6 solutions for when Apple Pay isn’t working
1. Hold your iPhone close to the card reader
It’s a cliché, but no less true. Make sure that you hold the iPhone or Apple Watch correctly to the reader of the payment terminal while paying. The nfc chip of your device must connect to that of the card reader.
Most iPhones have the NFC chip close to the rear camera. So keep this section with the card reader during checkout. Do you have a phone case on your iPhone? Then take it off and see if your protective case is the culprit.
When you pay with an Apple Watch, it does not matter much how you hold it near the payment terminal, because the NFC chip is incorporated in the watch case.
It is also worth trying a different card machine in the shop; one of the devices may be (partially) defective.
2. Keep your software up to date
Apple Pay is a sophisticated technology that is continuously being refined. It is therefore important to keep the software of your Apple device up to date. Apple is continuously making improvements, including to keep Apple Pay safe. Therefore, make sure you are running the most recent version of iOS, watchOS or macOS.
3. Check your balance and limit
You can only spend money once, even with Apple Pay. If the payment service does not work, you may therefore have too little balance in your account. If you also cannot pay with your normal debit card, it is time to check your bank balance.
Furthermore, with Apple Pay you have to deal with payment limits for security reasons. On the one hand, that’s nice, because when your iPhone is stolen, the thief cannot empty your entire account at once.
On the other hand, these limits can prevent Apple Pay from working, because you have exceeded the amount, for example. It differs per bank how high the Apple Pay limit is. You can often set this amount higher and lower according to your own preference.
4. Check if there is a malfunction
You are at the checkout and want to pay with your iPhone, but you get an error message: what’s going on? The problem may not be with you, but with Apple. Via the special System status page you can check whether the manufacturer’s payment system is currently malfunctioning.
Is this the case? Then there is no other option than to be patient. Once the Apple Pay outage is resolved, you may need to re-add your payment card. You can read how to do this in the article on the right.
5. I cannot add my pass
Can’t add a payment card, for example because the button for this is missing in the Wallet app? Then your iPhone may be somehow configured for the wrong region. Apple Pay is not available worldwide, so it is important that your Apple device knows that you are trying to pay in the Netherlands.
On an iPhone, open the Settings app, go to ‘General’ and tap ‘Language & Region’. Then choose ‘Region’, make sure the Netherlands is selected and press ‘Done’. On an Apple Watch, open the Watch app of the paired iPhone, tap My Watch and go to General. After this you go to ‘Language and region’, ‘Region’ and then choose the Netherlands.
On a MacBook Pro (with Touch ID), open the Apple menu and go to ‘Language and region’. Then make sure that the Netherlands is selected. You should now see the add button in the Wallet app again and you should be able to add a payment card.
6. Not working?
Still not working Apple Pay? Then there may be more to it. In that case it is useful to contact the Apple customer service. In that case, an employee will look with you and together you will try to solve the problem.
More tips for Apple Pay
With Apple Pay you can pay contactless with your iPhone and Apple Watch, you pay online with your Mac (Book). Read our starter guide on how to set up and use Apple Pay to get off to a flying start. Are you curious about how the service works technically (and why it is safe)? Then read our article about how Apple Pay works.
If you usually have to create invoices to collect money, then try using an invoice generator, such as Luzenta. This online invoice maker will track all your business transactions and manage billing and receipt without error. All you need is to fill in the required information and create bills and invoices straightaway. This invoice generator shall save, print and send invoices to your clients.
Read more about Apple Pay
- Apple Pay not working? With these 6 solutions you can pay again quickly
- Paying with iPhone in public transport: first trial started
- How secure is Apple Pay? 5 questions and answers about the payment service
- Add credit card to Apple Pay: this is how it works
- Acquisition: Apple now has its own ‘pin app’