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The Points Guy believes that credit cards can transform lives, helping you leverage everyday spending for cash back or travel experiences that might otherwise be out of reach. That's why we publish a variety of editorial content and card comparisons: to help you find a great card to turn your goals into reality.
Our site may earn compensation when a customer clicks on a link, when an application is approved, or when an account is opened with our partners, and this may impact how or where these products appear. While we don't cover all available credit cards, our editorial team creates and maintains all of the analysis of these cards, and our content is not influenced nor subject to review by any credit card company, bank or partner prior to (or after) publication. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.
Augusta Stone is a credit cards writer for TPG. She joined the TPG team in 2023 and is excited to take points and miles beginners with her on a journey toward maximizing rewards.
also contributed to this story
November 8, 2024 • 15 min read
The cards we feature here are from partners who compensate us when you are approved through our site, and this may impact how or where these products appear. We don't cover all available credit cards, but our analysis, reviews, and opinions are entirely from our editorial team. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Please view our advertising policy and product review methodology for more information.Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author's alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
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By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
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Quick summary
Apple Pay is a leading mobile wallet, enabling users to connect various cards and accounts for secure, contactless payments in stores, online and within apps.
The service is widely accepted, available in over 80 countries and supported by most major banks and credit unions, as well as many smaller institutions.
Users can add up to 16 cards on newer Apple devices, and also store loyalty cards, tickets and select IDs in the Apple Wallet.
Apple Pay offers strong security through encryption and tokenization, with additional protections like device authentication and remote data wiping.
What to consider
Apple Pay itself does not provide rewards, but users can earn rewards from linked cards as usual.
A 3% fee applies when sending money to individuals using a credit card through Apple Pay; no fee is charged for debit card transfers.
Some merchants may not extend 'cash discounts' to Apple Pay transactions, and merchant fees may apply as with physical cards.
What you'll miss from the article
A detailed comparison of which cards and loyalty programs integrate best with Apple Pay, plus setup tips and security insights.
Generated by AI with support from our editorial team.
Update: Some offers mentioned below are no longer available. View the current offers here.
Apple Pay launched in 2014 as the first of the mobile wallets that enabled people to connect credit cards, debit cards and bank accounts to their personal devices to send and receive money.
Of the major mobile wallet services – Google Pay, Samsung Pay and Apple Pay – Apple’s service remains the largest. In fact, a decade after its beginning, Apple Pay has accumulated an estimated 640 million users as of 2024, according to Capital One Shopping Research.
Apple Pay represents a secure payment option since the app uses Near Field Communications (NFC) to transmit an encrypted virtual account number to the point-of-sale (POS) payment terminal. When you use Apple Pay in stores, no money changes hands, and you don’t even have to touch the POS terminal to complete the transaction or sign for it.
You can also use Apple Pay to send and receive money to and from family and friends, pay at thousands of brick-and-mortar stores, as well as pay online and through many common app-based services. In this article, we will dig into everything you want to know about Apple Pay.
Apple Pay can link to thousands of banks and credit unions worldwide, with more being added constantly. More than 80 countries now have access to Apple Pay, and all major U.S. credit card providers support the payment system.
A Bank of America branch in the Brickell neighborhood of Miami, Florida. EVA MARIE UZCATEGUI/BLOOMBERG/GETTY IMAGES
That means you can link credit cards from the following providers to your Apple Pay account to pay easily and securely through the platform:
American Express
Bank of America
Barclaycard
Capital One
Chase
Citi
Discover
Synchrony Bank
U.S. Bank
Wells Fargo
Smaller banks and credit unions that issue credit cards also support the service, including USAA, PNC Bank, HSBC, Fifth Third Bank, Navy Federal Credit Union, Huntington Bank, Regions Bank, Beneficial Bank, Citizens Bank, KeyBank, SunTrust, PenFed Credit Union and Alliant Credit Union.
You can use Apple Pay for in-app purchases on your iPhone and to pay for Apple services from the App Store, the iTunes Store, Apple Music, Books, Apple News+, Apple TV+ and iCloud.
In stores, you can use Apple Pay anywhere you see the NFC logo or the Apple Pay logo at a point-of-sale location. This includes millions of stores, restaurants and entertainment venues worldwide, from ACE Hardware and Albertsons grocery stores to Walt Disney World and Whole Foods. Apple Pay is currently accepted by more than 85% of retailers in the U.S.
You can also use Apple Pay on popular apps and online services, including Lyft, Fandango, Airbnb, GrubHub and Groupon.
Finally, use Apple Pay with the following metropolitan area transit provider apps:
Caltrain
MBTA
Metrolink
MTA Metro-North and Long Island Railroads (LIRR)
NJ Transit
RTC
RTD
Ventra (CTA, Pace, and Metra)
If you’re riding Ventra in the Chicago metro area or are using the Hop Fastpass for TriMet, C-TRAN, and Portland Streetcar rides in the Portland and Vancouver metropolitan area, you don’t need to download the transit provider app. You can use Apple Pay to tap and pay with your mobile phone instead.
Users with an Apple iPhone 8, 8 Plus or later, or an Apple Watch Series 3 or later can add up to 16 cards on any one device. Users with earlier versions of iPhone or Apple Watch can only add 8 cards to each device. If you have more than one mobile device, you need to add the cards to each device separately.
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In certain countries, including the U.S., you can also add retail and restaurant loyalty cards, boarding passes, movie tickets, coupons and student ID cards to your Apple Wallet. In a small number of states, you can add your driver's license and state ID to your Apple Wallet.
What popular credit cards Can I use with Apple Pay?
With a limit of 16 credit cards, you can probably load all your cards into your Apple Wallet for easy access through your iPhone. But which one should you set as your default payment method? Which are the best credit cards to use with Apple Pay?
Since Apple Pay supports nearly every credit card in the U.S., you have plenty of choices. Some of the best cash-back credit cards and travel rewards cards are also some of the best cards to use with Apple Pay. Let’s look at a few of them below.
Chase Freedom Unlimited
An unsung hero when it comes to cash-back rewards credit cards, the Chase Freedom Unlimited® (see rates and fees) has a lucrative rewards structure. You’ll earn 5% on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery services) and drugstores and 1.5% on all other purchases. Unlike the Chase Freedom Flex® (see rates and fees), you don’t need to keep track of rotating categories.
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It’s a great card to use as your default in Apple Pay because you know wherever you shop and whatever you buy, you’ll net a neat 1.5% cash back, at least. There’s no annual fee, and you’ll enjoy benefits such as 120-day purchase protection and extended warranty protection to extend certain manufacturers’ warranties by up to a year.
The Freedom Unlimited also has a welcome bonus of $200 cash back that can be earned after spending $500 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. If you transfer those Freedom Unlimited rewards to a Chase Ultimate Rewards credit card, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card (see rates and fees) or Chase Sapphire Reserve® (see rates and fees), you can effectively double their value, based on TPG's November 2024 valuations, since they become fully transferable Ultimate Rewards points.
If you’re interested in more than cash back and want to delve into the Chase Ultimate Rewards universe, the Chase Sapphire Preferred is a great choice to load into your Apple Wallet so you can earn 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft (through Sept. 30, 2027), 5 points per dollar spent on all travel booked via Chase Travel, 3 points per dollar spent on select streaming services, 3 points per dollar spent on online grocery purchases (excluding Walmart®, Target® and wholesale clubs), 3 points per dollar spent on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery), 2 points per dollar spent on travel and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
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The current welcome bonus from Sapphire Preferred isn’t small potatoes, either. Earn 75,000 bonus points ($1,538 based on TPG's November 2024 valuations) after you spend $5,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening.
Big spenders may find they can make their rewards go even further with the Chase Sapphire Reserve. The card carries a $795 annual fee plus $195 for each authorized user. But, you get up to $300 in annual travel credits and earn 8 points per dollar spent on all purchases through Chase Travel, 5 points per dollar spent on Lyft purchases (through Sept. 30, 2027), 4 points per dollar spent on flights and hotels booked directly, 3 points per dollar spent on dining (including takeout and eligible delivery) and 1 point per dollar spent on all other purchases.
Under the card’s current terms, you’ll earn 150,000 bonus points after spending $6,000 on purchases in the first three months from account opening. This welcome offer is worth $3,075, based on TPG's November 2024 valuations.
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If you’re opening a new card to link to Apple Pay, you’ll want to choose carefully. Chase’s 5/24 rule could prevent you from qualifying for any Chase credit card if you’ve opened more than five credit cards across all banks in the past 24 months.
If you’re looking outside the Chase family of credit cards for a great rewards card to use with Apple Pay, consider the classic American Express® Gold Card.
A favorite rewards card, especially for foodies, the Amex Gold offers a generous rewards program that includes:
Earn 5 points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App™
Earn 4 points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide (on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
Earn 4 points per dollar spent at U.S. supermarkets (on the first $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1 point per dollar spent)
Earn 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline, amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
Earn 2 points per dollar spent on car rentals booked on amextravel.com or the Amex Travel App
Earn 2 points per dollar spent on cruises booked on amextravel.com
Earn 1 point per dollar spent on other eligible purchases
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With Apple Pay accepted at so many restaurants nationwide, it pays to load your Amex Gold in your Apple Wallet because you’ll receive up to $120 dining credit annually (up to $10 in monthly statement credits) when you use Amex Gold at eateries such as Five Guys, The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings and Wonder. Goldbelly and Wine.com are available through June 30, 2026.
The offer applies to food services such as Grubhub, too. You’ll also get up to $120 in Uber Cash ($10 each month) for U.S. Uber rides and Uber Eats orders and an up to $100 annual Resy credit at U.S. Resy restaurants (up to $50 in biannual statement credits) each calendar year. Plus, you'll receive an up to $84 Dunkin credit each calendar year at U.S. Dunkin' locations (up to $7 in monthly statement credits). The Amex Gold card or any Amex card must be added to the Uber account before receiving the Uber Cash benefit. Enrollment is required for select benefits.
The Amex Gold carries an annual fee of $325 (see rates and fees).
Apple Pay itself does not deliver any rewards to users. However, you can load loyalty rewards cards from your favorite stores into the program, making it easier to earn extra points or cash back without fumbling for a key fob, hunting in your wallet or providing your phone number or email address at the payment terminal.
(Photo by Hero Images/Getty Images)
Of course, when you use Apple Pay linked to a rewards credit card, you’ll earn whatever points, miles or cash back you are entitled to for using that credit card, just like with old-fashioned purchases.
Setting up Apple Pay is easy and intuitive. Most iPhone and Apple Watch users will find it pre-loaded on their devices. Just click the “Wallet” icon, hit the plus sign in the right-hand corner and start adding your favorite credit cards by positioning your card in your camera’s view frame. You can also add a card manually by entering the name, account number, expiration date and CVV code on the back of the card.
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Along with credit cards, you can store concert tickets, travel documents, such as boarding passes, and more in your Apple Wallet by downloading the corresponding app through the App Store.
Apple Pay is accepted in more than 80 countries worldwide. It can be used throughout the European Economic Area and in the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, New Zealand, Singapore and other countries and territories.
Apple Pay utilizes Near Field Communications (NFC) to carry out transactions. NFC technology has been deemed one of the safest ways to make payments as it’s immune to credit card skimming technology (where cyber thieves can collect your account number when you swipe your credit card) and uses sophisticated encryption to protect your account data.
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When you enter your credit card information into Apple Pay, the data undergoes a series of encryption steps called tokenization. Ultimately, a virtual account number is stored on your phone within the most secure portion of the iPhone’s memory banks. Only your phone can decrypt the number and process a transaction.
Add the touch ID, facial recognition and passcodes that protect your phone, and Apple Pay is probably safer than most other payment methods. Plus, Apple’s “Find my iPhone” service enables you to wipe your phone of all its data if it’s ever lost or stolen.
If you use Apple Pay at the register in stores or restaurants, Apple does not charge any fees. Since merchants consider this a “card present” sale, however, the merchant may charge additional fees, just like they would for physical credit card users. Merchants who offer “cash discounts” may not extend that discount to Apple Pay customers, so be sure to read the signage around the register carefully before you decide how you want to pay.
If you pay with Apple Pay using a debit card, there are no additional fees.
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Finally, there is no fee for transferring money to another Apple Pay user from a debit card linked to Apple Pay. However, you will pay a 3% fee if you transfer money to an individual using a credit card linked to Apple Pay.
With the ability to link to practically any credit card you’re likely to carry, there’s a reason Apple Pay is the most widely used mobile wallet app available. iPhone and Apple Watch users, in particular, may want to consider making Apple Pay their main payment method going forward since it can help make payments easier and more secure.
For rates and fees for the Amex Gold, please click here.
Comments
By commenting, you agree to our Community Guidelines to help create a positive space for conversation. The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser, our partners, or The Points Guy (“TPG”). They have not been reviewed, approved, or otherwise endorsed by any of these parties. All responses are submitted by individual contributors, and neither the bank advertiser, our partners, nor TPG are responsible for ensuring that all posts and/or questions are answered.
