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I have to say, I wasn't an early adopter of Apple pay (or any phone-based payment system). It wasn't until a new version of the iOS prompted me to setup Apple pay with my primary, daily-use credit card that I ever even thought about it . . . and even then, I didn't use it for months until one day I was at Whole Foods and realized, after I was fully checked out at the register, I didn't have my wallet. Apple pay saved me the embarrassment of being the guy that has to go home for his wallet - but now I have come to really appreciate having a payment capability on my phone.
Now, I use it frequently - it's just easier, especially with the facial recognition, to just pull my phone out (if it isn't already out) of my pocket and hit the machine with it . . . done. My wife doesn't use hers and I can understand that if you still have to pull your phone out of a purse, it's not that much different than having to pull a credit card out. But for me, it's quite a bit easier than pulling my wallet out, taking the card out, putting it in the chip reader, waiting for it to clear while holding my wallet, putting the card back in the wallet, and then putting the wallet back in my pocket.
But more importantly, those times every now and then when you leave the house without your wallet - at least I do from time to time - I don't have to turn around and go back to get it. Grocery stores take Apple pay, CVS takes Apple pay, coffee shops and lots of fast food and sandwich places take Apple pay, even cabs these days take it (and of course Uber is app-based payment anyway). If you have your phone, you have the ability to buy just about whatever you need.
I would certainly not recommend setting it up with your bank account's debit card - that's too risky. But if you have a good credit card with fraud protection, set it up - use it a few times so you know how to do it and even if you don't adopt it as a primary way to pay for stuff, having that capability can save you if you find yourself without your wallet.
Now, I use it frequently - it's just easier, especially with the facial recognition, to just pull my phone out (if it isn't already out) of my pocket and hit the machine with it . . . done. My wife doesn't use hers and I can understand that if you still have to pull your phone out of a purse, it's not that much different than having to pull a credit card out. But for me, it's quite a bit easier than pulling my wallet out, taking the card out, putting it in the chip reader, waiting for it to clear while holding my wallet, putting the card back in the wallet, and then putting the wallet back in my pocket.
But more importantly, those times every now and then when you leave the house without your wallet - at least I do from time to time - I don't have to turn around and go back to get it. Grocery stores take Apple pay, CVS takes Apple pay, coffee shops and lots of fast food and sandwich places take Apple pay, even cabs these days take it (and of course Uber is app-based payment anyway). If you have your phone, you have the ability to buy just about whatever you need.
I would certainly not recommend setting it up with your bank account's debit card - that's too risky. But if you have a good credit card with fraud protection, set it up - use it a few times so you know how to do it and even if you don't adopt it as a primary way to pay for stuff, having that capability can save you if you find yourself without your wallet.