5 Apple Pay moves that make checkout faster, smarter, and better

Summary

Apple Pay, Samsung Wallet, and Google Pay make contactless payments fast and easy.
It allows movement of money between linked accounts and more flexibility in payments.
Apple Pay allows you to track orders, bundle purchases, use rewards points, and pay directly from iPhone to iPhone.

One of the most ingenious inventions over the past 20 years is being able to pay without even taking out your wallet. Using your phone to tap on a contactless payment reader and go about your day makes the process so much smoother. Storing your credit card information in your phone can seem scary, but the added security in these features can make it much simpler overall.

Apple Pay is the premiere way to do this for iPhone users and just a few clicks on the side button will let you go about your day. Apple Pay, Samsung Wallet, Google Pay, and more are quick and efficient ways to get through lines and on with your life. Apple Pay is more widely accepted these days, so it’s an optimal way to pay for things.

How safe is Apple Pay really?

As a rule, any security threats are indirect rather than via Apple Pay itself.

While the basic functionality of Apple Pay might seem straightforward, there are actually a host of additional features designed to make your experience smoother. Apple Pay offers much more than just tap-and-pay — so to really get the most out of Apple Pay and see how it can simplify your routines, keep reading.

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1 Move money around in Apple Pay

Transferring funds has never been easier

Apple Pay transfer funds screenshot on a purple background.

Apple / Pocket-lint

You no longer need to physically visit your bank or even open up your bank’s mobile app to transfer funds. With Apple Pay, if you have a bank account or card linked to your Apple Wallet, you can move money between them with just a few taps — no special request necessary.

This works for debit cards, credit cards, savings accounts, and checking accounts. You may incur fees if you’re moving money from a credit card to a checking account, for example, but you’ll have more access to money to be able to pay for more from your Apple Pay when you set it up.

There may be a fee to have the funds available immediately versus having them available in 24 hours, depending on your bank.

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2 Track your order easily

Anything you buy will show up

Apple Pay order tracking screenshot on a purple background.

Apple / Pocket-lint

Anytime you buy something with Apple Pay online, you can track the orders. Previously, if you purchased something with Apple Pay, you would then have to rely on an email or a confirmation number to go and check the order status. But now, all that information is actually stored inside Apple Wallet, letting you see a running list of your purchases and where each of them might be in the fulfillment process.

This will only happen once payment is complete, so if you’re paying on a payment plan, it may not work. But Apple Wallet will have any open orders show up at the top of the app, and clicking into it will give you purchasing details, shipping information, confirmation numbers, and more.

You can even message the retailer through it.

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3 Bundle your purchases

Pay for it all at one time

Apple Pay bundle payment screenshot on a purple background.

Apple / Pocket-lint

Let’s say you’re booking a trip using a site like Expedia or Kayak, and you’re purchasing both a rental car and a plane ticket. Instead of making two separate transactions, Apple Pay lets you pay for both in one go. This option is available on some websites that let you pay for purchases from different retailers simultaneously.

It’ll show up on one payment sheet and let you double-check multiple purchases at once before you hit send. Once they’re purchased, all of them will show up separately as their own orders in Apple Wallet, so you can track them. This isn’t offered by a lot of retailers — mainly ones you’d expect to link multiple retailers together, such as those travel sites. But it is a convenient option.

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4 Use points to purchase

Put those incentive programs to use

Apple Pay rewards screenshot on a purple background.

Apple / Pocket-lint

Many retailers allow you to use credit card rewards when making purchases, which is one of the perks of shopping on platforms like Amazon. Apple Pay offers a similar benefit — when you add your card to Apple Pay, there’s nothing extra you need to do. If your card comes with rewards, and they’re compatible with Apple Pay, they will automatically appear in your payment options.

To use rewards in Apple Pay,

Open Apple Pay.
Tap on a credit card that you have that offers rewards or points.
If you’re able to use the rewards in Apple Pay, a bubble will pop up that says Use Rewards. Tap that.
Enter the amount you want to use. You can pay for it entirely in points or partially, depending on the amount of rewards you have.
Tap Done and confirm the payment.

You can also view your rewards balance in Apple Wallet. The rewards balance will show up below the card. It will also show you the most recent redemption of points or rewards.

All that information is stored inside Apple Wallet, allowing you to see a running list of your purchases and where each of them might be in the fulfillment process.

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5 Pay iPhone to iPhone

There’s no need for a reader

Apple Pay iPhone to iPhone on a purple background.

Apple / Pocket-lint

You can actually avoid using a reader if the merchant you’re purchasing from has an iPhone. They can sync up with a payment app, such as CashApp, Venmo, Zelle, or another app, and open up the payment plan through that. They can present an iPhone that will act as an Apple Pay reader, and you — as the customer — can just tap your iPhone to complete the transaction.

Thanks to Apple’s robust security measures, it’s actually quite secure. Whenever you’re ready to pay, just look for the wireless card reader icon at the top of the merchant’s iPhone to confirm it’s ready for a mobile payment. Also, you can verify the correct price has been entered by the merchant before you authorize the payment. This may be simpler than some stores that just tell you what the price is and don’t offer you a receipt.