Overview
The release of the iPhone in 2007 marked a new era in the world of mobile phones and technology on the go as a whole. Suddenly, the ordinary person had proper access to the internet outside of their home or office, which revolutionized how we use the world wide web, and what for. One said aspect involved mobile banking, and a mere 7 years after the iPhone’s official introduction, the company launched Apple Pay. By then, other online payment services had already popped up, but none could match the sheer convenience Apple Pay provided to its customers. It also greatly catered to those concerned with their privacy.
With time, the name Apple as a whole became synonymous with class and ease of use, so it does not come as a surprise that the same care and attention to detail the company is known for is present when it comes to Apple Pay. The service was popular from the get-go, and quickly became the online payment method of choice for most of Apple’s customers.
As one might imagine, iPhone users are a vast group of people with various backgrounds. It is therefore natural that this includes gambling enthusiasts who use Apple devices and Apple Pay, and this is why bookmakers started gradually including this payment solution as a deposit option.
Find the best Apple Pay bookmakers here
How Does Apple Pay Work
First and foremost, it is important to emphasize that there is not much to the setup process. The Wallet app comes pre-installed on your Apple device of choice, so you will not need to go through the hassle of navigating to the App Store and manually downloading it yourself.
Instead, all you need to do is open the Wallet and link your credit or debit card, and this is done by scanning it with your camera. Keep in mind that your bank must support Apple Pay for you to be able to utilize your card for this. If all is well, follow your bank’s instructions, and you are pretty much good to go. The number of cards you can add to your Wallet is dependent on your device’s age. If you have an iPhone 8 or newer, then you will have a 12-card limit, while older devices are restricted to 8 cards.
As for using Apple Pay at bookies, first, you need to check if Apple Pay is available. Credible sportsbooks tend to have a section of their website dedicated to payment solutions that either simply lists them, or provides further information such as limits and time-frames.
If you spot the Apple Pay logo or the service is mentioned by name among the other deposit methods, it means that the bookie’s cashier will accept Apple Pay transactions.
Deposits With Apple Pay
If you wish to use Apple Pay at your bookmaker of choice, you can do so after you have created and verified your account. Keep in mind that your name must match the name of your Apple Pay account. Once done, you can navigate towards the sportsbook’s cashier or deposit page, choose your desired sum, and then pick Apple Pay and a card from the list of options.
Since Apple Pay is a secure payment service, and the company considers the safety of your data and funds its top priority, you will need to confirm the transaction. This can be done in several ways, the first of which is Face ID which is available on iPhone models from recent years. If you own an older device, you can opt for utilizing the fingerprint scanner to confirm the transaction as well. If neither Face ID nor Touch ID is available, a passcode is also a viable option. Once the transaction has been completed, you are good to go and you can begin your wagering journey.
Withdrawals with Apple Pay
Apple Pay does not, at the time of writing, support withdrawals. This means that you will need to choose another option when you wish to withdraw funds from your sportsbook balance. Often, bookies will automatically choose bank wire as your withdrawal method if you utilize Apple Pay for deposits.
Fees
Unfortunately, fees are quite common when it comes to dealing with finances on the web. Experienced punters will be especially familiar with the fact that a number of e-wallets, as well as other payment services, impose fees on their customers when it comes to deposits and withdrawals. In addition, transactions performed at bookmakers’ websites will sometimes involve separate fees which you would also need to keep track of, and all in all, this can make deposits and withdrawals far more frustrating than they need to be.
It is for this reason that we are very happy to report that Apple Pay, for the most part, does not impose any fees on its customers. Everything is completely free of charge on Apple’s side when you use the payment method for sportsbook deposits. Furthermore, you will also be glad to know that sports betting websites will not charge you for using this banking solution either.
You might come across fees when it comes to other Apple payment services, however, like Apple Cash. Although you will not be using this feature when it comes to sports betting, it is worth being informed either way. Apple Cash is an American-only service within Apple Pay, and one of the key differences between the two is that you can withdraw your Apple Cash balance to a debit card or bank account. Bank account transfers are free and take between 1 to 3 days. If you use Instant Transfer to deposit funds into your debit card, you will need to pay a fee equaling 1.5% the amount of your transfer, and it can range from $0.25 to $15 at most.
| Fee Summary | ||
|---|---|---|
| Operation | Time | Cost |
| Deposit to bookie | Instant | free |
| Withdrawal from bookie | N/A | N/A |
| Deposit with card | Instant | free |
| Withdrawal to card | N/A | N/A |
| Deposit with bank account | N/A | N/A |
| Withdrawal to bank account | N/A | N/A |
Security
Apple employs many methods that protect its customers’ data. This, of course, extends to using Apple Pay on your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac.
One such feature is two-factor authentication, i.e. any transaction you wish to undertake must be confirmed by you in one of several ways. The methods in question include Face ID, Touch ID, or an Apple passcode. This way, you can be certain that no one else can make purchases on your behalf even if they somehow managed to get their hands on your device.
Privacy-conscious individuals are also taken into consideration. Apple Pay utilizes a device-specific number and a unique transaction code when you deposit money into your sportsbook account. This means that your card information is never shared with the bookmakers you wager at, and your card number is not stored on Apple servers or on your device. In addition, the service never keeps information that can be traced back to you when you utilize a debit or credit card.
In the event of losing your device, Apple Pay will allow you to suspend the payment method’s services, and you can re-enable them again when you wish to do so.
Mobile App
Utilizing Apple Pay’s services could not be easier on mobile, seeing as it was what the service was made for in the first place. Since you do not need to download additional applications to your smartphone, you can simply open up the Wallet app immediately, and adding credit or debit cards to your Apple Pay is effortless.
Furthermore, there is a reason Apple emphasizes that its security is “The wall around Wallet”. As established, transactions conducted on both desktop and mobile devices can only occur once you have authorized them via Face ID, Touch ID, or your Apple passcode. In other words, no matter where you are, you can be certain that your payments are secure.
Additionally, you can add not just one but multiple credit and debit cards to your smartphone Wallet app. This further adds to the convenience this application provides. The process itself is quite easy, and it involves tapping the plus button and scanning the card using your iPhone’s camera. Once you have followed any instructions provided by your bank, that is pretty much it as far as the setup process goes.
It is also important to mention that utilizing Apple Pay on the mobile applications of bookmakers is just as easy as it is on the bookie’s desktop website. Once again, you can simply navigate to the deposit menu, select Apple Pay, and confirm the transaction. There are no additional steps nor are there any potential difficulties you could run into. The same can be said about paying at the mobile website of a bookie on Safari if, by some chances, the sports betting website has no dedicated application.
In addition, by completing and authorizing transactions on mobile, you will not incur any fees as is the case with the utilization of Apple Pay on Mac, iPad, and the Apple Watch.
| Mobile App Features | |
|---|---|
| Send Money | yes |
| Receive Money | yes |
| Top-up from bank account | no |
| Withdraw to bank account | no |
| Deposit to bookie | yes |
| Withdraw to bookie | no |
Advantages
All in all, it is safe to say that Apple users will seldom look for other options when it comes to online payment services. Convenience is one of the most important aspects of an e-wallet-like solution such as this, and it does not get any easier than having your Wallet application already included with your Apple device.
Usability is not all there is to a banking solution however, how secure everything is while you make your payments is also crucial. Luckily, Apple Pay is indeed incredibly safe to use thanks to the fact that its two-factor authentication methods are robust and practically fool-proof, and your device will know for certain whether it is you making a transaction.
Additionally, Apple Pay encrypts your data and it makes it unrecognizable to third parties, which includes bookmakers. It would therefore be impossible for the transactions to be traced back to you, which is excellent for those who consider privacy an important factor of a service.
Speaking of transfers, it is also worth noting that depositing via Apple Pay is not only easy but incredibly fast too, and your deposits are just a few taps away.
US punters will also have access to extra features such as Apple Cash and Apple Pay cards if they wish to utilize them for non-wagering purposes.
Disadvantages
Truthfully, Apple Pay’s drawbacks are few and far between, seeing as the service works quite well overall. This does not mean that it is perfect, however, and there are some things to keep in mind before you make it your payment method of choice.
To address the elephant in the room, this is not a service available to everyone. Only those within the Apple ecosystem will be able to utilize Apple Pay for their depositing needs. This means that if you do not own an iPhone or another Apple device, finding a different payment solution will be necessary.
Furthermore, it bears repeating that this service can be used exclusively for deposits. Withdrawals are not available, and punters will need to make use of something else when they need to withdraw funds from their sportsbooks. Transferring from your Apple Pay balance to your card or bank account is not an option either, and only your Apple Cash balance can be used this way. Additionally, Apple Cash itself as well as other extra features, such as Apple Card, are exclusive to the USA.
Lastly, Apple Pay is not as widespread among bookmakers as we would like. There are quite a lot of bookies that have yet to provide this payment method as an option, so your choice of sportsbooks will be limited to a certain extent.
Countries Where Apple Pay is Used as a Deposit Method for Sports Betting
Although Apple Pay is not available absolutely everywhere, its reach is still impressive. When Apple first launched this service, it was only customers from the United States who were able to take advantage of what it had to offer. However, things have improved significantly over the years. When it comes to general purchases, Apple Pay is an option in over 70 countries worldwide.
In Europe, the list of countries where the service can be utilized by Apple users includes, but is not limited to, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Germany, Sweden, The United Kingdom, and Portugal. Over in the Americas, Canadians, United States users, and Brazilians, as well as individuals residing in Costa Rica, Columbia, and Mexico have access to Apple Pay. This payment solution is also an option in numerous locations in Asia, such as Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Taiwan among others. In Africa, the only jurisdiction that can take advantage of the service is South Africa.
Do note, however, that Apple Pay being available for wagering on sports specifically is reliant on a number of factors. First, you must be able to actually partake in remote sports betting. The term “remote” is very important here since in a number of jurisdictions, only land-based wagering is legally permitted. Credit and debit card availability is also a large factor, and all in all, it is best to make sure and check your specific sportsbook’s available payment methods beforehand.
There are additional intricacies you will need to be aware of too, depending on where you reside. In the United Kingdom, for instance, you can only use Apple Pay for sports betting if you fund it via a debit card. This is due to the fact that the utilization of credit cards for sports betting and gambling activities as a whole was halted on April 14th, 2020. The United Kingdom Gambling Commission cited concerns over credit cards’ utilization by problem gamblers as the reason behind the ban.
FAQ
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No. Apple Pay is a service available only to users who utilize an iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or a Mac. If you wish to use Apple Pay, you will need to enter the Apple ecosystem.
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There are several methods and they include live chat, call back and directly phoning Apple’s support team. Which specific methods are available will depend on your location, but calling customer support is an option pretty much everywhere.
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Currently, the only way for you to use Apple Pay with cryptocurrency solutions is via third-party cards that convert your Bitcoin, or other cryptocurrency funds, into US dollars. Apple Pay does not directly support cryptocurrencies within the app as of yet.
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No. At the time of writing, Apple Pay can only be utilized for depositing funds into your sportsbook account. You will need to look elsewhere when you wish to withdraw your money.
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Yes. Apple Pay uses two-factor authentication so that each time you conduct a transaction, you will need to authorize it. In addition, security measures such as SSL encryption are taken to protect your information.
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