By Tracey Dowdy 

Since it was introduced back in 2014, Apple Pay now dominates the mobile payments space in the U.S., surpassing even Starbucks. It’s taken a minute for the app to become so widely used – according to a report from Co-Op Financial Services found that as of January 2019, just 12% of Apple Pay users were based in the U.S., with 88% elsewhere. 

If you’re not familiar or if you’re unsure if it’s secure, understand that Apple Pay is basically a digital wallet on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch or Mac. It enables you to securely pay in restaurants, make purchases when online shopping or in retail stores, and make in-app purchases. You can even use it to send and receive money to friends and family through Messages. Since it’s introduction, Apple has added support for transit cards as well as loyalty cards.

And, even though there’s an image of your credit card in Apple’s digital Wallet, your card number is not stored on your phone or on Apple’s servers. Apple Pay uses a user-specific device number as well as a unique transaction code to process your payments and protect your private information. It’s actually faster and more secure than typing in the password for your debit card or swiping your credit card at checkout.

If you’re interested in setting up Apple Pay on any of your Apple devices, CNET has a great How To Use Apple Pay video that walks you through how to add credit and debit cards to Apple Pay, configure settings and use Apple Pay both in stores and online. Or, follow these simple steps to get started. It’s easier than you may think. 

Add a credit or debit card

• In Wallet, tap +. You will be asked to sign in with your Apple ID.
• Choose one of the following:
  • Add a new card: Position your iPhone so that your card appears in the frame, or enter the card details manually.
  • Add your previous cards: Select the card associated with your Apple ID, cards you use with Apple Pay on your other devices, or cards that you removed. Tap Continue, then enter the CVV number of each card.

You may be able to add your card from the app of the bank or card issuer.

 Next, set the default card and rearrange your cards.

Note: the first card you add to Wallet becomes your default card for payments. To set a different card as the default, move it to the front of the stack.

• In Wallet, choose your default card.
• Touch and hold the card, then drag it to the front of the stack.
• To reposition another card, touch and hold it, then drag it to a new location.

Tracey Dowdy is a freelance writer based just outside Washington DC. After years working for non-profits and charities, she now freelances, edits and researches on subjects ranging from family and education to history and trends in technology. Follow Tracey on Twitter.