Apple Pay Becomes UK's Most Popular Electronic Payment Service

The proliferation of contactless payment methods is having a positive impact on how brands interact with their customers. From international retailers to small local outlets, many sellers in the UK have already embraced this new trend. However, there are still a lot of people who like to pay for goods and services in cash. Electronic financial transactions are slowly taking over the world and bankcards are the first financial instruments to encourage this. However, today bank cards are receding into the background as new contactless payment methods like Google Pay and Apple Pay offer a simpler and smoother transaction experience. According to a recent survey, among those who prefer to make electronic payments, more than 45% use Apple Pay, a mobile payment service available to users of the iPhone and some other popular products from the Cupertino-based company.

Nowadays, we literally can't part with our smartphones, so the idea of paying with them for purchases seems very appealing to many. All you have to do is link your bank card to your Apple Pay wallet to pay with your smartphone wherever there is an NFC-enabled short-range communication terminal. Once you do this, you'll be able to easily pay for your purchases at merchants, gas stations, and even make deposits at online casinos that accept Google Pay and Apple Pay. Below we'll talk about some of the features of this fairly new technology that you might not know about.

An NFC-enabled terminal seems to be the best option for making a payment from your smartphone. However, today's smartphones can not only transmit payment information but can also be used as handheld terminals. This means you shouldn't be surprised when small retailers or takeaway restaurants ask you to put your phone to one of theirs. The era of the already rather archaic credit card reader seems to be coming to an end, as a short-range communication technology for making payments between phones is gaining momentum.

You probably thought that a debit or credit card was the only thing Apple Wallet supported. In fact, mobile digital wallets offer much more than e-payments. You can connect a rewards card, transport vouchers, cinema tickets, health insurance cards and much more. Perhaps the only drawback of the Apple Wallet is that you won't find crumpled-up tickets that bring back memories of a fun time at an event you attended a year ago.

Contactless payment cards are very convenient for paying quickly for purchases. However, your card could be used by an intruder if you lose it. As for Apple Pay and Google Pay, they offer maximum security for your data and savings. Thanks to the advanced technology based on biometric data such as Touch ID and Face ID, you do not have to worry about the security of your wallet. Even if your smartphone is lost or stolen, the chances of it being hacked are extremely low, especially if you're using the latest model of the device.

While contactless payments are handy when you make purchases in the physical world, Apple has decided to go a step further by providing the ability to pay online. That means that instead of using some of the more traditional payment services for online purchases like PayPal, you'll be able to pay directly from your laptop. For instance, if you have a Touch ID-enabled MacBook, you'll be able to confirm a payment by just touching a finger on the button. However, if you are using an older laptop, it will connect to your iPhone or iWatch to confirm payment.

While Apple Pay is already supported by many merchants, contactless mobile payments are not yet universally available in the UK. Also, your wet or drained smartphone could turn into a useless box, at which point the cash stored in your physical wallet will come to your rescue. So, it always makes sense to keep a few pounds in cash handy.