of your spending unless you have a photographic memory and can remember exactly what you have in your bank accounts at any given time.
In contrast, Apple Pay tracks your payments, and using the app, you can see a full breakdown of what you have spent. This is incredibly useful as it allows you to update your budget easily and see what you have spent on your different payment cards.
Future of Mobile Payments
As we can see from this Statista report, Apple Pay is one of the most used mobile payment methods in the UK in recent times. Like a lot of Apple products and services, it is revolutionary and has changed the way we make payments. There is a real possibility that mobile payment solutions will eventually replace the use of credit and debit cards, and physical cash may become a part of history. The innovative solutions from Apple are more convenient as well as being incredibly secure and allow for much more flexibility than using cash or payment cards.
