How Do I Accept Apple Pay at My Business?

In recent years, changes in consumer habits, payment processing, and the way we conduct business have occurred so regularly that change has become the new normal. But when it comes to accepting payments, being unable to complete a transaction can cause businesses big losses and long-term problems.

Apple has long been known for creating gadgets that work wonderfully with each other, but not with other devices. So you could be forgiven for worrying that Apple’s payment method would work in a similarly closed system.

But that’s not the case: Apple Pay can be used with most payment providers, but setting it up can involve extra work, depending on your needs. So there may be different answers for those of you asking how do I accept Apple pay payments.

What is Apple Pay?

 Apple Pay is an app that launched in 2014 and has quickly grown to become an influential digital wallet marketed as an alternative to traditional, plastic card payment methods.

Knowing that processing payments is a lucrative industry to be involved in, it’s no surprise big tech companies have forced their way in, nor that they’ve been successful. Apple Pay, like Google Pay and Samsung Pay, is a great example of this and in typical fashion, Apple has innovated to influence the industry and change how payments work.

Apple Pay argues that they are a more reliable, safer payment provider because none of the physical risks of theft applies to their mobile wallet. Customers do not use credit cards or debit cards but make payments through iPhones, iPads, Macs or their striking Apple watches.

As well as avoiding the risk of chip cards, Apple Pay security uses tokenization, which replaces account data with different digits to disguise information and prevent it being used by financial criminals. Payment still requires mobile phone security to operate, such as a fingerprint or code, so fraud is much less likely to occur which helps both customers and businesses trade with confidence.

While these are excellent benefits, as a customer, Apple Pay’s cardless system also means relying entirely on contactless to pay using your mobile wallet, which can cause issues in some businesses. Many would argue as time goes on that this will become less of an issue. Apple’s advanced mobile banking system can be used to send and receive money so easily they feel the pros already outweigh the cons.

Apple Pay: accepting payments

As these forms of payment become more common, all businesses will be thinking about how they can ensure customers can use their iPhones and Apple watches to pay for goods and services.

The most important hardware requirement in a card machine accepting e-wallets is NFC technology, which stands for near-field communication. This is what provides the contactless functionality in the device which Apple Pay and similar systems use to make payment requests.

Many of the card machines currently in circulation have them, but not all, so it is important when making a card payments deal with a processor to request a device with this capability. Epos Now Payments, which launched in 2021, uses the Link, Pro and Pro+, all of which have NFC functionality and automatically accept contactless payment from Google, Apple and Samsung e-wallets.

However, some of the older providers won’t automatically provide devices that do contactless payment, which can lead to longer queues and frustrated customers as well as locking you out of the e-wallet market.

Furthermore, some older card machines may have NFC functionality but were set up before Apple Pay and co emerged in the industry. Businesses in this position often need to contact their payment provider explaining the need to accept e-wallet payments. Most payment providers will have software updates that, if they haven’t already been rolled out, can allow the device to start accepting Apple Pay.

Online Apple Payments

As online sales remain high for both the retail and hospitality industries, it is every bit as essential for businesses to accept as many payment methods as possible for eCommerce as well as in-store sales.

As with your card machines, the necessary steps for accepting Apple Pay will vary depending on your online sales channel. Shopify customers, for instance, have an online wallet with an Apple Payments option which simply needs to be switched on.

Businesses with bespoke websites will likely be using a plugin similar to those used by companies like WooCommerce. But such businesses will have signed up for their own processing deal for online sales in a simpler form than that used for a physical card machine.

There are a few different providers, but most online businesses will find that incorporating e-wallet payments into these agreements will be much simpler than other PDQ processes. It may be a simple matter of checking a box (as with Shopify) or confirming acceptance with the vendor.

So, in the event that you are having difficulty accepting online payments, checking settings and payments options in your web-builder will likely provide the answers you need.

Epos Now: flexible transaction software with the latest EPOS tools

 Regardless of your industry, Epos Now technology can simplify the way you run your business. The launch of Epos Now Payments means your business can run a streamlined system with all hardware components designed to complement each other.

Epos Now has partnered with leading software companies in every industry, with fantastic integrations available in accounting, marketing, staff and inventory management and much, much more.

Epos Now customers can:

• Manage EOD and card processing reports all in one place, with one support team taking care of everything.
• Stay stress-free and in touch with cloud technology that gives you instant access to the latest business data, from anywhere in the world!
• Accept payments from all the big-name providers using an EPOS moulded around your business needs to lower transaction times and keep queues short
• Expand your business into multiple channels and integrate with a variety of online platforms

To find out more about Epos Now solutions, submit your details below and speak to a member of our expert team.