What is Apple Pay?
Apple Pay was set up to essentially allow users to pay for items via their iPhone or even iPad device. It piggy backs on the concept of contactless payment, where you can simply flash your card up to the contact-less card reader and pay for devices through your bank.
The process is pretty simple in that all you need to do is link your Apply Pay device to your bank, and then your data will be stored and you can use your phone as a payment method in store. From a betting perspective, you can only use Apply Pay to make transactions via your bookmaker’s app, and it won’t work whilst using the online version of the bookmaker.
You’re able to authorise payments in one of two ways; either by using your finger print with devices that are Touch ID enabled, or by using the secure pin that you set up when registering for Apple ID.
Why use Apple Pay?
The popularity of Apple devices these days means that it’s likely you will have access to this functionality. The ability to make deposits without having to use your card directly on each occasion saves a lot of time – plus, it’s really cool!
Safety is another feature that a lot of punters find attractive, as you don’t have to register your bank details with the bookmaker. Instead, you just select Apple Pay as your payment method and verify the payment on your phone.
There is a slight downside to it though, in that it is only available for deposits and not withdrawals. Withdrawals will have to be sent back to the bank with which your Apple Pay is registered, which does take away some of the anonymity of it.
A lot of the major banks are now on board with Apple Pay as well, so if you bank with the likes of Barclays, HSBC, Bank of Scotland, NatWest, RBS, Santander and many more alike, then you’re going to be good to go. It also takes just a couple of minutes to set up, and once you have done so you are able to use Apple Pay at point of sales terminals as well as online bookmakers.
Is Apple Pay secure?
Apple Pay is probably one of the most secure ways you can bank when it comes to online betting. The fact that you need to use your fingerprint to verify the transaction is the main appeal as this is impossible to counterfeit.
You don’t need to link your account to your bookmaker either, which again adds another layer of security. Plus, if Apple think that something dodgy is going on they will send you further requests for information or even a secure pin to use as well, making sure you’re safe at all times.
Any cool features?
Well, the fact that your payment methods are totally autonomous and linked to your smartphone is pretty cool. It’s getting to the point now where the old fashioned wallet is almost no longer needed as we can carry this information around on our smartphone.
It’s also pretty cool that so many bookmakers are starting to get on board. At first, only one or two were willing to sign up, but these days the numbers are starting to grow in line with the popularity of the payment method, as you would expect from anything that Apple creates.
History of Apple Pay
- First rolled out in 2013 after partnering with American Express and Visa to come up with the concept
- The initial process was so secretive that JP Morgan set up a ‘war room’ where only a select few people knew what was being worked on
- Final launch was in 2015 at apple’s iOS 6 event
- First roll out came in the US in 2015, before quickly following up with markets in UK and China
- First stores to accept this payment type were KFC, Chilli’s and Starbucks in 2016
- Throughout 2016, rollouts to dozens more companies and territories occurred making it one of the fastest roll outs in Apple’s history
- In 2016 the link to Apple Watch was announced
- 2017 saw growth within several betting companies, and the process was rolled out with huge success
