How to set up Apple Pay on your phone, watch and Mac

A credit card is tapped on the back of an iPhone to capture data via NFC. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News

MANILA — The long wait is over for Apple fans as the company’s payments ecosystem has finally arrived in the Philippines. Apple Pay and Apple Wallet have just gone live in the country. 

If you own an iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac, setting up Apple Pay is a quick process across all your devices, and it keeps your payment information secure. Unlike QR-code-based payment apps, you don’t need to have an internet connection to make a payment. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to add a debit or credit card to your iPhone, Apple Watch, Mac and iPad.

iPhone

1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone
2. Tap the Add button (the plus sign +) in the upper-right corner
3. Tap Debit or Credit Card to add a new card, or tap Previous Cards if you want to add a card you've used before
4. Tap Continue
5. Follow the onscreen instructions. You can place the card on the back of your phone so that the NFC can be scanned, or tap Enter Card Details Manually
6. Verify your information with your bank or card issuer. So far, only four banks (GoTyme, UnionBank, Metrobank and Chinabank) are supported. 

The whole process should take just a minute. While the number of banks supporting Apple Pay is limited as of launch date, more banks are lining up to support the app, according to Apple. Transit cards will also soon be supported.

Apple Watch (iPhone option)

You can use your paired iPhone to complete this process.

1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone
2. In the My Watch tab, tap Wallet & Apple Pay
3. Tap Add Card
4. Choose Debit or Credit Card for a new card, or Previous Cards. Tap Continue
5. Follow the on-screen prompts to scan your card or enter the details manually
6. Verify your card with your bank or card issuer

Apple Wallet on different Apple devices. Arthur Fuentes, ABS-CBN News

Apple Watch (direct option)

You can add Apple Account, credit, debit, and transit cards, right on Apple Watch.

1. Go to the Wallet app on your Apple Watch.
2. Tap Add Card.
3. Tap Debit or Credit Card
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to input your card details. This can take a bit more work as you will need to type on the watch's small screen and tiny keyboard.

Mac

If your Mac does not have Touch ID, you can still use Apple Pay by authenticating purchases on your compatible iPhone or Apple Watch. On your iPhone, go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay, and turn on Allow Payments on Mac.

1. On your Mac, click the Apple menu in the top-left corner and choose System Settings (or System Preferences on older macOS versions)
2. Click Wallet & Apple Pay in the sidebar (you may need to scroll down)
3. Click Add Card
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to add a card using your computer's camera or by typing the card information.
5. Verify your information with your bank or card issuer

iPad

Setting up Apple Pay on the iPad is a lot more like the process on the Mac than the iPhone, as there is no dedicated Apple Pay app for iPadOS.

1. On your iPad, go to Settings 
2. Scroll down the menu and click Wallet & Apple Pay
3. Click Add Card
4. Follow the onscreen instructions to add a card using your iPad's camera or by typing the card information
5. Verify your information with your bank or card issuer

But why would you want to use Apple Pay instead of other payment options?

Security

Apple Pay is considered safer than using physical credit or debit cards due to how it handles your data.

• Tokenization: When you add a card, Apple does not store the actual card number on your device or their servers. Instead, it creates a unique "Device Account Number" stored in a secure chip on your device.
• Biometric Authentication: Every purchase requires Face ID, Touch ID, or your passcode. If your phone is stolen, the thief cannot use your Apple Pay without your biometric data or PIN.
• No Merchant Data: When you pay, the merchant never sees your actual credit card number.

Privacy

Apple emphasizes privacy in its payment system. When you pay with a debit or credit card, Apple does not retain any transaction information that can be tied back to you. Your purchases stay between you, the merchant, and your bank.

Convenience

The primary appeal for most users is speed and ease of use.

• Offline Capability: You do not need an internet or cellular connection to make a payment at a terminal; the NFC technology works even in airplane mode.
• Frictionless Online Checkout: You can bypass entering 16-digit card numbers, expiration dates, and CVVs when shopping online or in apps.
• Card Consolidation: You no longer need to carry a bulky physical wallet. You can load multiple credit and debit cards and switch between them easily.
• Apple’s walled garden: It works seamlessly across your Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Watch, Mac, iPad).

Apple said the following establishments already accept Apple Pay: Abenson, Anko, Ayala Malls Cinemas, Ayala Malls, Beyond the Box, Coach, Digimap, Foot Locker, Globe, HOKA, Hollister, Jollibee, Lush, Power Mac Center, Rustan's, SaladStop!, Shake Shack, Smart, The Loop, The Matcha Tokyo, The Movie Snackbar, The Underbelly, and WalterMart Supermarket — along with apps and websites including foodpanda, Jollibee, Rustan's, and Shopee.

In other countries, you can also store transit cards, concert and event tickets, airline boarding passes, loyalty and reward cards, digital keys for your home, hotel, or car, and even IDs and digital driver's licenses in your Apple Wallet. Hopefully, the platform will also support these soon.