This might be hard to believe, but believe it or not, as of today, October 20, Apple Pay is officially 10 years old.
It was released in 2014 and I was able to start using it back in 2016 for the first when I got my iPhone 6 and on my Apple Watch in 2017.
The payment method is a big deal to me simply because of its security and encryption. I have had my debit card hacked twice in my life, with one purchase happening online and the other happening at a retail store due to a skimming device that was on a self-checkout register. When using Apple Pay, I have yet to have my card hacked once.
I remember using it regularly at my community college in Mason City, Iowa, because the vending machines there accepted Apple Pay early on. The best days were the ones where I got Mountain Dew in said vending machines. Oh, those were good times.
Since 2016, when I first got access to Apple Pay, that’s when I truly started paying attention to Apple Pay and where it was accepted. Major “victories” for me over the years have been places like Best Buy, Target (in stores), Barnes & Noble, Taco John’s, McDonald’s, eBay, Books-A-Million, and Half Price Books.
One thing I have done every single year since I’ve had access to Apple Pay through my iPhone and Apple Watch, as well as on my iPad Air or MacBook Pro online, is make sure that all of my purchases for Christmas and birthdays are done with Apple Pay.
This is done not just because I personally love Apple Pay, but especially during the holiday season. The absolute last thing you want to deal with is having your credit/debit card hacked or skimmed. With Apple Pay and its level of security and encryption, you don’t really have to worry all that much.
Since Apple Pay has been so impactful in my life, I rarely ever find myself pulling out and using my physical debit or credit card to pay for items. This is good too since I’ve always hated the chip embedded within the cards now because I think they are too slow, whereas tap is simpler and faster.
As for what I hope to see in the future with Apple Pay, I hope we see businesses like Walmart or Hobby Lobby stores accept it. I also hope we one day see an Apple Pay rewards program.
After all, the past year or so has gotten acceptance at Lowe’s, Home Depot, and H-E-B stores.
You could say or argue that is why you’d get something like Apple Card with its Daily Cash and other occasional promotions, but I think Apple Pay is worthy of its own program too. Yes, sometimes Apple Pay users do get discounts from select businesses for using Apple Pay, but I want something that is more regular and consistent.
Other than that, Apple Pay is such a tremendous payment method and overall resource for customers now, and the good news with it moving forward is that it is likely only to get better from here.
