Apple Pay went live in the UK earlier this week with its first international rollout since debuting in the US last October, but Apple’s iPhone- and Apple Watch-based mobile payment solution hasn’t been without its own launch issues across the pond. To start, Apple Pay is a bit restricted in the UK as it is limited to transactions under £20 until September when the contactless payment rules change and the limit increases slightly to £30. Aside from a low transaction limit, paying with the iPhone or Apple Watch using Apple Pay at the London Underground transportation system has caused some initial confusion for riders as there are a few things to consider when paying electronically…
The issue boils down to how Transport for London tickets and bills riders and could result in unnecessary fees if you’re not careful or aware. As Mashable notes, Transport for London outlines several requirements for using Apple Pay with the transportation system including issues that could arise along the way.
Because the iPhone or Apple Watch acts as both a payment method and proof of payment, the TfL highlights the importance of making sure the device you pay with stays properly charged during your journey. Because the TfL requires tapping a terminal to leave the transportation system and determine the final price of traveling, a dead Apple Watch or iPhone means the TfL will charge the maximum ticket price as it can’t verify your entry point. The TfL also warns that a dead device could result in a penalty of up to £80 if an inspector requests proof of ticketing that can’t be presented.
[tweet https://twitter.com/JaroslawMarciuk/status/621965707832610818 align=’center’]
A less obvious requirement follows as the TfL says passengers using Apple Pay should pay with the same device upon exit as entry even if the iPhone and Apple Watch have the same credit card setup. That’s because Apple Pay assigns a different number to each card when used for contactless payments. The TfL requires using the same payment method attached to the paperless transaction to avoid incomplete trips while the method also contributes toward daily and weekly caps.
Other issues include an issue with American Express cards not supporting journey history viewable on TfL online accounts, but the support document says that issue should be resolved in the future.
The restrictions make sense considering how Apple Pay varies from using credit cards or cash, but these rules are clearly not immediately apparent and will likely continue to cause a slight learning curve for passengers paying with Apple Pay when using the London Underground. Overall, I’ve been very happy with using Apple Pay when I’ve had the opportunity aside from a few uncomfortable situations when something goes wrong on a technical level, but facing any sort of extra fees due to restrictions is not ideal.
For now, being familiar with Transport for London’s service guide is likely a good idea before using Apple Pay on the transportation system.
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So contrary to what the title suggests there hasn’t been a lot of problems with wrong payments? This article is quite hyped up, it’s pretty obvious you can’t let you’re phone run out of battery while travelling, common sense 101…
Secondly we’re pretty used to tapping out with the same thing you tapped in with. You can’t tap in with an Oyster and tap out with a contactless card even if they’re both registered on your account, so it’s pretty natural that would transfer to devices.
The TfL ticketing system is quite different that a ‘normal sale,’ because you are using the device to signal the entrance and the output of the system.
This kind of problems certainly would exist to all contactless systems in the TfL, not to Apple Pay only.
Agreed, the title is misleading.
The title doesnt appear to be suggesting there have been a lot of problems….simply “leading to issues” which is pretty accurate to the situation. No one is screaming “fire” but it is a valid heads to up travelers to make sure device stays charged.
I second everything you said!! The title seems to suggest some meltdown rather than people not bring privy to the rules.
I think people often think simple systems don’t need to be thought about! I have used Apple pay successfully for a few days by fully understanding what happens, how, when and why. Come on. The expectation should always be that the end user knows what they are doing. The opposite seems a little mindless.
I think the title was fair. There are a few issues to be aware of, that it is worth bringing to people’s attention.
Maybe it is me but I don’t anything wrong with the title. Issues and mistaken charges are descriptions of what was reported.
Just what I’d want to do, rub my arm on a subway fixture.
“Contactless” Jerry Seinfeld. ;)
Why do you think like this? You don’t have to like every author or every article but you have to respect every one of them.. you liked it or not.
Seems like I can’t say what I think.
No one cares what you think…..
Please email me if there is an issue.
I don’t get paid for that.
The £20 (about $30) limit doesn’t apply in the Apple Store, for some reason.
I bought a new iPod touch with Apple Pay today. The specialist insisted I pay that way, so “I’d be his first”.
In the UK there is a £20 limit on low value contactless transactions, these are transactions which do not require any cardholder verification methods (CVM) to be used.
However you can do contactless transactions for more than £20 at some merchants, but it would require a CVM to be used. This could be your PIN or your signature, but in the case of ApplePay it’s using the on-device CVM.
Not many merchants in the UK can currently support these high value contactless transactions because it requires the usage of specific payment terminals, with specific payment capabilities. I only know of 2 merchants in the UK that can do these higher value transactions right now, Apple and PRET.
TfL has for years gone on about “Always touch in and out” – Oyster card and beyond. Incomplete journeys have been going on for a long time https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster/using-oyster/incomplete-journeys –
The issue has already been there. Apply Pay is just another complication on an old issue.
Maybe if Apple pay could touch out with iPhone if your Apple Watch battery has died?
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster/using-oyster/incomplete-journeys
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/oyster/using-oyster/touching-in-and-out
https://tfl.gov.uk/fares-and-payments/touching-in-and-out
Please, please, please stop saying “The” TfL and “The” London Underground, it’s TfL or Transport for London & London Underground – no “The”. Take it from an employee.
If you don’t mind me asking,how does TfL works for with Oyster cards? Does each card have its own Card number that the turnstiles keep track of?
Just wondering if how things like Perks and Gift Cards may work with wallet in iOS 9 may work better. Maybe something like adding money to an virtual Oyster card and then using that account to pay/check in and out at stations may be a better solution in a couple of months.
They’re pretty much contactless cards. Your account details are registered and stored by TfL, Then your Oyster card is matched to your account. all are identical in looks, with no number or ID displayed on them! but the chip will obviously have a unique code programmed into it which readers detect when you hover the card over them. The only way to tell who’s card belongs to who is to scan it with a reader.
A millions times yes. Zac, 9to5mac team. It’s not ‘The Transport for London (TfL)’, it’s simply, TfL. It made reading this really difficult. I’m yet to use Apple Pay, my current bank doesn’t support it (I’m switching bank, this was the straw that broke the camels back) but I’m confused as to why anyone would use their watch, and then their phone. Isn’t the point you don’t have to get anything out? Also, it’s impossible to spend £20 on TfL with a single journey. The maximum day journey is £7.50 when using contactless.
It’s not entirely correct:
Contactless payments in the UK are limited to transaction under £20. We all know this limits will be changing in the near future.
Retailers which are officially supporting Pay don’t have this kind of limit. Those retailers are listed in the Apple Pay web page.
I tried to use Apple Pay for the first time today, at a Wagamamas (who are supposed to be one of the launch partners)
No luck.
The waitress told me they “didn’t support it yet”. (it wasn’t clear whether this is because the total bill was over £20 or not, but that limit isn’t supposed to be an issue at “launch partners”)
Worked fine for me at Pret and Marks & Spencer – both <£20.
Hey the £20 limit only applies in stores who just accept contactless the list of retailers on the Apple Website including Apple Stores can accept unto any amount, in theory this is only limited by the retailer or the bank. C’mon guys! You rarely get this stuff wrong!
“Because the TfL requires tapping a terminal to leave the transportation system and determine the final price of traveling, a dead Apple Watch or iPhone means the TfL will charge the maximum ticket price as it can’t verify your entry point. ”
Should say, “…as it can’t verify your EXIT point. “
I travel to London quite a bit for work. If there is a overseas processing fee for each transaction then this is a no-go. Need to stick with the Oyster card. Only one of these fees when you are topping-up. If each turnstile is subject to a fee, this will become VERY expensive quickly. So for North America folks traveling to the UK an Oyster card is still the best bet.
Obviously I meant each in+out turnstyle transaction.