Apple Pay in Germany

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Apple Pay was launched in Germany on December 11, 2018, and will be accepted and used nationwide in 2022. In the United States, the contactless payment method with the iPhone and Apple Watch has been available since 2014. Since 2018, the payment service with NFC technology can also be used in this country. Konto-Kredit-Vergleich.de shows which banks offer the payment service and how secure it is.

Apple Pay: Which banks are included?

At the start of the service in Germany, 15 banks and credit card companies are supporting Apple's new payment system. These include the following credit institutions: Boon, Bunq, Comdirect, German Bank, Edenred, Fidor bank, Hanseatic Bank, HypoVereinsbank, N26O2 banking, VIMPay. The service can only be used with credit cards. 

Apple Pay: function and operation

The Apple Pay service is a contactless smartphone payment method, credit card and online payment system at the same time. This makes Apple Pay an alternative to:

  • Payment with credit card
  • Online Zahldiensten wie Paypal
  • Cash.

When making a payment, the credit card information is stored in the system wallet. For this it is absolutely necessary that the bank supports Apple Pay (Which banks support Apple Pay?). Of course, the whole thing (at least for now) only works with Apple's own products like iPhone* and the apple watch* (but also Mac*) . For online payments, Safari had to be used at the beginning. Other browsers are currently not supported. The restrictions may seem uncomfortable, but the manufacturer has full control of the system and can reliably take care of security.

When the service is set up for the first time by scanning the credit card, a 16-digit code is saved locally on the device. This so-called token is only used once and contains the data of the stored bank card in encrypted form. If you now pay with the app, your device sends the token to Apple, where it is compared with the credit card data. Apple doesn't store transaction details, so they can't track what you've bought. Likewise, your identity will not be passed on to the retailer. Exception: Use of customer or bonus cards when paying with Apple Pay. In this case, your identity will be revealed to the dealer so that they can take the bonus into account.
The anonymity of the customer is different from the Google Pay service, where by accepting the terms and conditions you authorize the evaluation of the purchases.

How secure is the mobile payment service?

By checking the token, the payment process is already relatively secure. But how is the digital wallet protected in the event of loss or theft? Each payment must be cleared by fingerprint or face recognition of the device. So strangers can't pay with your iPhone. On the Apple Watch, double-clicking the side button authorizes payment. This would make misuse possible, but you type in a PIN anyway when you put on the watch.

After all, the payment service has been available in a few dozen countries around the world since 2014 and to date not a single case of abuse or fraud has become known

Apple Pay works with contactless NFC

How do I use the service and where is Apple Pay accepted?

As usual from Apple, it is used extremely easily. After configuring the app, you can pay at any contactless card device. These are now very widespread in Germany. Many shopping and supermarket chains such as Aldi, Edeka, Lidl, DM, Rossmann, real, Aral and Shell as well as numerous retailers are already using contactless payment terminals. To pay, call up the app and hold the device a few centimeters in front of the card device. Then you authorize the payment by face recognition or fingerprint. This is often quicker than paying cash. When shopping online, you can save yourself entering your contact, address and payment details. Choose Apple Pay instead. After a short confirmation by fingerprint or password, the order is already with the retailer.

Apple Pay: What alternatives are there?

In addition to Apple Pay, there are numerous other service providers for mobile payments. The most well-known are:

  • Google Pay
  • Garmin Pay
  • the Sparkasse payment app
  • boon

The Boon service is particularly interesting if your bank does not yet support other mobile payment services. Here you create a virtual prepaid credit card that supports Apple Pay and automatically debits money from your real credit card account if you wish.

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