Apple Pay

Apple Pay deposits are authorised with Face ID or Touch ID and take a couple of seconds, which is why it is the most-used method on iPhone.

Behind the scenes it charges a debit card in your Wallet. Withdrawals go back to that card, not to Apple Pay itself, so they take card timings.

Credit cards in your Wallet cannot be used, in line with the UK ban on gambling with credit.

What Apple Pay changes, and what it does not

Apple Pay is a faster way to use a debit card, not a separate wallet with its own balance. That means it inherits the card’s rules: it counts as a card deposit for offers, it is blocked if your bank’s gambling block is on, and withdrawals are paid to the underlying card on card timings.

The speed that makes Apple Pay convenient is also a reason to set a deposit limit first. A deposit that takes two seconds with Face ID is a deposit that takes no thought; a limit set in advance puts the thinking back in.