Paying with your phone instead of a card – it's simpler than it sounds
"Apple Pay" is a feature on the iPhone that lets you pay in a shop using just your phone, without taking a payment card out of your wallet. You simply hold your phone near the payment terminal, the same way you would normally hold a card. For this to work, you first need to add a card to your phone. This guide shows you how, step by step. If you do not yet have a bank account with a card, you can check the personal accounts ranking at /en/best/personal-accounts and choose an account that suits you.
Do not worry if you have never done this before. You cannot break anything by tapping the wrong button – at any point you can go back a step or close the app and start again.
Before you start
To add a card you will need: an iPhone that supports Apple Pay, a payment card issued by your bank (a physical card with a number on the front), and the phone number your bank has on file – your bank will send a verification code, a short text message with digits, to that number to confirm it is really you adding the card.
Step by step
- On your phone's home screen, find the Wallet app – its icon looks like a white wallet on a black background, and it is usually already installed on an iPhone.
- Tap this icon to open the app.
- In the top-right corner of the screen, find the plus sign "+" and tap it.
- On the screen that appears, choose "Debit or Credit Card".
- Tap the "Next" button to move on to adding your card.
- Hold your payment card inside the frame shown on the screen so your phone's camera can take a photo of it – this will fill in the card number automatically. If you prefer, you can instead tap "Enter Card Details Manually" and type the card number yourself.
- Check that the details on the screen (card number, expiry date) match those on your card.
- Tap "Next" to move on to the terms of service.
- Read your bank's terms and tap "Agree" if you accept them.
- Wait for a text message from your bank with a verification code – this is usually 4 to 6 digits. It should arrive within a few minutes.
- Type the code you received into the field on your phone's screen.
- Tap "Next" or "Confirm" to finish adding the card.
Important: the text code you receive from your bank is for you alone. Never read it out to anyone over the phone – not to someone claiming to be a bank employee, and not to anyone else. A real bank will never ask you for this code over the phone. If someone asks for it, it is a scam – hang up, and call your bank using the number printed on the back of your card.
What to do if something goes wrong
- The text code does not arrive: wait a few minutes and check that your phone has signal. If the code still does not arrive, the Wallet app usually offers a "Resend Code" option. You can also call your bank's helpline – the number is on the back of your card or on your bank's website.
- The card is declined: make sure the details were entered correctly (card number, expiry date, the three-digit CVV code on the back of the card). If it still does not work, contact your bank – sometimes contactless payments need to be switched on first in the banking app.
- Your phone does not support Apple Pay: Apple Pay only works on certain iPhone models. If you do not see the option to add a card in the Wallet app, your model may be too old – you can still pay using your physical card as usual.
- If anything looks different from what is described here, do not worry – manufacturers sometimes change how an app looks. Look for similar words and icons, and go slowly, one step at a time.