We’ve just got to Spain and despite of it being late at night decided to go swimming, the sea was about 3 minute walking distance from our hotel, so we’ve changed in the room, took towels and nothing else. I had only my Apple Watch with me. We’ve went to the sea, had a nice swim (which my Watch tracked as an activity) and on the way back we saw a bar. We went there and as nobody had a wallet, I’ve bought drinks for everyone with my watch. Tell me this 10-15 years ago, I wouldn’t believe you.
There are different types of technologies – the ones that disrupt, the ones that improve or worsen our lives and the ones that blend seamlessly into our lives and it feels like they’ve always been there.
When you first pay using Apple Pay it just feels right. It’s easy, fast, natural and secure. The one problem? During the presentation I though we would never get it in Latvia. When AirPods came out I had to wait 9 months before I was able to buy a pair. We still, after a year, don’t have EKG (although most of the Europe does), so imagine my surprise when one day out of the blue I see news that Apple Pay is available in Latvia. Five years after it was announced.
I immediately opened Wallet app to set it up both on my phone and my watch. It is still available only in mobile payment systems – Revolut and Monese (although Swedbank is promising the support soon), no other local bank offers it, so the barrier to entry right now is a bit high for users. It took me a minute to set it up and 5 minutes later I was using my watch to pay for coke. It felt like I live in the future.
It is now about two months since launch in Latvia and it feels like there wasn’t any other way before. I’ve used the physical card just a handful of times and mostly outside of the country.
My wife asked me to help her order Revolut card, so she could use Apple Pay. I’ve had a couple of waiters ask how is it possible to set up Apple Pay and they seemed very enthusiastic and really wanted to try it out.
Here in Latvia, almost every terminal is equipped with NFC reader, so I’ve only had one time where I couldn’t use it. After about a week I’ve left my physical Revolut card at home and never looked back. I have one back-up card in my wallet, but it almost never gets used.
I was surprised that there are a lot of terminals that don’t have NFC in Lithuania, granted it wasn’t the capital, but the smaller touristy city, but still. In Russia on the other hand contactless terminals are the norm. Even in some god forgotten little towns where cashier is a babooshka you can pay with your watch or a phone.
I love that there are no limits using Apple Pay, like there are with contactless. I’ve paid large amounts without the need to enter PIN, just pushing the button on the watch.
The offline story is very well covered here in Latvia, unfortunately not so much online. I was able to try out Apple Pay on a website just once, but it was a blast. There are a couple of apps that I use that added Apple Pay as their payment option (mostly apps that rent e-scooters), using those makes me wish every app and website supported it.
I hope more banks add the support for the Apple Pay in the future, as this is fast, easy to use and most importantly secure way to pay, so the more users have the ability to use it, the better.