How to Accept Apple Pay as a Business | Stripe

How to Accept Apple Pay as a Business | Stripe

Introduction

As a business owner, one of your most important strategic goals is to make completing payments as easy as possible for customers. Even if you create exceptional products and services and develop deep brand loyalty, you risk losing customers if your checkout process seems inconvenient.

Apple Pay, the most widely used digital wallet payment method, can help businesses meet the demand for a smooth checkout experience. In 2024, at the Apple Pay 10th anniversary, Apple stated that the Wallet is used by hundreds of millions of customers. While no official numbers exist, Apple Pay was often estimated to have between 700 and 800 million users in 2025. As Apple Pay rapidly becomes a preferred payment method for many consumers, businesses are mobilizing to accept it. Here’s what you should know to get set up with Apple Pay.

What’s in this article?

What is Apple Pay?

Apple Pay is Apple’s digital wallet product. It’s compatible with Apple devices, such as iPhones, iPads, and the Apple Watch. Apple Pay allows users to digitally store credit and debit cards on their devices and use them to make card payments. Users take pictures of their credit and debit cards, or enter card details manually, and Apple Pay stores the information.

Apple Pay also stores shipping and contact information, making it easier for businesses to ship physical goods, set up subscriptions, and send receipts and shipment tracking details.

Apple Pay is one of the fastest-growing payment methods in the world, with over half a billion global users. Over 85% of retailers in the US accept Apple Pay, a figure that is expected to grow significantly over the next few years.

How does Apple Pay work?

Apple Pay transactions can take place in person or online:

In person payments

For in-person purchases, Apple Pay users click to engage the Apple Pay function on their iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch and then hold the device near a payment reader that’s equipped to accept Apple Pay payments. This contactless payment doesn’t require a WiFi connection. Apple Pay uses near-field communication (NFC) technology.

Online payments

When customers shop online with a business that accepts Apple Pay, they click a “Buy with Apple Pay” button on the web page and confirm the payment method on their Apple device.

Is Apple Pay secure?

Apple Pay and other digital wallets are generally considered to be secure payment methods. Because digital wallets use NFC, the risk of fraud is significantly reduced compared to other mechanisms of credit, debit, or prepaid card payment methods. Apple Pay securely processes transactions using a process called “tokenization,” in which credit card numbers are replaced by an algorithmically generated number, or a “token.”

For both in-person and online transactions, users are required to authenticate the transaction on their device, using fingerprint identification, face recognition, or their device’s security PIN.

What are the business benefits of accepting Apple Pay?

Here are some of the benefits of accepting Apple Pay, for businesses:

Faster flow

Apple Pay transactions are faster than paying with a physical credit and debit card.

Secure transactions

Tokens keep credit card information secure, reducing fraud risk.

Reduced friction

If a customer encounters any barriers during checkout, they might drop off. Apple Pay helps prevent this.

Higher conversion rates

Apple Pay’s “click and go” payment mechanism increases conversion rates.

High wallet adoption

85% of businesses accept it. More consumers are leaving their physical wallets at home, making Apple Pay an appealing payment option.

How to accept Apple Pay as a business

In-person payments

  1. Get an NFC-enabled payment terminal.
  2. Connect it to your point-of-sale (POS) software.
  3. Position the reader for customers.

Online

  1. Check whether your payments provider supports Apple Pay. Most do.
  2. Enable it in your checkout settings.
  3. Test the checkout flow.

On mobile apps

  1. Check your payments provider's documentation.
  2. Add the payment button to your checkout screen.
  3. Run your test transactions on an actual iPhone or iPad.

How much does Apple Pay cost per transaction?

Apple doesn’t charge businesses to accept Apple Pay. However, some payment providers may charge businesses processing fees. Stripe customers don’t pay additional fees to process Apple Pay.

How Stripe Payments can help

Stripe Payments provides a unified, global payments solution that helps businesses accept payments effectively.