Having trouble with Apple Pay on your iPhone? Whether it’s an occasional or recurring problem, problems with Apple Pay not working can arise for various reasons. For example, it could be a faulty payment terminal, a conflicting iPhone setting, a server-side complication … the list goes on.

So here are 15 things you can try to fix Apple Pay problems on iPhone. The fixes in this tutorial also apply to the iPad.

1. Use a different terminal at the checkout

If nothing happens while trying to use Apple Pay on a contactless terminal, start by looking for the following symbols to make sure it supports Apple Pay as a payment option in the first place.

If so, the problem may be limited to the terminal only. Try asking for a different terminal to complete the purchase.

2. Hold your iPhone properly

The Near Field Communication (NFC) chip on your iPhone is close to the rear camera. If you continue to have trouble completing a purchase, hold your iOS device so that it can communicate properly with the terminal’s NFC reader.

3. Remove your iPhone case

An extremely bulky or sturdy case can also prevent your iPhone’s NFC chip from communicating with a payment terminal. Try to remove it. After that, Apple Pay may work without problems.

4. Turn off low battery mode

Your iPhone’s power saving mode conserves battery life by cutting out background processes. However, this can create problems when making transactions through Apple Pay.

So, if you see a yellow iPhone battery status icon, disable it by going to General > Battery. You can always reactivate it after completing a purchase.

5. Force quit the Wallet app

Another quick Apple Pay solution involves force quitting the iPhone’s Apple Wallet app. Start by simply swiping up from the bottom of the screen (or double-click the Home twice if your iPhone uses Touch ID) to invoke App Switcher. Then, drag the Wallet paper off the screen.

6. Restart your iPhone

Next, try restarting your iPhone. To do this, open the Settings app, go to General > Shutdownand follow by dragging the Power button on the right to turn off the device. Then, wait 30 seconds and hold the key Side button until you see the Apple logo.

7. Check the status of the Apple system

If Apple Pay still doesn’t work on your iPhone, you might want to make sure there’s nothing wrong with the server side. Then go to Apple’s System Status page and check the system status next to Apple Pay. If things don’t look right, you need to wait for Apple to fix the problem.

8. Choose another payment card

Payment problems can be related to your default credit or debit card. If possible, use a different card to complete your purchase. To do this, simply tap on the default card at checkout to switch between cards. If the problem occurs while using an Apple Watch, scroll down to choose a different card.

9. Activate Face ID / Touch ID for Apple Pay

If Apple Pay doesn’t have permission to use Face ID or Touch ID, you won’t be able to authorize cards and subscriptions at checkout. To fix this, open the Settings app and tap Face ID and passcode. Then, enter your device passcode and turn on the switch next to Wallet and Apple Pay.

10. Activate Apple Pay in Safari

If you don’t see Apple Pay as a payment option when performing an online transaction in Safari, you need to allow websites to check if Apple Pay is active on your device. To do this, open the Settings app and tap Safari. Then, scroll down to Privacy and security section and turn on the switch next to Verify Apple Pay.

If you continue to experience the same problem while making web purchases on your Mac, select Safari > Preferences > Privacy on the macOS menu bar and make sure the checkbox next to Allow websites to check for Apple Pay and Apple Card is active.

11. Add your credit / debit card again

If you’re still having trouble using a specific credit or debit card in Apple Pay, removing it and adding it back to your iPhone can help. So start by opening the Wallet app, choose the card you want to remove, tap the Moreover (three points) and select Remove paper.

Then, tap on the Add card/New card (+) at the top right of the screen and scan the card or manually enter the card information. You must then follow the onscreen instructions to re-authorize use of the card with Apple Pay.

12. Update the iPhone system software

Next, try updating the system software on your iPhone. This often helps fix system-related issues, especially if you’ve recently upgraded to a major version like iOS 15, preventing Apple Pay from working.

So just open the Settings app and tap General > Software update > Download and install to install any pending iOS updates. Find out what to do if your iPhone won’t update.

Note: Resetting the network settings removes all saved Wi-Fi networks, then open the file Settings app and tap Wifi to reconnect to Wi-Fi.

14. Sign out and go back to Apple ID

If you’re still having trouble with Apple Pay on your iPhone, logging out and then logging back into your Apple ID might help.

1. Open the Settings app and tap Apple ID.

2. Scroll down and tap Disconnection.

3. Turn off Find My iPhone and turn on the switches next to the iCloud data forms you want to keep locally on your iOS device.

4. Select Disconnection to confirm.

5. Restart your iPhone.

6. Reopen the Settings app, then tap Registration to log in again using your Apple ID.

15. Contact Apple Support

If your Apple Pay troubleshooting attempts on your Apple devices did not work, you need to contact Apple Support to resolve the issue. If you think the problem is related to your credit or debit card, try contacting your bank or card issuer instead.