The Ultimate Guide to using Apple Pay in Australia

Apple Pay, alongside other digital wallets, is helpful for people in the frequent flyer points game. It can simplify payments from your mobile device, and you’ll still earn rewards just as you would if you used a physical credit or debit card.

You also benefit from increased security and convenience and can ‘carry’ more cards with you to ensure you have the right card for the right payment in your digital wallet.

The goal of this guide is to walk you through what Apple Pay is, who it is available to, how it affects your rewards programs, and a general look at other features of the platform, including security.

If you are an Android user, we have a separate guide for you.

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How does Apple Pay work?

Apple Pay is a method of payment where you link your credit card to the Wallet app on your Apple device and use your phone to pay for items. This avoids you having to open your physical wallet or, worse still, remember which card is in which wallet or purse. It’s also handy if you’ve forgotten your wallet at home.

Apple Pay can be used anywhere you see the contactless or Apple Pay symbols. These days, that’s pretty much any retailer with EFTPOS facilities.

For points collectors, having multiple cards in Apple Pay can be incredibly convenient. Some credit cards, like the NAB Rewards Platinum, offer bonus points at eligible grocery stores. Or, you may have a business credit card that earns a higher points rate on certain expenses. So, if you’re trying to maximise your points earn, switching between multiple cards – and having them on you for convenience – can certainly help.

That’s where a digital wallet such as Apple Pay comes in. You’ll have the ability to select from multiple cards and decide which one best suits your current purchase, depending on the points-earning potential of the transaction.

Which cards can be used with Apple Pay?

As of 2025, more than 90 institutions, including banks and credit unions, offer Apple Pay in Australia.

Some examples include:

• American Express
• ANZ
• Bank of Melbourne
• BankSA
• Bankwest
• BOQ Specialist
• Citibank
• CommBank
• HSBC
• Macquarie
• NAB
• Qantas Money
• St.George
• UBank
• Westpac

View the full, up-to-date list of Australian banks and institutions that use Apple Pay on the Apple website.

How does Apple Pay work with rewards programs?

If you do have an eligible card, your ability to earn points through your card remains unchanged. Whether you use Apple Pay or carry out a traditional transaction with your physical card, your rate of points earning will remain exactly the same.

How do I set up and use Apple Pay?

Setting up Apple Pay on your device

Any of the newer iPhones, Apple Watches and iPads are ready to be used with Apple Pay. Check the Apple website to see if your device is included.

If you don’t have this card set up within your iTunes account, simply tap the ‘+‘ sign in your Wallet app and add your card’s details.

Using an iPhone at a point of purchase

iPhone models from the iPhone 6 up have been set up with a function called ‘Near Field Communication’ (NFC). You simply need to hold your iPhone near a contactless card reader (such as an EFTPOS machine or ‘Square’ reader) and authorise the transaction via Touch ID or Face ID.

Alternatively, you can double-click the Home button to go to the Wallet app, or navigate to the app.

How to make purchases with Apple Pay using an Apple Watch

Apple Watch owners simply need to double-click the side button on their watch and hold the watch near the contactless card reader. A tap and beep will confirm the payment has gone through.

Using Apple Pay when shopping online

When using certain web browsers on your iPhone, you can expedite the online shopping process with Apple Pay if the merchant supports it.

If you are browsing on your Mac or iPad and have your iPhone or Apple Watch next to you, then you can complete the process with your handheld device.

If you have a MacBook with Touch ID, then you can verify your identity that way.

Using Apple Pay within apps

Depending on support from the app developer, you can also use Apple Pay for in-app purchases, for example, with Uber Eats, making the payment very simple.

How secure is Apple Pay?

As soon as anyone mentions touchless technology, it’s only a matter of time before someone else sprouts the associated dangers (some perceived and some real). But this is what sets Apple Pay apart from using a physical card.

When using a credit card, your name and credit card number are shared and used across multiple platforms. Apple Pay removes the necessity for your name or credit card details to appear anywhere.

Apple Pay creates a Unique Account Device Number (UADN) which it assigns, encrypts and securely stores in ‘secure element’, a dedicated chip in your device.

When you make a purchase, the UADN along with a transaction-specific dynamic security code is used to process the payment, thereby bypassing the need for your name or details to be shared with anyone.

Should the unfortunate situation arise that you either lose your phone or have it stolen, you are able to use Apple’s Find My iPhone website or app, which can track, delete or suspend both payment details and all other information on your device.

You will no longer have to waste time on the phone to suspend or cancel a card that you have lost at home. You can locate it remotely, or suspend the payment feature until you have found your device. Replacement card details from some providers also automatically find their way into Apple Pay without you needing to set them up again.

Summing up

Consumers have formed strong habits around contactless options and Apple Pay achieves the aim of making transactions easier and more secure for those with access to it.

For points collectors who are heavy credit card users for their day-to-day transactions, the added security is appealing, as is the ability to easily switch between different cards.

Article originally written by Matt Moffitt. Featured image: Christiann Koepke, Unsplash.