As long as you have an Apple Watch Series 4 or later running watchOS 9.0 or later, then you’ve been carrying a digital wallet on your wrist! The Wallet app can store credit cards, IDs including your drivers licence, a smart lock and hotel key cards, concert tickets, boarding passes for your flight, and more! If you’re concerned about security, then you’re in luck; there is evidence that your virtual wallet is safer to use than a physical credit card and harder to steal than physical cash.
1. How to add cards, passes, and more to your Apple Watch’s Wallet app.
It is important to keep in mind that while you’ll find the Apple Wallet app on both your iPhone and Apple Watch, you might not have the same cards or tickets on both. In fact, some transit cards can only be on either your phone or watch.
While the same credit card can be stored on both, adding it to your phone won’t automatically add it to your watch—you’ll have to do that manually. Just open the Watch app on your iPhone, select Wallet & Apple Pay, and under other cards on your phone tap Add next to the card you wish to add to your Apple Watch.
To add a new card to your Apple Wallet, open the Wallet app on your iPhone and tap the plus icon, then select whatever you wish to add. Some tickets will have a QR code you can scan to add to your wallet. You can even add reward cards to your Wallet app!
2. Your default credit card on iPhone might not be the same as on your Apple Watch.
When you set a default card in the Wallet app on your iPhone, it will not necessarily be the default card on all your devices. You are able to add a different default card to each Apple device if you wish.
3. You can refill your transit card directly from the Maps app.
Adding money to your transit car isn’t necessarily faster when done via the Maps app, but it allows you to check the cost of your trip first so you know exactly how much you’ll need to add and then do it without leaving the app!
4. Make in-store and online payments using Apple Pay!
Not only can you use Apple Pay for in-store payments, you can also use it while browsing online or purchasing a product within an app. We’ve even compiled a comprehensive list of businesses that accept Apple Pay payments, including gas stations. Here’s the best way to quickly find out if a business accepts Apple Pay. And yes, you can even get cash back using Apple Pay at most major grocery stores, including Costco.
5. What security features make Apple Pay and Apple Wallet so safe to use?
It is always a good idea to look into security and privacy features of any device or product you use. Apple Pay is more secure than using a credit or debit card, because it is encrypted, plus the risk of losing your card or having your card information written down by an unscrupulous person is eliminated.
Your debit or credit card information is stored safely in the Wallet app on your iPhone, but not by Apple. This means no one at Apple has access to your card information. Apple also refrains from tracking transaction information from your purchases, so the only parties that are aware of that history are you, the vendor, merchant, or developer you paid, and the financial institution that issued the card associated with your Apple Pay account.
Your iPhone's hardware helps ensure Apple Pay security because, as mentioned before, your phone must have a passcode enabled for Apple Pay to work. This means even if you lose your phone, no one will be able to use your account to pay for goods and services or transfer money unless they figure out your passcode.
Which of the apps I mentioned is your favorite? Are there any Apple Pay, Apple Cash, or Wallet tips you love that I didn’t include? Email OntheWatch@iphonelife.com and let me know!
