How to Receive Money on Apple Pay In 3 Steps, With Photos

Key Points

• Apple Cash is a secure way to send and receive money through iMessage, while Apple Pay allows for transactions in stores, online, and through apps.
• Setting up Apple Pay doesn’t automatically set up Apple Cash; you must link a debit or credit card to your account.
• Apple Card users can build up additional Apple Cash through cash-back offers and use it for shopping or sending to a linked card or bank account.
• To receive money on Apple Pay, open the Wallet app, tap on Apple Cash card, and set your preferences to automatically accept payments.

Knowing how to receive money on Apple Pay opens up a whole new world of convenience and simplicity. With just a few taps on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, you can instantly accept funds from friends, family, or even professional clients. Whether you’re splitting a bill, collecting a payment for a service, or receiving a gift, Apple Pay is the secure and hassle-free way for Apple users to receive money directly from their digital wallet. But how do you learn this skill? Follow along with our guide below.

What Is Apple Cash?

Apple Cash is not the same as Apple Pay. While these two payment services sound similar, they serve unique purposes within the Wallet app. Apple Cash is a convenient and secure way to send and receive money from one iMessage-enabled device to another. It’s one important part of the much larger Apple Pay system. Broadly speaking, Apple Pay allows users to make easy and secure transactions in stores, online, and through apps. Conversely, Apple Cash stores all transactions exclusively in iMessage.

To be clear, you couldn’t have Apple Cash without Apple Pay. However, setting up Apple Pay doesn’t automatically set you up with Apple Cash. To establish an Apple Cash account, you must link a debit or credit card to your account — even if you’ve already done so on Apple Pay. With this, you can start adding money directly to your Apple Cash account. This allows you to have funds available to send over iMessage. You can also receive money from others, like friends or family, directly into your Apple Cash account.

Apple Card users can build up additional Apple Cash through the Apple Card’s cash-back offers. You can shop with your Apple Cash balance through Apple Pay, or send it to a linked card or bank account through the Wallet app. Either way, you can rest easy knowing your money is safe and secure within the Wallet. Apple relies on industry-leading security measures and safety features to protect your finances. Additionally, all Apple Pay transactions need approval by Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode.

How to Receive Money on Apple Pay

Now that you understand Apple Cash, let’s walk you through the steps to receive your money. Keep in mind: You’ll need an Apple Pay-compatible device for this walkthrough. This includes the iPhone 6 or later, the iPad 5th generation or later, the iPad mini 3 or later, and the Apple Watch. For a full list of compatible devices, check Apple’s website.

Step One: Open Wallet

First, open up the Wallet app. Tap the Apple Cash card to begin the setup process (if you haven’t done so already).

Step Two: Tap Card Details

After setup, tap the three dots in the right-hand corner to open up the “More” menu. Hit “Card Details” to view some more advanced Apple Cash settings.

Step Three: Select Your Preference

Under “Card Details,” scroll until you see the “Accepting Payments” section. Change your settings to automatically accept Apple Cash payments to your Apple Pay account. With this, you’re all set to receive money on Apple Pay.

To review:

1. Open Wallet and tap the Apple Cash card.
2. Tap “More,” then “Card Details.”
3. Change your “Accepting Payments” setting to automatically accept Apple Cash payments.

As you can see, Apple Pay makes receiving money from friends simple. If you’d like to learn more about Apple Pay, including how to set it up and how to send and receive cash from friends, watch Insider Tech’s 2:15-minute video below:

Summary Table

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