Apple Pay and Apple Wallet are closely connected, but they serve different purposes. Apple Wallet is the app where you can store payment cards, tickets, passes, keys and other digital items, while Apple Pay is the payment service that lets you use eligible cards to make purchases.
The confusion is understandable because payment cards are added to Apple Pay through the Wallet app. Once a supported credit, debit or prepaid card is added, you can use it for contactless payments, purchases in apps and payments on participating websites.
What Is Apple Wallet?
Apple Wallet is a digital wallet built into the iPhone and other Apple devices. It gives you one place to store supported cards and credentials that you might otherwise carry in physical form.
Depending on your country and the services available there, Wallet can hold credit and debit cards, transit cards, boarding passes, event tickets, loyalty cards, student IDs, car keys, home keys and other digital credentials.
Wallet itself is not a payment service or bank account. It is the app used to store and manage supported cards and other digital items.
What Is Apple Pay?
Apple Pay is Apple’s payment service. It lets you use an eligible credit, debit or prepaid card through a supported Apple device instead of using the physical card.
When you add a supported payment card to Apple Wallet, it becomes available for Apple Pay. You can then authenticate a purchase with Face ID, Touch ID or your device passcode, depending on the device.
Apple Pay can be used at supported contactless payment terminals and for purchases within participating apps and websites. Availability depends on your country, card issuer, merchant and device.
How Apple Pay And Wallet Work Together
The simplest way to understand the difference is to think of Wallet as the place where your digital cards and credentials are stored, while Apple Pay is the system that handles payments made with eligible cards.
For example, when you add a credit card to Wallet, the card is configured for use with Apple Pay. When you later hold your iPhone near a compatible payment terminal and authenticate the purchase, Apple Pay handles the transaction.
You usually do not need to open the Wallet app manually for a contactless payment. On supported iPhones, double-clicking the side button brings up your default payment card so you can authenticate the purchase.
Can You Use Apple Wallet Without Apple Pay?
Yes. Many items stored in Apple Wallet have nothing to do with payments.
You can use Wallet to store a boarding pass, concert ticket, loyalty card or compatible digital key without using Apple Pay for that item.
Payment cards are different because Apple Pay is the service that enables those cards to be used for supported purchases.
Can You Use Apple Pay Without Opening Wallet?
Yes. You do not need to open the Wallet app every time you make an Apple Pay purchase.
Once a payment card is set up, you can access it through the device’s Apple Pay controls when making a supported payment. On an iPhone with Face ID, for example, you can double-click the side button, authenticate and hold the device near a contactless reader.
Apple Pay can also be used within participating apps and websites without manually opening Wallet.
Apple Pay And Apple Wallet At A Glance
| Apple Wallet | Apple Pay |
|---|---|
| An app on Apple devices | A payment service |
| Stores cards, passes, tickets and keys | Handles payments using eligible cards |
| Can hold non-payment items | Primarily used for payments |
| Used to add and manage payment cards | Used when making supported payments |
| Features vary by country and device | Availability varies by country, bank and merchant |
Which One Are You Using?
If you add a credit card, boarding pass, transit card or digital key to your iPhone, you are using Apple Wallet.
If you use an eligible payment card on your iPhone or Apple Watch to pay at a supported terminal, or use the service for an eligible online or in-app purchase, you are using Apple Pay.
The two work together, but they are not the same thing. Apple Wallet is where your digital cards and credentials are stored, while Apple Pay is the payment service that lets you use eligible payment cards.
