Is Apple Pay Safe? Important things to know

Is Apple Pay safe? Yes, it protects your card information with multiple layers of security, keeping your transactions private and making it hard for anyone but you to use your account. Features like biometric authentication and encrypted payment data make it even more secure.

Below, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Apple Pay. We’ll explain why it’s safe, outline potential security risks, and offer practical tips to keep your account secure when using it for everyday payments.

Is Apple Pay safe to use?

Yes, Apple Pay is safe to use and is considered much safer than using physical cards for in-person and online payments. For one, you don’t have to share your payment details with any online store, reducing the risk of exposure in a data breach.

This also means hackers can’t snoop around for your card data on insecure public networks. Nor can they use a skimming device to sneakily make unauthorized charges while you’re out and about.

Best of all, you can remotely lock the feature if your iPhone gets lost or stolen. No headaches from canceling credit cards, and you can keep using Apple Pay on your other devices.

Why is Apple Pay safe? A closer look at its security features

Apple Pay keeps your payments safe with a layered security system, which includes biometric and passcode authentication, tokenized payment details so they can’t be intercepted, secure end-to-end encryption, and working alongside the “Find My” feature to protect your data if your phone is lost or stolen.

Here is how each feature makes Apple Pay safer than credit cards and others:

Biometrics and passcodes

You have to authorize transactions made through Apple Pay with biometrics (like Face ID or Touch ID) or your passcode. That way, no one but you can use Apple Pay even if your device is stolen—as opposed to credit or debit cards, which thieves can easily misuse.

Plus, cards are vulnerable to “tap-and-go” skimming, where a thief with a handheld reader can pick up the card’s radio signal and make small charges without you realizing. An RFID-blocking wallet or sleeve can block that signal, but you’re out of luck if your credit card gets stolen.

Secure transactions through tokenization

Apple Pay uses tokenization to keep your card number and other info hidden. Basically, the service creates a random code for each purchase instead of sending the real number. This code only works once, so even if someone intercepts it, they can’t reuse it.

This method means stores never see your actual card details. Even if a company you shop with experiences a data breach, thieves can’t grab anything useful.

End-to-end encryption (E2EE)

When you use Apple Pay, your card information goes through multiple encryption steps. Each part of the process keeps your data secure and prevents anyone, even Apple, from seeing your real card number. Here’s how it works:

1. You add a card to Apple Pay, and your device uses complex algorithms to encrypt (or scramble) the card info before sending it to Apple.
2. Apple checks which payment network the card uses, then re-scrambles the details with a key only your bank can read.
3. Your bank then creates a unique Device Account Number to replace your real card number and returns it to Apple.
4. Your device stores this number in the Secure Element, a special chip that handles NFC payments and keeps your card credentials isolated and unreadable even to Apple.

As you can see, your info remains hidden at every step, minimizing the chances of credit card fraud or identity theft. Even if someone tries to intercept the data, they can’t use it, making your payments much safer than with a physical card

Lost or stolen device protection

If you lose your Apple device, you can activate Lost Mode through the Find My feature. This locks the device with a passcode and prevents Apple Pay from being used until you unlock it.

Lost Mode also lets you display a message on the screen with contact info and track the device’s location. You can even erase it remotely if needed, keeping your payment information safe from anyone who finds it.

Security risks of Apple Pay

Apple Pay’s features make it a much safer payment alternative than most. However, no security system is hackproof. Here are some ways Apple Pay can be compromised:

• Falling for Apple Pay scams: Hackers rely on social engineering tactics to get you to send them money, such as claiming to be a trusted contact or seller. Apple can’t refund you if you get scammed, so you’d have to contact your bank or credit card provider.
• Losing your Apple ID to phishing: Scammers often run phishing scams to lure you onto fake websites that mimic Apple or other services. Once you log in, they obtain your Apple ID credentials, which they can exploit for their own gain.
• Malware or spyware on your device: In our Android vs iPhone security comparison, we noted that malware targeting iOS is becoming more common, and could potentially steal your sensitive data or grant hackers access to Apple Pay.
• Stolen device has weak security: If someone steals your phone or Apple Watch and you only have a 4-number passcode (with no Face ID/Touch ID), they could break in and make unauthorized transactions or steal personal information.

How to secure Apple Pay

Apple Pay is highly secure on its own. That said, you still need to be wary against scammers, use built-in iOS security features, and install the latest fixes to ensure it stays that way. Follow these tips to use Apply Pay safely:

• Use a strong passcode (and never share it): Choose a unique passcode for your device and don’t share it with anyone to prevent unauthorized access.
• Consider biometric authentication: Turn on Face ID or Touch ID so only you can unlock your device and approve Apple Pay transactions.
• Enable the “Find My” feature: Activate Find My iPhone to locate, lock, or erase your device if it gets lost or stolen.
• Use “Hide My Email” for better privacy: This iOS feature lets you generate random, unique email addresses when signing up for apps or services to keep your real email private. Any email you receive will be forwarded to your real one.
• Update your system regularly: Install iOS updates as soon as they’re available to patch security holes and protect against malware.
• Stay safe on public Wi-Fi with a VPN: Use a trusted iOS VPN when connecting to public networks to encrypt your data and block potential snoopers.
• Keep an eye on your transaction history: Regularly review your Apple Pay activity to spot any unauthorized charges early and take action immediately.
• Be vigilant against Apple Pay scams: Don’t click on sketchy links and double-check payment requests to avoid falling for a scam.

Is Apple Pay Safe? FAQs

Further reading: Is Plaid safe to use?