Looking to transfer money natively on your iPhone without needing a third-party app or service? Follow along for a look at how to set up Apple Pay Cash and the various ways to use it.
Apple Pay Cash is integrated with iOS 11.2 and provides a seamless way to send and receive payments and also spend your money. The new feature competes with services like Square Cash, Venmo, and PayPal and is only available in the United States for now.
It’s free to send money with Apple Pay Cash when you use a debit card, while there is a 3% fee when using a credit card. The good news is that even if your primary Apple Pay card is a credit card, Apple Pay Cash defaults to using the debit card on file to help avoid that fee.
Apple Pay Cash requirements
- Must be running iOS 11.2 on a compatible device and watchOS 4.2 on any Apple Watch
- Must be signed into iCloud and iMessage with the same Apple ID and using two-factor authentication
- Must be 18 years old
- Have an eligible debit or credit card
- For full functionality, you’ll need to verify your identity
How to set up Apple Pay Cash
When Apple Pay Cash first rolls out to your device you’ll see a pop-up in iMessage. However, if you don’t set it up right away, you can always return to Settings → Wallet & Apple Pay → Apple Pay Cash to do so later.
Apple Pay uses Green Dot bank and the Discover Network to process transactions, but also uses your debit card for funds when you don’t have an Apple Pay Cash balance.
When you go to add a debit card, note that the card that auto populates may not be a debit card. In that case, tap on Add a Different Card.
You can use Apple Pay Cash right away, but to prevent future issues and for a smoother experience, it’s best to verify your identity with Apple right away.
How to verify your identity for Apple Pay Cash
Head to Settings → Wallet & Apple Pay → Apple Pay Cash, then swipe down below Card Details to find and tap on Verify Identity. The process will ask you for your name, address, date of birth, and last four digits of your social security number. Apple is required to collect this information.
Once complete you’ll see a confirmation and the Verify Identify option will be gone from the Apple Pay Cash screen.
How to use Apple Pay Cash
Now that you’re all set up, it’s time test this new feature out! In iMessage, Pay will show up as the first option once you tap the App Store icon next to the text field. Keep in mind you can only send money to others who have Apple Pay Cash set up.
You can use the plus or minus symbol to adjust the amount or tap on the middle to show the keypad to enter more specific amounts. You’ll also need to select if you’d like to send or request the amount chosen.
Once you tap Request or Send, the amount will populate in the text field and you’ll have a couple of chances to confirm it before sending.
Particularly when sending money with Apple Pay Cash for the first time (or when you are low on your balance), double-check the payment method is correct. Your debit card should automatically default to be the Apple Pay Cash payment method, even if your primary Apple Pay method is a credit card.
Tap on the blue arrow next to your payment method to change cards. If you have funds Apple Pay Cash funds available, the payment method will show up as Apple Pay Cash Balance.
On the iPhone X a double-click of the Side button will process the payment with Face ID authentication, while Touch ID will be used for other iPhones and iPads.
Just like any iMessage, sending Apple Pay Cash will be confirmed with a Delivered status below it. You can tap on the Apple Pay Cash message to see your transaction history and even request a statement, as shown above.
Various ways to use Apple Pay Cash
Besides selecting the amount you would like to send via the iMessage app, you can also just type things like “Oh and $5 more bucks for snacks” like in the image below. When you type a dollar amount in a message, iOS 11 creates a link for others to tap on to send you money quickly via Apple Pay Cash.
Another nice feature is that when you tap on someone else’s request for money, you can adjust the amount after you tap Pay. Although it’s super easy to use Apple Pay Cash in the iMessage app, it’s even easier to use it with Siri.
Saying something like “Send x dollars to Zac using Apple Pay cash” is a super fast and satisfying way to pay others. Just make sure to get “Apple Pay Cash” in the request, as Siri won’t know quite what to do otherwise. Siri will give you a confirmation once the transaction is complete.
You can also use Siri to request payments from others.
Conveniently, you can also use Apple Pay Cash with all Apple Watch models running watchOS 4.2 or later.
Now that you’ve got everything set up, you can also choose to link your bank account to withdraw funds from Apply Pay Cash. You can also quickly add funds from your debit card.
Head to Settings → Wallet & Apple Pay → Apple Pay Cash then tap Add Money or Transfer to Bank.
Using Apple Pay Cash in stores/online
If you have available funds you can use Apple Pay Cash just like you would any other Apple Pay card, whether in store, online, or in apps. If Apple Pay Cash isn’t your default card, double press your Side button on the iPhone X or double press your Home button on other iPhones and iPads to bring up Wallet and choose the Apple Pay Cash card.
Note that some stores might ask for your debit PIN when using your Apple Pay Cash balance, which is 0000, you can check this just under Device Account Details in Settings if you forget.
More information can be found on Apple’s support pages including details on Apple Pay Cash limits, Identity Verification, and Set up help. Apple has also shared a brief how to video on its YouTube channel.
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