Activating Apple Pay
Apple Pay provides an accelerated checkout process that lets customers pay quickly and securely through your online store. When you activate Apple Pay, it displays as a payment method in the Payments section of your Shopify Checkout.
When a customer pays for their order using Apple Pay, they don't need to manually enter their credit card information or shipping address. The customer taps or clicks the Apple Pay button, scans their fingerprint or uses Face ID on their compatible device, and then their device sends the payment information to the payment provider.
You don't pay any extra fees for accepting payments with Apple Pay. You continue to pay the normal processing fees associated with your payment provider. Learn more about accelerated checkouts.
On this page
Requirements
To activate Apple Pay for your online store, you must meet the following requirements:
- You need to use a credit card payment provider that supports Apple Pay. You can use Shopify Payments with Apple Pay. Alternatively, search for Apple Pay in the list of third-party payment providers in Settings > Payments.
- You must have SSL activated on your online store's domain.
- Your store must follow Apple's Acceptable Use Guidelines.
Devices that support Apple Pay
To pay using Apple Pay on your online store, your customers must use Safari on one of the devices that are compatible with Apple Pay.
Requirements for subscriptions
To let your customers use Apple Pay when purchasing subscription products through your online store, you need to meet additional requirements beyond the standard Apple Pay requirements:
- You must use Shopify Payments.
- Customers must pay with a Mastercard or Visa card.
If your store is password protected, then your customers can't pay for digital subscription products. Learn more about password protection on your store.
Activate Apple Pay
If you meet the requirements and your payment provider offers Apple Pay, then you can activate Apple Pay for your online store in your Shopify admin.
Steps:
Desktop
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
In the section for your credit card payment provider, click Manage.
In the Wallets section, select Apple Pay.
Click Save.
iPhone
From the Shopify app, tap
> Settings.In the Store settings section, tap Payments.
In the section for your credit card payment provider, tap Manage.
In the Wallets section, select Apple Pay.
Tap Save.
Android
From the Shopify app, tap
> Settings.In the Store settings section, tap Payments.
In the section for your credit card payment provider, tap Manage.
In the Wallets section, select Apple Pay.
Tap ✓.
Activate Apple Pay when using Shopify Payments in France
If your business is based in France and you use Shopify Payments, then you can activate Apple Pay for your online store in your Shopify admin.
Steps:
Desktop
From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Payments.
In the Shopify Payments section, click Manage.
In the Advanced settings section, click Manage.
In the Wallets section, click Activate for Apple Pay.
iPhone
From the Shopify app, tap
> Settings.In the Store settings section, tap Payments.
In the Shopify Payments section, tap Manage.
In the Advanced settings section, tap Manage.
In the Wallets section, tap Activate for Apple Pay.
Android
From the Shopify app, tap
> Settings.In the Store settings section, tap Payments.
In the Shopify Payments section, tap Manage.
In the Advanced settings section, tap Manage.
In the Wallets section, tap Activate for Apple Pay.
Customer experience
When a customer visits your online store using a compatible device, an accelerated checkout button with the Apple Pay logo is displayed.
The customer can tap or click the button to make a purchase with Apple Pay. The shipping and billing information that they added to their Apple Pay wallet displays, as well as the cost of the order, shipping rates, and taxes. The customer then has to authenticate the purchase. The authentication process is different depending on which type of compatible device the customer is using.
When Apple Pay is active, it also displays as a payment method in the Payments section of the Shopify Checkout.
Troubleshooting
If you're having issues with Apple Pay setup or your customers are experiencing problems during checkout, then review the following common issues and solutions.
Apple Pay isn't displayed in your Shopify admin
If you use Cybersource, Authorize.net, or First Data Payeezy, and you don't have the option to activate Apple Pay in your Shopify admin, then you need to ask your payment processor to turn on network tokenization. If you use Stripe, then ensure that you have accepted the Terms of Service specific to Apple Pay from your Stripe dashboard. If you're not sure who your payment processor is, then you should contact your bank, or to your merchant account provider.
Apple Pay button isn't displayed at checkout
If the Apple Pay button doesn't display in your checkout, then make sure that you meet all the requirements for using Apple Pay.
If your customer is using the Buy Button to pay for their order, then Apple Pay isn't offered because it's not supported by the Buy Button sales channel.
Apple Pay isn't displayed in the checkout when the Company name field is Required as part of the checkout process.
Apple Pay button isn't displayed in the cart drawer
If you have a cart drawer or a cart pop-up on your online store, then the Apple Pay button might not display. You can add Javascript to your theme to make sure that the button displays in your cart drawer.
Apple Pay button is displayed but isn't responsive
If you use a supported Apple laptop, then check the Apple Pay wallet on your device, and make sure that the lid of your laptop is open. If your laptop is in closed-display mode, then the Apple Pay button might be unresponsive.
Your customer can't enter a discount code
Your customers can use discount codes with Apple Pay only if they enter a discount code on the checkout page before clicking the Apple Pay button. If you include the Apple Pay button on the cart page, then your customers can't go to the checkout page to enter a discount code. To make sure your customers can use discount codes with Apple Pay, you need to display the Apple Pay button on the checkout page.
Your customer receives an error when checking out with Apple Pay on a Mac
If your customer receives an error message when trying to check out with Apple Pay on a Mac, then there might be a communication problem between their phone and their computer. To verify connectivity, the customer must make sure the phone and the computer meet the following setup requirements:
- The phone and computer are close to each other
- Bluetooth is turned on
- The phone and computer are both logged in to the same iCloud account
You receive a currency error on abandoned checkouts when using Apple Pay
If you notice an error message similar to "Credit card Apple Pay currency not equal to transaction currency" in the payment events of an abandoned checkout, then complete the following steps:
- Confirm that your international markets and currencies are set up correctly. Learn more about pricing in local currencies and testing your multiple currency setup.
- Reach out to your customer and have them confirm the following details about their Apple Pay account:
- That their Apple Pay account supports cross-border transactions.
- That there's no missing information (such as country details) on their Apple Pay profile.
- That there's no restrictions on their credit card imposed by their bank. The bank might also be prohibiting transactions on the card, which also needs to be resolved between the bank and the customer.
Your customer might also need to try another payment method or use a different card to complete the checkout.
Shipping limitations
Due to partial postal code availability from Apple Pay, carrier-calculated shipping rates in certain remote regions of Canada might be calculated incorrectly. Most Canadian addresses aren't affected by this issue.
Other ways to accept Apple Pay
In addition to accepting Apple Pay through your online store checkout, you can also accept Apple Pay payments in person and through mobile apps.
Apple Pay in person
Apple Pay is available in person when you use Shopify POS and a supported card reader such as the WisePad 3 card reader, the Tap & Chip reader, or the Chipper 2X BT card reader. This feature also works with Tap to Pay on iPhone. Your customers can pay with Apple Pay by tapping their iPhone or Apple Watch on any supported card reader. The payment is processed immediately, and the customer doesn't have to produce their credit card, or enter their payment details using the keyboard of their iOS device.
Apple Pay Cash
Apple Pay Cash is available if your business is located in the United States and you use Shopify POS with a supported card reader. You can offer your customers the option of paying with their Apple Pay Cash card using an iPhone or an Apple Watch. If you're located outside of the United States, then consult with your payment provider to check whether they support Discover.
Apple Pay in mobile apps
Apple Pay is available if your store has an iOS app using the iOS Buy SDK.
FAQ
The following are frequently asked questions about Apple Pay functionality, credit card compatibility, and order display.
What credit cards can my customers use with Apple Pay?
The credit card payment provider you use determines which credit cards your customers can use when they buy your products using Apple Pay. To use Apple Pay, your customers have to add their credit card information to their Apple Pay wallet. If the payment provider you use doesn't accept the type of credit card a customer adds to their Apple Pay wallet, then that customer isn't able to buy your products using Apple Pay.
How is an Apple Pay order displayed?
To use Apple Pay, your payment processor must support network tokenization. As a result, the last four digits of the customer's credit card number in an order's payment details aren't displayed. Instead the last four digits of the customer's Apple Pay device account number are displayed.
Can I accept only Apple Pay at checkout?
To offer Apple Pay at checkout, you must have at least one credit card type active on your Shopify Payments account.