Italy + Apple Pay = bliss
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 409
Italy + Apple Pay = bliss
I'm in the midst of an Italy trip, and I've never used Apple Pay so broadly. I love it. So many establishments support contactless, which means they support Apple Pay. I am 20 for 20 in my usage attempts, from store shops to restaurants. How fun this is!
#2
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: San Francisco, California
Programs: Amex Centurion, United Global Services
Posts: 847
Just came back from two weeks in Australia and I didn't use cash or a regular credit card even once. Apple Pay, all the way, it was amazing! From the hotels to the guy selling cashews on the street. it really was awesome, it's the way I wish the States would be! Even China is ahead of us on this.
A woman was visiting here from China and said she was really disappointed. She thought since we invent all this stuff (Apple Pay, Android Pay, etc) that surely we can use that stuff everywhere in the US. She was shocked at how few places took electronic payments and how few people use it. She had to use her traditional credit card and said it had been years since she ever used it, didn't even know if it would work.
A woman was visiting here from China and said she was really disappointed. She thought since we invent all this stuff (Apple Pay, Android Pay, etc) that surely we can use that stuff everywhere in the US. She was shocked at how few places took electronic payments and how few people use it. She had to use her traditional credit card and said it had been years since she ever used it, didn't even know if it would work.
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: San Diego, CA
Programs: GE, Marriott Platinum
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Just came back from two weeks in Australia and I didn't use cash or a regular credit card even once. Apple Pay, all the way, it was amazing! From the hotels to the guy selling cashews on the street. it really was awesome, it's the way I wish the States would be! Even China is ahead of us on this.
A woman was visiting here from China and said she was really disappointed. She thought since we invent all this stuff (Apple Pay, Android Pay, etc) that surely we can use that stuff everywhere in the US. She was shocked at how few places took electronic payments and how few people use it. She had to use her traditional credit card and said it had been years since she ever used it, didn't even know if it would work.
A woman was visiting here from China and said she was really disappointed. She thought since we invent all this stuff (Apple Pay, Android Pay, etc) that surely we can use that stuff everywhere in the US. She was shocked at how few places took electronic payments and how few people use it. She had to use her traditional credit card and said it had been years since she ever used it, didn't even know if it would work.
Anyway, the main issue is lack of standardization combined with a dislike (or at least ambivalence) towards the card networks. In other countries, chip was mandated a lot sooner and terminals are basically swapped out fairly frequently due to being owned/administered by the banks. Here, businesses own the terminals, and they typically don't bother upgrading unless they absolutely have to--and even then, they usually go with the minimum that they can get away with (which currently doesn't include contactless/mobile payment, at least in a form that customers can easily use).
Fortunately, it's slowly getting better, but it might be another 5-10 years before it's as commonly usable as it is in, say, Europe. Unfortunately I can think of some categories of merchants that might never commonly adopt it (such as restaurants), simply because customers using the terminal is still frowned upon at those.
BTW I can imagine the comments on various forums 5-10 years from now in response to an American using a contactless card for the first time. Think stuff along the lines of "oh, we've had that for a couple of decades now" and "you're still inserting cards?" Maybe we're always going to be doomed to be a minimum of a decade or two behind in anything banking related.
#4
Ambassador: Emirates Airlines
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Manchester, UK
Posts: 18,611
This always gets me... In Europe, we'd never let the card out of our sight (it could get skimmed), but it seems normal in US restaurants for the wait staff to disappear with your card and then bring the final check.
#5
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 3,785
That's funny because a few years ago my cousin from UK came to visit. She insisted on paying for one of the meal, so we let her. When it was time to pay, we told her that in the US, they take your credit to to the back to charge, so she gave it to the waiter. But a minute later, he came back and ask "Does it have a pin? Can you tell me what it is?" She just looked at him funny, "You want me to tell you my pin? Really?" It was kind of funny. She ended up going to the back with him and punch in her pin.
#6
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That's funny because a few years ago my cousin from UK came to visit. She insisted on paying for one of the meal, so we let her. When it was time to pay, we told her that in the US, they take your credit to to the back to charge, so she gave it to the waiter. But a minute later, he came back and ask "Does it have a pin? Can you tell me what it is?" She just looked at him funny, "You want me to tell you my pin? Really?" It was kind of funny. She ended up going to the back with him and punch in her pin.
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 409
A few more comments. Even if the merchant says it won't work, push them to let you try. It almost certainly will. Some card machines have an actual contactless logo on them, but some don't. Those often will have the logo show on the screen. Always ask - don't think that because you don't see a printed logo that it does t support contactless. On my trip so far I only had one place that had an old card machine that didn't support contactless.
#8
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: San Francisco/Sydney
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Posts: 8,156
If you're unlucky they'll then try and compare the signature with the one on the back of the card, which will likely result in them claiming it doesn't match, or that the card itself isn't actually signed...
#10
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP; BoNVoY Tit LTP
Posts: 1,923
A few more comments. Even if the merchant says it won't work, push them to let you try. It almost certainly will. Some card machines have an actual contactless logo on them, but some don't. Those often will have the logo show on the screen. Always ask - don't think that because you don't see a printed logo that it does t support contactless. On my trip so far I only had one place that had an old card machine that didn't support contactless.
#11
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Well I'm in Italy and most of the time it works.
But I've refilled the gas 3 or 4 times and never has it ever once worked. First of all the payment system at the pumps are old and do not have contactless at all.
I just filled up today where you fill up and pay inside but they said their contactless terminal wasn't working.
One thing I notice sometimes is that they hold up those portable terminals up to your phone and while I try to select the card I want to use before authenticating FingerID, they pull away the terminal, thinking I've already authenticated it when I was swiping to select the card I wanted to use.
But I've refilled the gas 3 or 4 times and never has it ever once worked. First of all the payment system at the pumps are old and do not have contactless at all.
I just filled up today where you fill up and pay inside but they said their contactless terminal wasn't working.
One thing I notice sometimes is that they hold up those portable terminals up to your phone and while I try to select the card I want to use before authenticating FingerID, they pull away the terminal, thinking I've already authenticated it when I was swiping to select the card I wanted to use.
#12
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 409
My experience with gas stations is similar, in that most do not support contactless. I hope that changes, but I don't expect it to. Probably not worth the cost to them.
In terms of Apple Pay, I didn't have that experience, but my suggestion is to just get the card ready in advance.
EDIT: Found this online for you to try. I don't have a Touch ID phone so can't confirm, but it sounds right
In terms of Apple Pay, I didn't have that experience, but my suggestion is to just get the card ready in advance.
EDIT: Found this online for you to try. I don't have a Touch ID phone so can't confirm, but it sounds right
- Double-click the Home button (or open Wallet if you do not have that shortcut method enabled) > select your preferred card > place your finger on the Touch ID sensor until you see "Hold Near Reader to Pay"To enable the double-click shortcut, turn on the setting in Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay.
- You then have 60 seconds to pay using that card by holding the top of your iPhone near the contactless reader.
- During this time, you do not need to keep your finger on the Touch ID sensor or to place it there again.
Well I'm in Italy and most of the time it works.
But I've refilled the gas 3 or 4 times and never has it ever once worked. First of all the payment system at the pumps are old and do not have contactless at all.
I just filled up today where you fill up and pay inside but they said their contactless terminal wasn't working.
One thing I notice sometimes is that they hold up those portable terminals up to your phone and while I try to select the card I want to use before authenticating FingerID, they pull away the terminal, thinking I've already authenticated it when I was swiping to select the card I wanted to use.
But I've refilled the gas 3 or 4 times and never has it ever once worked. First of all the payment system at the pumps are old and do not have contactless at all.
I just filled up today where you fill up and pay inside but they said their contactless terminal wasn't working.
One thing I notice sometimes is that they hold up those portable terminals up to your phone and while I try to select the card I want to use before authenticating FingerID, they pull away the terminal, thinking I've already authenticated it when I was swiping to select the card I wanted to use.
Last edited by PackingIt; Jul 28, 2019 at 10:28 am
#14
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Visa and MC are requiring contactless to be supported by terminals in Europe. That said, it might require explanation to convince a cashier to let you try paying with a phone if it's somewhere that commonly has charges over the country's contactless limit (like gas stations) and Apple/Google Pay aren't supported by the banks in that country.
#15
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2014
Posts: 409
If the gas station is attended it is possible it will take contactless. Contactless is common in Italy - there is rarely a need for an explanation if it is available. But almost all of the unattended stations I used had pretty old payment machines. I'd be surprised to see those updated any time soon.
Visa and MC are requiring contactless to be supported by terminals in Europe. That said, it might require explanation to convince a cashier to let you try paying with a phone if it's somewhere that commonly has charges over the country's contactless limit (like gas stations) and Apple/Google Pay aren't supported by the banks in that country.