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Apple Pay Not Working? Quick Fix!

By: Author Smart Haus Tips Staff

Posted on Last updated:

Is your Apple Pay not working?

Even though Apple Pay is one of the conveniences we can’t afford to fail, it does. Here are some ways to revive Apple Pay if it does stop working.

1. Point-Of-Sale Terminal Compatibility

2. Battery Percentage

3. Protection Case Interference

4. Apple ID Log-In

5. Device Security Setup

6. Apple Pay Server Status

7. Stalled Wallet App 

8. Apple Pay Setup

9. Software Update

10. Reboot Device

11. Card Issue

12. Apple Support

13. Reset Device

14. Hardware Fault

Because I wanted to be as comprehensive and concise as I could, I made the solutions easy and digestible. The standalone words might not make much sense now, but they will make perfectly easy-to-follow sense below. 

1. Point-Of-Sale Terminal Compatibility

Before this issue even rouses your irritability, you should check in with the store and see if they accept virtual wallet services. Yes, establishments are still trying to catch up and are being held back by outdated card readers.

If you aren’t one for conversations, you can start by looking for the contactless symbol on the checkout point, which looks like four WIFI symbol lines or a pizza slice of four radar lines cascading out. However, you might have to ask the cashier or store employees if my archaic description isn’t as straightforward as I’d hoped.

Help should quickly tell you if the store accepts Apple Pay, and if it does, show you the best spot to position your device on the card reader or take you to another terminal that works better with virtual payment services. If one terminal works better, then lock it into your mind palace for the next visit.

2. Battery Percentage

Checking your device’s battery should be the first thing you do before you leave your house, but if that isn’t possible, then you might now only notice that your device is running low. The iPhone prompts you to change to Low Power Mode at 20% and 10% battery life. 

This battery-saving setting is an aggressive attempt to keep your iPhone alive for as long as possible by limiting some of your device’s functionality. Although iOS still tries to prioritize important features, services like Apple Pay might still be affected and cause them not to function as intended. 

Although this low battery situation is less documented on an Apple Watch, it could still be the issue behind your functionless wrist swiping over the reader. You can try disabling Low Power Mode on the iPhone to attempt to resurrect some of the background activity,

  1. Go to the gear-esque icon Settings app and scroll down to the battery. Press the battery tab and toggle the Low Power Mode slider to the grey, off position.

3. Protection Case Interference

Often the quickest solution is under your astute nose. Although most iPhone cases are designed with Near Field Communication (NFC) functionality in mind, they may still prevent other card readers from making contact with the NFC chip.

This issue might be because we sometimes put cards or parking slips behind our cases or because the case is too burly even for Bear Grills to allow signals to pass through. This interference is exaggerated if the case is built with metal or magnetic components.

Fortunately, this is a quick fix. Follow the two-and-a-half-hour video tutorial I have below. That’s a joke only for a small pocket of the internet; take your case off and bring your device close to the terminal again. Apple Watch cases are usually plastic and don’t appear to cause this issue, but it won’t hurt taking the case off.

4. Apple ID Log-In

Apple Pay is linked to your Apple ID account, so if you are logged out of your profile at any time, the service might not work. There aren’t many opportunities to accidentally log out of your Apple ID account besides when your device has recently completed an iOS software update.

To remedy or eliminate this as an option,

  1. Go to Settings and see if your name or “Sign In” appears under the search bar at the top of the Settings app.
  2. If your name isn’t there, then press on the “Sign In” and follow the prompts.
  3. If your name is the banner at the helm, then press on it and scroll to the bottom of that tab and see if there’s a “Sign Out” button. 
  4. Make sure you have your Apple ID, MacBook password, and device passcode at hand, and press the sign-out button.
  5. Your name should disappear, and you must sign back in by following the second step. This should take around 30 seconds if you’re connected to WIFI or have data and know all three of your login security codes.

5. Device Security Setup

Albeit unlikely if you’ve had your device for long, the issue might be that your Face ID, Touch ID, or device passcode isn’t set up correctly.

 Again, a quick and fret-free solution is to visit our favorite application, the Settings app, 

  1. Scroll down to Face ID & Passcode or some variation of that and press into the tab.
  2. Follow the prompts and set up your passcode, Face ID, or whatever form of verification the prompt-overlord desires.

6. Apple Pay Server Status

Apple Pay and many of Apple’s magically convenient functionalities like Apple Cash, App Store, and so forth rely on incorporeal data banks that keep them going. You’ll often hear this virtual monarchy referred to as the “Cloud” or the “Matrix.”

Although Apple Pay and these other servers have incredible uptime, you might be facing the rare occurrence of them being offline. You can check Apple’s System Status page and see if Apple Pay & Wallet has “Available” next to it. 

7. Stalled Wallet App 

Sometimes applications glitch or get overwhelmed by the virtual world or by being constantly left running in the background. Closing the Wallet app and reopening it can be a way to reboot the cache and help the app catch its breath. This force quitting method is the digital Aloe Vera method for apps, which seems to work for most glitches.

All you have to do to force quit the Wallet app on an older iPhone with Touch ID is to,

  1. Double press the home button, which should show a cascade of apps.
  2. Swipe your finger to the right to look for the Wallet tab.
  3. Swipe up on the Wallet tab once you find it.
  4. Either bring your iPhone close to the POS reader to see if the card reads automatically or open the Wallet app to read it manually.

Are you a bit bourgeois and have a Face ID iPhone? Then it’s pretty much the same situation,

  1. Unlock your iPhone and swipe up the Lock screen.
  2. Hold and swipe up from the bottom edge of the screen until the album of app tabs appears.
  3. Swipe right through the tabs until you find the Wallet tab and swipe up on it to have it closed.
  4. Follow step four from above.

Finally, the solution is just as easy if you have an Apple Watch. 

  1. Push your rotating Digital Crown button to bring forth all the apps.
  2. Press on the Wallet app and then press and hold the Side Button, the “Friends button,” and release it once the watch’s power down menu pops up.
  3. Finally, press and hold down the Digital Crown button until the Wallet app gets cleared from view and you are returned to the home screen.
  4. Bring your watch close to the reader or open the Wallet app to scan the card manually.

8. Apple Pay Setup

Your increasing irritability might be becoming less tolerant of my loafing informational posting. If so, please forgive me, master. The issue is more sinister than I thought if you’re this far down without being able to check out. 

You should probably step out of the queue for five minutes to review the following four troubleshoots. Apple Pay can sometimes be fussy with the setup, and the issue might be your card in the Wallet app. This is especially true if you bring your device close to the POS reader without your Apple Pay activating.

To rule this out, we visit the Settings app for the second-to-last time,

  1. Open settings and scroll down to Wallet & Apple Pay.
  2. Manually select the card you wish to use and check if all the details are correct. The virtual card should reflect the exact details as the physical card.
  3. Your details might be a character off, even if you scanned the card to add it. Go over this step even if your Apple Pay has worked in the past.
  4. I know it’s contradictory to step three, but if the card you have is a debit card, try changing it to credit, and if it is already set to credit, remove and re-add the card by reading on-screen prompts.

9. Software Update

At this point, you’re in the murk of things. But the following two solutions are the last that make it into the “quick fix category.” The iOS software regularly receives maintenance updates and keeps your devices operating smoothly. A persistent issue like this might be a software issue. 

To confirm,

  1. Check Settings, select the General tab, and press into Software Update.
  2. Let your device scan for updates and show if it is up to date.
  3. If not, and your battery is still well-charged press update. The process should take a minute or so, and you’ll be golden.
  4. But, if your device’s battery is on the failing side of the curve, then you’ll need to have it on a charge while updating.

10. Reboot Device

“Have you, maybe, tried turning it on and, please don’t hit me, off again?” Restarting your device is probably the virtual version of the elixir of life. It solves most software-related issues. From the iPhone X and upwards, you can press and release the up and down volume buttons in fast succession and then press and hold the side button until the phone powers down and powers back on again to show the Apple logo.

11. Card Issue

At this point, use your physical card to end this torment. Then get home and call your bank to confirm that there isn’t an issue with your card. If you are using a recently added card, you might need to wait a day or two for the bank and Apple to complete their business-suit dealings.

12. Apple Support

Is it not your bank? Darn. Shoot Apple Support a quick message or call and ask if they see any issues on their end. Follow all of Apple’s safety guidelines when contacting Support, even with the contact details on the Apple website.

13. Reset Device

This is the last thing you should do. You’re nuking your phone and data. You should only return your device to factory settings if it’s been having similar functionality issues with other apps, and it must be to the point of almost no functionality. Make sure to backup your device before this step because you’re taking the phone to its proverbial stone, out-of-the-box age.

14. Hardware Fault

Hey, you’ve done everything possible, so hardware is the only thing left. It might be a faulty NFC chip or some other hardware part that’s hindering progress. Book a repair appointment with Apple’s Genius Bar and take it in-store to get your device checked.

Conclusion

This is where we part, friend. I hope your 21st-century spoils are back and functioning, and you again effortlessly contribute to the big money machine. Hopefully, your phone’s insured and can be replaced if the last step returns an irreparable problem to end our now shared nightmare.