Here’s everything you need to know about Apple Pay.

Earlier this week, Doha News reported on the launch of Apple Pay in Qatar with QNB. Dukhan Bank also announced that Apple Pay is coming to its customers.

First announced by the tech giant in 2014, Apple Pay is a feature that allows iPhone users to make secure payments using their devices. It’s intended to replace physical cards for in-person and online transactions. Over the past seven years, the service has seen increased growth as it became available in more regions.

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As a result, 5% of international transactions took place through Apple Pay in 2020.

Despite its established presence, it’s wise for consumers to question the safety of any service that involves the use of their banking information. To help with this, we will answer your most common questions regarding Apple Pay.

Can someone steal my phone and make payments with it?

Apple Pay requires authentication using Touch ID, Face ID, or passcode before allowing a user to make a payment. 

On iPhone and Mac, users are prompted with authentication whenever they’re about to purchase something, even if the device is unlocked. iPhones without a passcode enabled cannot use Apple Pay.

An unlocked Apple Watch can make payments without requiring a password when Apple Pay is present. That’s because the Apple Watch automatically locks itself as soon as you take it off your wrist, so if someone steals your watch, it will be locked anyway.

This is different from a physical bank card, which a thief can use without requiring authentication. This is particularly risky with contactless payments as they don’t need a PIN or OTP.

In contrast, someone stealing your Apple device cannot use it for payments unless they know your passcode.

Can I disable Apple Pay if I lose my phone?

You can also turn off Apple Pay from your Apple ID online portal or by calling your bank. Doing so will require you to re-setup the service, though.

Apple Pay shines over physical cards because you immediately regain payment access if you find your missing device.

On the other hand, if you call your bank to disable a physical card, you won’t be able to use it again if you happen to find it yourself. This leads to delays in cancelling a card as people hope to find it themselves, often leading to security risks.

Who gets my card information?

Apple doesn’t store your card number either. Instead, it sends an encrypted version of it to your bank for authentication before generating your DAN. 

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As such, neither Apple nor any merchants store your card’s details.

Can I use Apple Pay without an internet connection?

Apple Pay uses Near Field Communication (NFC) to make payments similar to a contactless card. Your DAN is sent to the merchant using NFC, and the payment can be made without requiring an internet connection.

Where can I use Apple Pay?

Since Apple Pay uses the same technology that’s used by contactless cards, it can be used anywhere that contactless payments are accepted. Merchants can manually disable Apple Pay if they want to, though it’s unlikely that any would do so.

Why should I use Apple Pay?

There are several reasons to start using Apple Pay other than the significant increase in security.

A noticeable benefit is the convenience provided by the service. Making payments using your iPhone a breeze. If you have an Apple Watch, it’s the quickest way to make secure purchases.

Apple Pay also sends a notification whenever a payment is made, making it easy to keep track of your purchase history.

As the service gains traction in the country, you will find Apple Pay available for online payments. It is a lot quicker to use Apple Pay in digital menus than having to type out your card information.

The combination of security and convenience features make Apple Pay a no-brainer for users whose bank supports it.

My bank doesn’t support Apple Pay yet. What can I do?

You don’t necessarily need to switch banks today to start using Apple Pay. We recommend you reach out to your bank to ask if they plan on adopting the payment service.

In other countries, we find that when one bank supports Apple Pay, others quickly follow its lead and adopt it too. So it’s likely that we’ll see more banks supporting Apple Pay shortly.

If you have any other questions regarding Apple Pay, feel free to ask them in the comments, and we’ll happily answer them for you.

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