How to Accept Apple Pay

How to accept Apple Pay

Here’s how to start accepting  Apple Pay: 

If you already accept credit cards

1. Determine if you have the right hardware: If you have a credit card machine and card reader, check for the NFC mobile payments image; it looks like three bowed lines indicating a wireless signal. If your card reader has that image, you already have the proper hardware for accepting Apple Pay. 
2. Buy the proper hardware if necessary: If you don’t have a card reader or if your card reader accepts only magnetic stripe cards and chip cards, you must replace it with one that supports NFC payments. Card readers that support NFC will have the word “tap” in their description and typically cost between $29 and $79. Contact your credit card processor or a third-party supplier to buy an NFC-enabled reader.
3. Find out if your credit card processor supports Apple Pay: Contact your credit card processor or facilitator to see if the company supports Apple Pay. If it does and you have the correct NFC-enabled hardware,  your business can accept Apple Pay.
4. Enable Apple Pay on your account for online acceptance: If you want to accept Apple Pay online and it’s not already available on your merchant account, ask your credit card facilitator or processor to enable Apple Pay. After it’s enabled, ask your web developer to set up Apple Pay as an online payment app; they’ll add a “Pay With Apple Pay” button to your checkout page. Online customers who want to pay with Apple Pay will click that button instead of other checkout options to complete their purchase.
5. Train your staff on accepting Apple Pay: For in-person transactions, your staff must instruct customers to hold their phones near the NFC reader to pay. Your team must also know how to select Apple Pay as the payment type in your POS system. 

If you don’t accept credit cards yet

1. Find a credit card processor that supports Apple Pay: Most top credit card processing companies enable Apple Pay. Check out our review of Helcim, our Square review, our Chase Payment Solutions review and our review of Stax to learn more about credit card processors that support Apple Pay.
2. Sign up for an account with your credit card processor: After selecting a credit card processor, set up your account. Ensure Apple Pay is enabled.
3. Order NFC-enabled credit card readers: Obtain NFC-enabled credit card readers from your processor or a compatible third-party seller.
4. Set up and test your system for in-person and online transactions: Ensure your staff know how to ring up a sale with Apple Pay. For in-person transactions, this will involve your POS system and card reader. For e-commerce, work with your website developer to enable Apple Pay for online sales.

Read more >> Factors to Review When Choosing a Credit Card Payment Service

What is Apple Pay?

Apple Pay is a digital wallet available to Apple device users on their iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches. Users can connect their Apple Pay wallets to bank accounts, credit cards, debit cards and even gift cards to make payments.

When shoppers want to buy something from a merchant that accepts Apple Pay, they open the Apple Pay app on their device and hold it next to the NFC area on the merchant’s card reader. Payment is complete when four green lights appear and a chime sounds. 

For online transactions, buyers click the “Pay With Apple Pay” button on the checkout page and confirm the purchase on their Apple device. Once payment is made in person or online, Apple Pay funnels the funds from the buyer’s linked payment source to the merchant’s account.

Why should my business accept Apple Pay?

Your business should accept Apple Pay because it’s widely used, fast and secure. 

1. Apple Pay is widely used.

In the United States, more than 61 million consumers use Apple Pay, according to Capital One. That figure is forecast to grow to 82 million consumers by the year 2030. On the merchant side, Apple reported that over 85 percent of U.S. retailers accept Apple Pay. These statistics demonstrate that not accepting Apple Pay puts your business at a competitive disadvantage.

One reason Apple Pay is widely used is the convenience it provides. Mandi St. Germaine, co-founder of the activewear brand MBS | The Woman Beyond the Cape, has found Apple Pay valuable at pop-up events, expos and online sales. 

“It’s been a game-changer decision that provides our customers with the flexibility and convenience of shopping on the go,” she said. “For online sales, Apple Pay allows quick purchases without customers needing to find their cards and enter details.”

2. Apple Pay is fast.

Mobile contactless payments like Apple Pay are the fastest way to pay because each in-person payment requires just a tap. This dramatically speeds up checkout lines. 

“Quicker transactions mean shorter lines and more satisfied customers. That often translates into repeat visits and higher overall sales,” said Nikita Khandheria, founder and CEO of ERIA Food.

3. Apple Pay is secure.

Apple Pay’s security safeguards result in less fraud, fewer chargebacks and more consumer confidence in your business and Apple Pay. 

“Since card details aren’t shared, there’s no risk of employees skimming card info,” Khandheria said. “Apple Pay also reduces physical contact — much more hygienic than handling cards or cash.”

Sergiy Fitsak, a financial technology expert and managing director at Softjourn, cited the security of Apple Pay transactions as a critical benefit. 

“Customers store their credit or debit card information in their Apple Wallet and payments are authenticated via Face ID, Touch ID or a passcode, ensuring security,” he explained. “Transactions are tokenized, meaning no actual card details are shared with merchants, reducing fraud risks.”

How much does it cost to accept Apple Pay?

It does not cost businesses anything to accept Apple Pay besides regular credit card processing fees. Your credit card processor or facilitator charges a fee for each Apple Pay transaction, just as it would for every traditional credit card transaction. 

“For most businesses, Apple Pay is cost-effective because it doesn’t charge additional transaction fees beyond standard credit card processing fees,” Fitsak said.

Your only other expense will be for a card reader if your business doesn’t already have one or if it doesn’t have one capable of Apple Pay transactions.

Credit card processors and facilitators that accept Apple Pay

Many of the best credit card processors and facilitators accept Apple Pay. Here’s a breakdown of the Stripe, Square and PayPal credit card fees and hardware costs for Apple Pay, as well as what Merchant One and Clover charge for these transactions and card readers.

How do I let customers know we accept Apple Pay?

To let customers know you accept Apple Pay, you should advertise the payment method in-store and online, register your business with Apple’s “Places on Maps” and send digital communications. 

Advertise your Apple Pay acceptance in person and online.  

On its Apple Pay “Merchant Supplies” page, Apple offers resources to help businesses advertise their Apple Pay acceptance status, including decals. The free Apple Pay Decals Kit includes:

• One glass decal
• Two register decals
• Six terminal decals

ustomers will see a “Pay With Apple Pay” button on your checkout page if your website is enabled for Apple Pay. You can also download the Apple Pay logo and put it on your website and printed materials.

Register your business place with Apple’s “Places on Maps.”

Business owners can go to Apple’s “Business Connect” website and “claim” their business place using the “Places on Maps” feature. When doing so, your business location will appear on Apple Maps; you can add an Apple Pay icon to your listing and everywhere your business appears across all Apple devices.

Use digital communication to mention Apple Pay.

Digital marketing provides several opportunities to let customers know about Apple Pay. You can: 

• Email customers to let them know you now accept Apple Pay.
• Announce that you accept Apple Pay via your social media accounts.
• Put a banner ad on your website announcing that you accept Apple Pay.
• Send text message marketing messages that highlight Apple Pay with a link to set up the wallet on their devices.

If your business has its own mobile app, you can send an in-app message alerting users to Apple Pay. Be sure to also update your App Store product page description, screenshots and previews to highlight Apple Pay as a payment method.

Mark Fairlie contributed to this article.