Apple Pay in the UAE | First Hand

Apple Pay in the UAE | First-Hand

photo credits to APPLE

Time Flies So...Fast

As the year goes by, Digital Mobile Payment is on the cloud-nine now, whereas else the traditional mode of payment still exists- cash.  Yeah, Right. It's a bit hefty to carry cash along with you. Especially coins.

Living in the most advanced and technological country- The United Arab Emirates, Technology rises fast. From unmanned operating metro networks to automated self-driverless cars. And now, Digital mobile payments.

When, Where, and Why?

Apple Pay launched in the UAE, 2 years ago. And it seems that most of the consumers are now adopting this mode of payment. Apple's marketing campaign seems promising too.

 I'm working in retail and I do handle cashiering as well, So what I noticed was, that out of ten customers, 3 or 4 of them use this mode of payment rather than taking out their credit or debit card.

Several UAE banks have been available since the day that Apple launched the digital wallet in the region.
Some banks in the UAE can be found on this list and merchants as well.

This year, I transitioned to another bank with which Apple Pay is available.
And I was able to enjoy using this feature on my device. Paying at restaurants or coffee shops.

What is Apple Pay? 

So for those people who are new to the Apple Ecosystem. What is Apple Pay?
-Well, it's a contactless payment technology exclusive only for Apple devices such as iPads, selected Macbooks, and newer iPhone devices, starting from the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch as well.

It allows you not to carry along with you, your credit or debit card. Instead, it was designed to move consumers from the physical wallet and where your debit or credit card is inside your iPhone or Apple watch, allowing you to pay using your device most securely.

Extras.

You can track your expenses as well, by browsing on the built-in Apple Pay Application below (formerly Apple Wallet). It does store your boarding pass and hotel bookings as well.

I bought some Chinese and Filipino food, so it stores all the details, think about the digital receipt same as the receipt printed on the terminal.

Which cards support Apple Pay?

It does support most of the major credit and debit card providers like Visa, Mastercard, and American Express. You can check more information on this list.

Is it safe to use? 

Well, When it comes to money, we want to make sure that all of the funds in our bank accounts are secured. Totally, that no one can hack.  As Apple promised, Safety is their first priority to the consumers.  So they are taking it seriously especially if money is involved.
Technically, Apple Pay uses a "token-based system" by placing your finger on the touch ID or scanning your face via face ID, It allows the transaction to go through, but payment and personal information are kept safe in case you lose or your phone is stolen.

Also, iOS devices have their own "Device Account Manager" wherein encrypts all the data within the chip of the device. So to make it short, When you make a payment using Apple Pay, It does not share the actual debit or credit card number to the merchant, thus it passes through a transaction dynamic security code. So yeah, Secure and safe.

What about the experience?

Personally, I'm not biased with Apple. I've been to the ecosystem of Apple for a long time,  Though, there are some pros and cons when using digital wallet payment. Not only for Apple but also for its counterparts like Android Pay (former Google Wallet) and Samsung Pay, not all merchants support Apple Pay. In this era, There are still a lot of things to prioritize. Little by little, society will accept this kind of transition. Not now, Not later but shortly.  , I am totally satisfied with this type of service, and it keeps me fascinated about all these things that Apple introduced. They are not the first hand to introduce this type of service, Paypal has done this for a long time but as time passes by, It is not the first who make this payment rather it's all about the experience that the user can gain from the brand. Which I totally enjoy since the beginning.


Thanks for reading my blog and don't forget to subscribe and join my mailing list. Follow me on my social media accounts too 😀

--Ceddy