Barclaycard announced in early November that Apple Pay is available on all Barclaycard-branded and most partner-branded MasterCard® and Visa® cards. A great overview and FAQs can be found here. We thought it would be helpful to map out how Apple Pay works, its security and where you can use it.
How does Apply Pay work?
Macworld.com had a great article that recapped the technology behind Apply Pay:
"In order to use Apple Pay, you need to have a compatible device and the right version of iOS. For in-store purchases, Apple Pay is compatible with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which are the only iPhones equipped with the requisite NFC radio antennae. Besides NFC compatibility, the other piece of the hardware puzzle is a Touch ID sensor - sorry iPhone 5S owners, you are out of luck since you need both parts of the puzzle. For in-app purchases, Apple Pay works with the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Air 2, and iPad mini 3—again, thanks to the Touch ID sensor.
You’ll also need to update your iPhone to iOS 8.1 or newer, which will turn on your phone’s Apple Pay feature.
Once your iPhone is in order, you’ll need to link up a credit or debit card to use for payments."
(Source Macworld, The ultimate guide to how and where to use Apple Pay)
Is it secure?
Apple’s website provides a great summary of how Apply Pay is a more secure payment option:
- More secure payments
Every time you hand over your credit or debit card to pay, your card number and identity are visible. With Apple Pay, instead of using your actual credit and debit card numbers when you add your card to Passbook, a unique Device Account Number is assigned, encrypted, and securely stored in the Secure Element, a dedicated chip in iPhone. These numbers are never stored on Apple servers. When you make a purchase, the Device Account Number, along with a transaction-specific dynamic security code, is used to process your payment. So, your actual credit or debit card numbers are never shared by Apple with merchants or transmitted with payment. - Protect your accounts - even if you lose your device. If your iPhone is ever lost or stolen, you can use Find My iPhone to quickly put your device in Lost Mode to suspend Apple Pay, or you can wipe your iPhone clean completely.
- Keep your purchases private. Apple doesn’t save your transaction information. With Apple Pay, your payments are private. Apple Pay doesn’t store the details of your transactions so they can’t be tied back to you. Your most recent purchases are kept in Passbook for your convenience, but that’s as far as it goes.
- Keep your cards in your wallet. Since you never have to show your credit or debit card, you never reveal your name, card number, or security code to the cashier when you pay in a store. This additional layer of privacy helps ensure that your information stays where it belongs. With you. (Source: Apple.com, Apple Pay – Your wallet. Without the wallet.)
Where you can use Apple Pay? More places than you realize!
Everywhere from Duane Reed and Sephora to Whole Foods and McDonald’s. You can also use Apple Pay in AirBnB, OpenTable, Groupon and many other apps! Starbucks and StubHub are coming soon! Check out a complete list (as of January 20th, 2015) at App Advice.
Apple Pay and International Travel
Do you have international travel plans? Don’t forget to use Apply Pay and add your Barclaycard Arrival card to your Passbook. With zero foreign transaction fees, travelling abroad with Apple Pay and Barclaycard Arrival is easy and budget friendly!
What do you think?
If you’ve tried Apple Pay, what do you think? If you haven’t tried it yet, give it a whirl and let us know what you think! We also have a discussion board dedicated to Apple Pay, feel free to share your thoughts and feedback there as well!
