Complete Guide to Setting up and Using Apple Pay Cash

By Mike Peterson

Apple users have been patiently awaiting the release of Apple Pay Cash since the peer-to-peer payment system was first announced at WWDC ’17 in June.

The feature, of course, didn’t make it into the final releases of iOS 11 or iOS 11.1. But, since it’s been baked into the second beta version of iOS 11.2, we can safely bet that it’ll roll out when iOS 11.2 is released to the public sometime this fall.

What Is Apple Pay Cash?

Apple Pay Cash, put simply, is the company’s first peer-to-peer payment system, and it features deep integration with the native iMessage app, Siri and watchOS. There’s a $3,000 limit per transaction but no extra fee.

Apple Pay Cash users will be easily able to send and receive funds to and from other iOS users who also have the feature enabled. At this point, that’ll be restricted to beta testers and developers, but expect wider adoption once the final version of iOS 11.2 becomes available. Here’s how to set it up.

Enable Two-Factor Authentication

First of all, Apple Pay Cash requires that your Apple ID has two-factor authentication enabled. If that extra security feature isn’t turned on, you won’t see Apple Pay Cash as an option even if you have the appropriate version of iOS 11.2. Here’s how to enable two-factor authentication.

  1. Go to Settings > (Your Name) > Password & Security in iOS.
  2. Tap the Turn On Two-Factor Authentication button.
  3. Enter and verify the trusted phone number you’d like to use to receive authentication codes.

Alternatively, you can enable two-factor authentication via macOS by the following steps.

  1. Click on the Apple logo in the upper-left.
  2. Click on System Preferences and navigate to iCloud > Account Details.
  3. Click on Security.
  4. Click on Turn On Two-Factor Authentication.

Set up the Cash Card

Once two-factor authentication is set up, you’re now free to enable Apple Pay Cash and set up your Cash card. In iOS 11.2, use the following steps.

  1. Open Settings.
  2. Navigate to Wallet & Apple Pay.
  3. Toggle Apple Pay Cash to On.
  4. You’ll see the Apple Pay Cash below. It should say “Not set up.” Tap on it.
  5. Tap on Continue and agree to the terms & conditions.
  6. At this point, you’ll need to connect Apple Pay with a bank debit card or a credit card (although a debit card is recommended).
  7. Just scan your debit card with the camera, and you’ll be set.

Add Funds to the Cash Card

To fully use Apple Pay Cash (in other words, to be able to send funds), you’ll need to add money to your Cash card in Wallet. Here’s how to do that.

  1. Go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay.
  2. Tap on Apple Pay Cash.
  3. Tap on Add Money.
  4. Select the amount of money you’d like to add from your linked debit card.
  5. Tap Add.
  6. Authenticate using Touch ID (or Face ID if you’re on an iPhone X).

Send Funds with Apple Pay Cash

Once you’re Apple Pay Cash is set up, you’re free to use the feature with other iOS users who have the payment system enabled.

As an example, if you’d like to send funds to one of your friends, here’s how to do it.

  1. Open a thread in Messages.
  2. Select the App Store icon.
  3. In the Messages App Drawer, tap on the new Apple Pay icon. It should be next to the App Store icon itself.
  4. Tap on the dollar sign, and type in the amount you’d like to send.
  5. Select the Send option.
  6. Now, you should see an Apple Pay preview in an unsent text.
  7. To send the money, tap Send.
  8. Authenticate via Touch ID or Face ID.

Request Funds with Apple Pay Cash

To request funds from another Apple Pay Cash user, the process is just as easy.

  1. In an iMessage thread, tap App Store > Apple Pay.
  2. Tap the dollar sign and the amount you’d like to request.
  3. Tap on Send.
  4. When the other user sends you cash, just tap Accept on the incoming Apple Pay preview in the iMessage thread.

Once the money is in your Cash card in Wallet, you can use it to send additional peer-to-peer payments, use it at online or brick-and-mortar retailers who support Apple Pay, or withdraw it to your connected bank account.

Smart Conversation Detection

In addition to the basic functionality of Apple Pay Cash (above), an Apple Pay Cash transaction can also be enabled just by normal text.

For example, if you text your friend “I owe you $20,” Messages will automatically underline the dollar amount. From here, you can tap on that underlined amount and trigger an easy cash transaction.

Of course, this works if your friend texts you the same thing. If you’d like to be a bit more forward, you can simply text “you owe me $25” and tap on the dollar amount to trigger a cash request.

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