How To Delete Apple Pay in 4 Steps, With Photos

Apple Pay lets you link credit or debit cards with your Apple devices to make contactless payments. It’s integrated into your Apple Wallet app on your iPhone by default. Apple Pay is not exactly an account, so you can’t delete it when you want to stop using it. 

Instead, you can remove a particular card from your Wallet, a payment method from your device, or turn off your Apple Cash. If you want to close Apple Cash, bring its balance to zero and call Apple Support to turn it off. You can also delete Apple Pay as a payment method from apps like Uber, Airbnb, or Etsy. 

All these are possible ways to remove a specific Apple Pay card or payment method. Let’s learn about them in detail!

Method 1: Disable Apple Cash on Your Device

Apple Cash is the digital card stored in your Wallet. It allows you to make payments and send and receive money from your friends via Apple Pay. Once you set up your Apple Cash, it will automatically be available on any device connected to your iCloud and Apple ID. 

If you don’t want to use Apple Cash on any device, disable it from the Apple Wallet. That’s one way to delete Apple Pay on your iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad. Here is how you can disable Apple Cash on your iOS device:

Step 1: Open the Apple Wallet 

Open the Apple Wallet on your iPhone or iPad from the Settings app. To disable Apple Cash on your Apple Watch, launch the Apple Watch app on your iPhone and select Wallet & Apple Pay.

Step 2: Disable Apple Cash

If Apple Cash is enabled on your device, you will see the option in the Wallet & Apple Pay screen. Tap to disable it. You can turn your Apple Cash on anytime by entering your Apple ID credentials. 

Remember, these steps will only remove Apple Cash from one device. So, you will have to turn it off on every device to get rid of it.

Note: Disabling Apple Cash on a device won’t delete Apple Pay or close your Apple Cash account.

Method 2: Contact Apple Support to Close Your Apple Cash Account

If you want to delete Apple Pay, closing your Apple Cash account is an excellent way. You’d have to contact Apple Support and bring your balance to $0. You can transfer the funds to your bank or another account or spend it at your favorite store. You’ll also be able to send it to your friend until you don’t want to use Apple Pay again. 

You will also have to clear any pending transactions on your Apple Pay. They are listed in your card info in the Wallet. After meeting these requirements, pick up your phone and contact Apple Support to close your Apple Cash account. 

Here is how you can access your card information:

Step 1: Open the Wallet

If you’re using your iPhone, tap the Apple Wallet app to access your Apple Cash card. Find the Wallet & Pay app in the Settings app on an iPad. To close your Apple Cash account from your Apple Watch, launch Apple Watch on your iPhone and select Wallet & Apple Pay. 

Step 2: Select Your Apple Cash Card

You will see the Apple Cash Card on the Wallet’s homepage. Tap on it to access its details and balance. This step is the same for iPad and Apple Watch.

Step 3: Open More Options

You can easily view your Cash Card details on the next screen. However, you’ll go through an additional step on your iPhone. Find a circular icon with three dots on the screen’s top-right corner. Tap on it to access More options. It will open a quick drop-down menu. Tap Card Details to proceed. 

Step 4: Call Apple Support

Finally, select the Apple Support button and choose Call to connect with a representative to delete Apple Pay or close your Apple Cash account. 

Note: Once your Apple Cash account is closed, the Daily Cash you make from future purchases will be deposited in your Apple Card account. This amount can be easily applied to your Apple Card balance. 

What Happens if You Are a Member of the Apple Cash Family?

If you close your Apple Cash account as an Apple Cash Family organizer, all the family accounts set up under yours will be closed. Also, the funds in those accounts will be transferred to your Apple Cash account.

However, if you’re a member of the Apple Cash Family, you’d have to ask your organizer to close your account. If they accept your request or remove you from the group, the money in your account will be deposited in their account. That’s applicable when you’re below 18 years of age. 

What if you’re older than 18 years? In that case, you can keep your account balance only if you take your Apple Cash account ownership. But yet, all the credits and refunds initiated from your account before you claim the ownership will go to the organizer. 

Method 3: Delete Apple Pay by Removing a Card from Apple Wallet

You can remove your Apple Pay card from the Wallet to stop using it on a particular device. Of course, you can also remove other debit or credit cards at this step. Here is how to delete your Apple Pay card from your Wallet:

Step 1: Launch the Wallet App

Open the Wallet app on your iPhone, Apple Watch, or Mac. The app comes by default in iPhones and Apple Watches. You only have to tap its icon from the home screen. In Mac, you’d have to access the Wallet & Pay app from your device’s System Settings or System Preferences. 

Step 2: Choose the Card

On the app’s homepage, select the card you want to delete. On your iPhone, tap More by clicking on the three dots icon. Then, choose Card Details from the drop-down menu. 

Step 3: Remove the Card

 On your Apple Watch, iPhone, and Mac, scroll down till you find the Remove option. Select it to delete Apple Pay card from your Wallet. You can now no longer use a particular card with your Apple Pay.

For a short video overview of these steps, check out this video:

Method 4: Delete the Apple Payment Method 

You can also delete a payment method linked to your Apple ID to stop using it for future purchases. Here is what you need to do to remove a specific payment method linked to your Apple ID:

Step 1: Tap Your Account Name

Navigate the Settings on your iPhone and then tap your name. On your Mac, open the App Store to access your account name. Open the Account Settings on the next step. On a Windows PC, launch iTunes and tap Account from the top menu. Then, select View My Account. 

Step 2: Select Payment & Shipping

On your iPhone, choose Payment & Shipping on the next screen. If you’re using a Mac, click Manage Payments present next to Payment Information. On your Windows PC, choose Manage Payments. Select the Edit option close to Payment Type if you’re using older macOS or iTunes versions.

Step 3: Remove the Payment Method

Select the payment method on the Payment & Shipping screen and then tap Remove Payment Method. Click Edit and then Remove Payment Method on your Mac and Windows PC. That’s all you need to do to delete a payment method from your Apple ID. 

Can’t Remove a Payment Method? Try These Fixes

While you can delete a payment method from your Apple ID, it’s good to leave at least one. It will cater to your iCloud+ subscriptions, unpaid balance, or purchase-sharing requirements. But what if you can’t remove a payment method? Try the below fixes:

• If you have an iCloud+ or any other subscription on your Apple ID, cancel all of them and try removing the payment method again.
• Are you in a Family Sharing group? You may be using purchase sharing! In that case, the family organizer has a payment method for this feature. But if you’re the family organizer yourself, you must turn off purchase sharing and try to remove the payment method again. 
• Apple won’t allow you to delete a payment method if you have an unpaid balance on your account. Add another payment method to your Apple ID, then remove the one you intend to delete. 

If none of the above troubleshooting methods work, contact Apple Customer Service to find the solution immediately.

Do You Have to Delete Apple Pay If You Misplace Your Device?

If you’ve misplaced or lost your device, Apple will restrict others from using or accessing your Apple Pay. Here is how the company’s security features work in this regard:

• Apple Pay asks the users to authorize the purchases through Face ID, passcode, or Touch ID.
• The Apple Watch also has a Wrist Detection feature that requires the users to enter a passcode whenever they try to use the device. 
• Once the user marks their device lost, Apple Pay is automatically disabled.

You can also contact the card issuer to block or remove cards connected with Apple Pay.

Wrap Up

Apple Pay is a service, not an account, so you can’t delete it. Instead, you can remove a payment method from your Apple ID or an Apple Pay card from your Wallet. Some other ways to stop using Apple Pay are disabling your Apple Cash or closing the account altogether. Hopefully, you now know how to delete Apple Pay from your device without deleting it.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com.