Apple Watch Users Embracing Apple Pay for Everyday Purchases

Apple Pay on iPhone is a convenient and secure way to make payments without taking a debit or credit card out of your wallet, but you still need to take the smartphone out of your pocket to make a purchase. For that reason, Apple Pay has proven more transformative on Apple Watch, since the device is worn on the wrist and readily available for contactless payments.

The latest data from research firm Wristly supports that notion, with 80% of the over 1,000 respondents surveyed in the U.S. and U.K. claiming they have used Apple Pay on an Apple Watch at least once. The remaining 20% of respondents indicated they "do not perceive a benefit" to Apple Pay, have security concerns or believe their payment needs are already being met.

Wristly Apple Pay First Use
Just over half (51%) of respondents described using Apple Pay on the Apple Watch as "magical," an adjective often used by late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, while 42% indicated that the service is "convenient." An additional 3% of respondents said Apple Pay is "good," but with some areas of concern, and the remaining 4% of users found Apple Pay "not that useful."

Given the choice, 79% of respondents preferred to use Apple Pay on the Apple Watch and 9% preferred to use the mobile payments service on an iPhone. The survey panel most commonly used Apple Pay for everyday shopping (81%), in addition to recurring services such as Starbucks (60%), bigger purchases (35%), in-app purchases (29%) and other purchases (11%)…

Wristly Apple Pay Preference
Wristly's sixteenth weekly Apple Watch Insider's Report [PDF] details other statistics and usage cases for Apple Pay on Apple Watch, including brand impact, purchase frequency, average number of debit and credit cards set up, agree statements and more.

Wristly previously shared Apple Watch customer satisfaction data, cited by Apple CEO Tim Cook during the company's most recent quarterly earnings call, and health and fitness data that showed healthy lifestyle changes among early adopters.

Apple Watch users interested in joining Wristly's panel can sign up on the firm's website.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 11, Apple Pay
Tag: Wristly
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
top stories 2025 12 04a

Top Stories: iOS 26.2 Coming Soon, Apple Execs Depart, and More

Saturday December 6, 2025 6:00 am PST by
You'd expect things to be starting to wind down for the holidays by now, but that doesn't seem to be the case yet in the world of Apple news, with Apple just about ready to release iOS 26.2 and other operating system updates to the public. There was also a flurry of news this week about Apple executive departures, some expected and some not so expected, while we also learned that Apple and...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...

Top Rated Comments

bbeagle Avatar
135 months ago
Society is getting lazier and lazier. Too much effort with a wallet eh? Sheesh.
So anything convenient is lazy?

I guess Remote controls are just for lazy people?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
patjem Avatar
135 months ago
It's not exactly payment but I stayed in Brussels last weekend at a SPG hotel that allowed me to open the hotel door with Apple Watch. A great experience http://verkeersbureaus.info/contributors/2015/08/18/67020-met-apple-watch-je-hotelkamer-openen/
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
friedmud Avatar
135 months ago
You gotta draw the line somewhere. Seen the movie Wall-E yet? Once everything becomes convenient as you say, we will be doing next to nothing. Just sayin'
Wall-E is satire... Not a foretelling!

Since I got the watch I've used Apple Pay (and Starbucks and movie tickets and plane tickets) on it everywhere I can.

I've also lost 20 pounds, using the activity rings to motivate me.

Is it possible that convenience gives us more time to do the things we want (like exercise, spending time with family, playing with the dog, going on an evening walk) rather than the things we have to do (like paying for stuff)?

Nah - convenience must be all about just making us fat and lazy /s
Score: 19 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Roller Avatar
135 months ago
Apple Pay on the watch is very convenient. Unfortunately, not enough retailers accept Apple Pay yet.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Rogifan Avatar
135 months ago
I concur with this. Easy to use and it's never not worked for me. Now we just need Pay in more locations.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RichTF Avatar
135 months ago
I have been behind a few people trying to use Apple Pay on their watch and it certainly isn't convenient for me to watch them make several attempts before pulling out their wallets and paying in cash.
And yet I've never had it fail once. Interesting. :rolleyes:
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)