People have to buy a lot of things every day, and the convenience of such tasks is important. But payments are usually followed by carrying a lot of cash, different cards, and other stuff. This is the reason why many people try to keep their funds online. 

And today, we are going to talk about the main advantage of Apple Pay. It is time to see what are the main benefits of using this service for all types of routines.

Apple Pay Is Simple To Use

The main advantage of Apple Pay is that it is extremely simple to use. This is the default application that you don’t even have to install. The main advantages are the following:

• The user-friendly interface. All the navigation of all your cards is available via this service, so you will have no issues with finding the correct card;
• The simplicity of adding cards. You can add a brand-new card the moment you got it, so it will also be helpful for many people. 

Even the user with average skills will be able to use Apple Pay successfully. However, the website has a lot more features to offer. 

The Accessibility Of The Service

A lot of people use Apple Pay daily, and with it, they can access the app whenever and however they want. This is because this application has a lot of great advantages, that provide you with great convenience. 

• Apple Pay can be used even without an Internet connection. You don’t have to be connected to the network to pay for your stuff. For this reason, Apple Pay can be used in areas, where the overall connection is bad. 
• You can use Apple Pay to complete online transactions. By scanning the QR code you can pay for different services, or you can pay for online features if the website supports Apple Pay. 
• If you have no phone with you, or its battery went empty, you can use your Apple Watch. Your Apple account will be synced immediately, and you will be able to use your watch to pay for different services. 

Apple Watch opens a wide range of services, and people can pay with it both online and offline, which makes this service extremely beneficial. 

You Can Add Any Sort Of Cards To This Service

The service is available for all iPhone users, and it works with all types of cards to make the experience comfortable for you. For this reason, Apple Pay can support:

• Regular credit and debit cards. All you have to do is to enter the digits from your card into the application, and it will give you the option to use them the way you want. 
• Virtual cards. This app works perfectly with virtual cards. The main advantage of it is that you can create your card and add it immediately. This way, you will be able to start working right ahead. 

Also, different prepaid cards can be added. It also comes as a nice option, which can help you while you are on a business trip. 

But if you were wondering about the security measures, you can be sure this application is fully safe. First, to use your card, you have to enter all the information about it. Such information is not available to third-party sides. Secondly, if you lose your phone or someone steals it, they will not be able to use Apple Pay without Face ID verification. Very comfortable. 

How to get started?

If you have a co-branded card solution provided, you can use Apple Pay by following these steps:

• Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
• Tap the plus sign in the upper right corner.
• Follow the prompts to add your co-branded card solution partner's card to your Apple Wallet.
• Once your card is added, you can use Apple Pay to make purchases in-store, online, and in-app wherever Apple Pay is accepted.

It's worth noting that the availability of Apple Pay may depend on your co-branded card solution partner's policies and partnerships, so it's a good idea to check with them to ensure that you can use Apple Pay with your specific card.

How To Use Wallester With Apple Pay?

If you are interested in what service will greatly complement Apple Pay, there is an answer for you. Wallester is a brilliant co-branded solution for people who want to improve the experience of using Apple Pay. 

• With the help of Wallester you can create as many cards as you need. For this reason, you can immediately add your virtual card to Apple Pay to start using it immediately. 
• As an owner of a company, you can give access to cards to your workers, which will let them use Apple Pay for different transactions for your company. It will be convenient, including the fact that many people use iPhones. 
• Prepaid cards come as one of Wallester's services, so you can create a card with a limited balance for your needs and add them to Apple Pay. Such cards are commonly used for daily routines, so you will be able to add them every day to pay for your demands. 
• Wallester provides an opportunity to save receipts in the app, which will be amazing for providing you with a clear image of your expenses. 

All these features come in one ready-to-go solution. As you can see, this application looks like it was created to sync with Apple Pay. And, you can both use it for both your work and spare time.

The flip side is that Cash App has its drawbacks. For example, Cash App users can’t enjoy bill splitting, and they have restrictions on the amount ($1,000) they can receive within a month. Then there are the geo-restrictions (the U.K. and U.S. users only) and limited social experience to be considered. These drawbacks imply that Cash App isn't for everyone. That’s why we will be looking at some alternatives that you can explore if Cash App no longer works for you. Read on.

1. Venmo 

Venmo is a great payment transfer solution for small and middle-sized businesses that do not need the hassles of the more complex payment solutions out there. Available on iPhone, iPad and Android, Venmo is compatible with Bitcoin. It allows you also to pay friends and family, send money, and make purchases with your Venmo account. You also get to link your bank account or debit card to your Venmo account with zero hassles. But simplicity and convenience are not all that Venmo offers. Users are guaranteed secure transactions, too, as premium encryption measures protect their account information. You also have your account activity monitored so that unauthorised transactions are easily detected. One big selling point of the Venmo app is that standard service is free, and only a 1% fee is deducted for instant transfers. To read more about Venmo limits, check out Almvest's article on the topic.

2. PayPal

PayPal is one of the best payment processing brands out there. This payment processing solution is user-centric and has a robust encryption technology that secures your transactions. With PayPal, users get to transfer money to and from any U.S.-based bank account and several foreign accounts. There are no charges for transferring funds to family or friends from a PayPal or bank account balance. However, you'd need to pay certain charges to send money from a credit card or convert currencies.

3. Sage Payment Solutions 

This is an effective financial solution for businesses that need a cost-effective payment solution with a global outreach. It is designed to serve all sizes of businesses by facilitating the smooth flow of funds. Sage Payment Solutions offers excellent payment processing options and seamless integration to Sage accounting solutions so that you can get faster payments via e-invoicing. Your business also gets to generate made-to-order invoices that come with automatic payment reconciliation and click-to-play options. Sage Payment Solutions is available for Cloud, Windows and Mac and is an excellent alternative for companies that accept payments. 

4. Apple Pay

Apple Pay offers secure, contactless purchases for owners of Apple devices who need to carry out financial transactions on the go. It is a safe and simple way to make payments without the trouble of handling cash or having to fill out any forms at all. Available for Cloud, Mac, iPhone and iPad, Apple Pay allows you to pay for whatever you want with nothing more than a touch. One of the best things about Apple Pay is that it supports credit cards, debit cards, In-App and In-Store payments and enables cryptocurrency transactions. 

5. Revolut

This financial app is one of the heavy-hitters in the industry as it is specifically designed for firms that need software solutions that offer them great control over their finances. It is available for Cloud, iPhone, iPad and Android and is a great tool to have when managing the financial aspects. There are no hidden fees for sending and receiving international payments, and its multi-currency accounts allow its users to transact in over 28 currencies at real exchange rates. With a Revolut business account, users can make local and international payments free of charge as long as the transfers are within their plan allowances. With a Revolut Business account, you can issue virtual and physical in addition to tracking the spending activity of your staff. Plus, you get to capture receipts in the app and program your expenditure. 

6. Coinbase 

Cryptocurrency has revolutionised the global financial space, and more people are looking to exploit its potential for financial transactions. Coinbase was designed with cryptocurrency transactions in mind. Available for Cloud, iPhone, iPad, and Android, the Coinbase app provides an excellent platform for buying, selling, and managing your cryptocurrency. Users get to trade in popular digital currencies easily while enjoying the ability to keep their funds in a vault that is linked with their bank accounts. If you are looking to make the most of your cryptocurrency transactions, then Coinbase is the app for you. 

7. Zelle 

Zelle provides an excellent way for users to pay friends or family right from their bank. Once Zelle users have an account at a participating bank, they can send cash with same-day transfers to recipients with an account at any participating bank. The good news is that many banking giants like Chase, Bank of America, Citi, U.S. Bank, Wells Fargo, Ally and Capital One are all Zelle participants. Better still, sending and receiving money via Zelle is free of charge. It even gets better; you can send without having to install the Zelle app on your phone.

8. Facebook Pay 

Facebook Pay allows you to make payments and other financial obligations easily and securely. It is available for Cloud, iPhone, iPad, and Android, and it allows you to buy stuff from the Marketplace easily. You can also connect Facebook Pay to other apps so that you can easily transact there whenever you want. The payment gateway is designed to facilitate payments for goods and services on Facebook apps and products. Plus, users get to transfer money to friends and family just as quickly as sending a Facebook message. 

9. Skrill 

Skrill is another popular payment software that you could use in place of the Cash App. Available for Cloud, Skrill offers users an online wallet that allows users to make online payments and send money online. Plus, users get to have a Skrill card and enjoy a loyalty program. 

Takeaway

Cash App is a great payment processing app. However, it is not without shortcomings that make it less than suitable for specific situations and demands. There are way too many financial situations for one app to satisfy, no matter how great the app is. Thankfully, other great apps have certain features which can make up for the drawbacks of the Cash App.The apps described in this article are by no means all there are in the payment processing solution space. However, we consider them close alternatives to Cash App, and we hope you found one that serves you.

Xero  today announced the integration of Apple Pay through Stripe, making it even faster and easier for customers to get paid. Xero’s 862,000 subscribers can now offer their customers the ability to view and pay an invoice using Apple Pay through Stripe.  Invoices paid with a payment service get paid almost 80 per cent faster than invoices that don’t offer a payment service. This new feature is available automatically to everyone on Xero using Stripe where Apple Pay is available.

Small business owners consistently point to delays in getting paid as one of their biggest pain points, which puts a strain on cash flow. Xero customers sent 15 million invoices globally in the last 30 days alone. And based on our current data, over 60 percent of those invoices will be paid late. Xero’s connection to the payment services of Stripe and Apple Pay will help address this concern for small businesses owners and help businesses get paid faster.

“Mobile payments are the way of the future,” said Craig Walker, Xero Chief Technology Officer. “Attaching a payment option to online invoices helps Xero customers get paid almost 80% faster than invoices that don’t use a payment service - so they spend less time chasing unpaid invoices for a more productive and cash healthy business.”

“By enabling these connections with payment services, small businesses are able to offer multiple payment options on an invoice, giving them and their customers choice of payment and also the ability to pay the invoice as soon as it arrives, ensuring they get paid faster,” Walker said.

Currently businesses that want to pay an invoice via credit card need to enter their credit card details to complete the payment. Credit card payments via Stripe mean that customers can confirm payment with Apple Pay using their fingerprint ID on their Apple device to confirm the payment quickly. Businesses who take payments via Stripe and Apple Pay also have an extra level of security. All payments made require a fingerprint or passcode, decreasing fraud, and with it, chargebacks.

"Almost a fifth of online commerce in the United States now happens on mobile devices,” said Cristina Cordova, Head of Business Development at Stripe. “We’re excited to work closely with Xero to help hundreds of thousands of businesses use Apple Pay to get their invoices paid with little more than a fingerprint.”

By connecting Xero users with Apple Pay transactions will be automatically entered and matched against invoices in Xero. Automating the invoicing reconciliation process makes accounting easier for small businesses.

"I advise my clients on the amazing ability Xero has of linking to online payment providers like Paypal and Stripe,” said Brad Sewitz,  Logicca Chartered Accountants. “These services have changed the way my clients operate their business, reducing the unnecessary burden of data capturing and positively impacting their cash flow, allowing them to focus solely on what they do best - running their business."

“The small businesses we work with get paid quicker and have greater visibility into their receivables by using Xero invoices with an online payment provider like Stripe and Paypal, Mike Castle at Bond, Andiola & Company.

 “With Xero, my clients reduce their dependency on paper checks and, in some cases, save themselves fees associated with having check scanners.”

(Source: Xero)

Apple Pay contactless payments use proven NFC (near field communication) technology built into compatible devices in conjunction with the iPhone’s existing Touch ID fingerprint sensor for security, allowing single step transactions. NFC automatically launches Pay when placed near a NFC terminal resulting in rapid transactions; supporting ‘queue busting’ customer journeys, such as transport hubs or supermarket checkouts.

Apple Pay can also be used online in a similar manner as long as merchants add support to their mobile apps. The payee credentials are held in the scheme’s enterprise systems but the transaction is tokenised, so no card information is available to the retailer.

Apple Pay maximum contactless payments will initially be limited by the wider industry agreed of £20 (rising to £30) but as early confidence builds in Apple Pay, it’s hard to see this limit remaining in the long term.

From a merchant perspective there is a 0.15% fee per transaction, which may initially limit merchant adoption. Following Apple Pay's UK launch, many of the earlier disputes over Apple transaction fees seem to be resolved – so all eyes are on the level of adoption in the UK which many think will comfortably surpass the US.

Today marks the launch of Apple Pay in the UK. First launched in the US last autumn and now reaching UK shores, UK customers will now be able to pay for items by tapping an iPhone or an Apple Watch to a card reader. Participating locations include Marks and Spencer and Waitrose, as well as TfL (Transport For London), the company which runs the London Underground.

Richard Koch, Head of Policy at The UK Cards Association, commented, "The introduction of Apple Pay and other new innovative ways to make card payments is great news for consumers and retailers, especially with the increase of the contactless payment limit to £30 from September.

“There has been major growth in the use of contactless as customers and retailers recognise how fast, easy and secure it is to make payments. Innovations such as mobile technology open up new opportunities for consumers to pay with contactless and we expect the surge in use to continue as a result.

“The introduction of the new £30 contactless limit from September is significant as it will narrow the gap between contactless payments and the average card transaction value of £44. Cards are increasingly the preferred method of payment for many consumers, now totalling three-quarters of all retail sales in the UK, and new innovations will only contribute to this.”

Recent figures show there was a 331 per cent rise in use of contactless in 2014, which is behind the increasing shift from cash to cards for low value payments.

According to Transport for London (TfL), on 13 March 2015 the number of contactless taps made on a single day across London's transport network reached one million. Over 14 per cent of all pay as you go journeys across TfL services are now made using contactless, with over 60 million journeys made in the last six months.