passbookapplewatchapplepayApple restricted Apple Pay to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus due to the need for an NFC chip that's not included in older phones, which means Apple Pay has been limited to those with newer iPhones since it debuted in October of 2014.

One of the major perks of the Apple Watch is that it enables Apple Pay for some older iPhones because it has the same NFC chip that's in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. If you have an Apple Watch and an iPhone 5, 5c, or 5s, you can now use Apple Pay and the watch to make secure purchases in retail locations.

For those of you who haven't had a chance to use Apple Pay, we've written up a tutorial that walks through how to set it up on your watch.

Setting Up Apple Pay

How to Apple Pay on Apple Watch 5Even if you are already using Apple Pay on iPhone 6, you will need to add your credit and debit cards to Apple Pay for Apple Watch. You can add up to eight cards.

  1. Open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and then select My Watch.
  2. Select Passbook and Apple Pay.
  3. Tap "Add Credit or Debit Card.
  4. Apple will automatically ask you to enter the security code of the credit card that is on file for iTunes and the App Store. If you don't want to use this card, select "Add a different credit or debit card."
  5. When the camera viewfinder appears, position your credit or debit card inside the frame. The app will scan the card for relevant information.
  6. If the card does not automatically scan, you can enter the information manually.

applepayreadyapplewatch
Once the card is added, you will see that it is listed as "activating." When it has been activated, you will receive a notification on Apple Watch that the card is ready for Apple Pay.

Using Apple Pay

When you are ready, head out to one of the participating retail stores. At checkout, simply open Passbook and Apple Pay app on Apple Watch and select the card you wish to use.

usingapplepay
When prompted, you will double-click the Side button (the button normally used to access your favorite contacts list). Make sure you are close to the reader so it will register your Apple Watch via near-field communication.

Deleting Credit Cards

You can remove credit cards from Apple Pay through the app on Apple Watch. Tap to select the card, then firm press to delete it from the list. You can also remove a card using the Apple Watch app on the iPhone.

If Your Apple Watch is Lost or Stolen

Since Apple hasn't yet added Find My Apple Watch, you should probably first start by deleting your credit card information from Apple Watch

  1. Sign into your account via icloud.com.
  2. Select Settings, then My Devices.
  3. Choose Apple Watch and click Remove All.
  4. You can also put a hold on your cards by calling your bank or credit card issuer directly.

Using Passbook

applewatchusingpassbookWithin the same app, you can use your Passbook loyalty and gift cards. Set up cards on your iPhone using the Passbook App.

When you are near the location of a store that you have a card saved in Passbook for, you will receive a notification on Apple Watch. Tap the notification to open Passbook and scroll to the relevant card. When ready, show the barcode on Apple Watch to the employee that will be scanning your card.

If you rearrange or delete old cards on Passbook on your iPhone, all changes will be reflected on Apple Watch.

Apple's contactless payment service uses a security feature that creates a unique Device Account Number that is assigned to cards once they are installed in Apple Pay. These encrypted card numbers, as well as a transaction-specific dynamic security code, are used at payment kiosks instead of your actual credit card numbers. So, not only is your transaction safer from hacking issues, but your personal information is no longer transmitted to the merchant.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch 10, Apple Pay
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)

Top Rated Comments

Jimi72 Avatar
132 months ago
Step 1: Move to the US
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BillyTrimble Avatar
132 months ago
What does this have to do with rumors or news I care about? A guide is totally off point for this site. Editors...start pulling your site back to its purpose or we'll jump. Full on content fail here.

"We'll"??? Who is we?

It's fine with me. To you I say, bye bye.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
staveb Avatar
132 months ago
What does this have to do with rumors or news I care about? A guide is totally off point for this site. Editors...start pulling your site back to its purpose or we'll jump. Full on content fail here.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
krewger Avatar
132 months ago
What does this have to do with rumors or news I care about? A guide is totally off point for this site. Editors...start pulling your site back to its purpose or we'll jump. Full on content fail here.

These guides are redundant and a blatant attempt to get search engine hits for macrumors for people trying to set this stuff up. Apple has a full site set up with tutorials on how to do all this. Macrumors needs to quit repeating what Apple already has posted on their user guided tours on apple.com. https://www.apple.com/watch/guided-tours/#film-apple-pay
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
pilot3033 Avatar
132 months ago
You don't need to open the passbook app, you can double press the friends/side button to go directly to Apple Pay from anywhere on the watch.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
lk400 Avatar
132 months ago
This doesn't work for me. A very detailed guide, but seems to be missing the only valid piece of information - this doesn't work outside of the USA. Does macrumors really assume everyone is in the USA?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Feature 1

iPhone 17 Pro Coming Soon With These 14 New Features

Monday June 30, 2025 1:08 pm PDT by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are less than three months away, and there are plenty of rumors about the devices. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max in September this year. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models:Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an...
A18 Pro Chip

New MacBook With A18 Pro Chip Spotted in Apple Code

Monday June 30, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
Apple is developing a MacBook with the A18 Pro chip, according to findings in backend code uncovered by MacRumors. Earlier today, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip. The machine is expected to feature a 13-inch display, the A18 Pro chip, and color options that include silver, blue, pink, and yellow. MacRumors...
iPhone 17 Pro Lower Logo Magsafe

iPhone 17 Pro's New MagSafe Design Revealed in Leaked Photo

Wednesday July 2, 2025 8:37 am PDT by
The upcoming iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are rumored to have a slightly different MagSafe magnet layout compared to existing iPhone models, and a leaked photo has offered a closer look at the supposed new design. The leaker Majin Bu today shared a photo of alleged MagSafe magnet arrays for third-party iPhone 17 Pro cases. On existing iPhone models with MagSafe, the magnets form a...
Apple Watch Ultra Night Mode Screen

Apple Watch Ultra 3 Launching Later This Year With Two Key Upgrades

Wednesday July 2, 2025 1:13 pm PDT by
The long wait for an Apple Watch Ultra 3 appears to be nearly over, and it is rumored to feature both satellite connectivity and 5G support. Apple Watch Ultra's existing Night Mode In his latest Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 is on track to launch this year with "significant" new features, including satellite connectivity, which would let you...
macbook air spacegray purple

Apple Planning to Launch Low-Cost MacBook Powered By iPhone Chip

Monday June 30, 2025 3:20 am PDT by
Apple is planning to launch a low-cost MacBook powered by an iPhone chip, according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. In an article published on X, Kuo explained that the device will feature a 13-inch display and the A18 Pro chip, making it the first Mac powered by an iPhone chip. The A18 Pro chip debuted in the iPhone 16 Pro last year. To date, all Apple silicon Macs have contained M-series...
iOS 18

Apple Releases Second iOS 18.6 Public Beta

Tuesday July 1, 2025 10:19 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the second betas of upcoming iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 updates to public beta testers, with the betas coming just a day after Apple provided the betas to developers. Apple has also released a second beta of macOS Sequoia 15.6. Testers who have signed up for beta updates through Apple's beta site can download iOS 18.6 and iPadOS 18.6 from the Settings app on a compatible...
Wi Fi WiFi General Feature

iOS 26 Adds a Useful New Wi-Fi Feature to Your iPhone

Wednesday July 2, 2025 6:36 am PDT by
iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 add a smaller yet useful Wi-Fi feature to iPhones and iPads. As spotted by Creative Strategies analyst Max Weinbach, sign-in details for captive Wi-Fi networks are now synced across iPhones and iPads running iOS 26 and iPadOS 26. For example, while Weinbach was staying at a Hilton hotel, his iPhone prompted him to fill in Wi-Fi details from his iPad that was already...
maxresdefault

Five Features Coming to AirPods Pro 3

Friday June 27, 2025 10:52 am PDT by
Apple hasn't updated the AirPods Pro since 2022, and the earbuds are due for a refresh. We're counting on a new model this year, and we've seen several hints of new AirPods tucked away in Apple's code. Rumors suggest that Apple has some exciting new features planned that will make it worthwhile to upgrade to the latest model. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Heal...
replay all time playlist apple music

Apple Music Debuts All-New Personalized Playlist

Monday June 30, 2025 7:16 am PDT by
As part of its 10-year celebrations of Apple Music, Apple today released an all-new personalized playlist that collates your entire listening history. The playlist, called "Replay All Time," expands on Apple Music's existing Replay features. Previously, users could only see their top songs for each individual calendar year that they've been subscribed to Apple Music, but now, Replay All...