Key Points
- Apple Cash allows users to send and receive money through iMessage, providing convenience, security, and exclusivity.
- Apple Cash uses Apple Pay’s encryption technology to protect financial transactions and can be secured with two-factor authentication.
- To send money via Apple Pay, open iMessage, tap the Apple Cash icon, enter the desired amount, and hit send.
Apple Cash is a convenient feature that works seamlessly through Apple Pay. It allows you to send and receive money over iMessage, much like you would with Venmo or Cash App. This exclusive service is a great way for Apple users to make person-to-person payments, split bills, or pay back friends. But how do you send money via Apple Pay in the first place? Follow along with these steps and photos below to learn how.
Why Send Money Via Apple Pay?
No matter if you’re a frequent Apple Pay user or a first-timer looking to learn how it all works, you might be wondering why someone would even send money via Apple Pay in the first place. Typically, there are three main reasons for a person to pay someone with the Apple Cash feature: convenience, security, and exclusivity. Let’s take a closer look at each of these three reasons below.
Convenience
One of the primary reasons people send money via Apple Pay is for convenience. Apple Cash eliminates the need to exchange physical cash or checks, streamlining the process of paying someone back. Plus, it saves a great deal of time and effort for everyone involved. Apple Cash’s instant transfers and seamless integration into iMessage make for one of the most convenient ways to send and receive funds.
Security
When it comes to sending money, security is seriously important. Thankfully, Apple Pay and Apple Cash are equipped with an arsenal of robust security measures to protect your financial transactions. It’s another big reason why people send money via Apple Pay. Apple Cash uses Apple Pay’s built-in encryption technology to safeguard your sensitive financial information. With this, the service ensures your money and personal details are kept secure throughout the transaction process. Plus, you can enable two-factor authentication with your passcode or Face ID.

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Exclusivity
If you couldn’t tell from the name, Apple Pay is exclusive to Apple devices. This is another big draw for sending money via Apple Pay: it allows you to manage your finances entirely within Apple’s e-commerce ecosystem. Since Apple Pay and Apple Cash are already built into devices like the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch, you don’t need to download additional apps or set up separate accounts to use the features. It’s all conveniently accessible within the Wallet and iMessage apps.
How to Send Money Via Apple Pay
Now that we know why someone would send money via Apple Pay, let’s talk about the steps required to do so. As we mentioned above, this service is exclusive to Apple users. Apple Pay and its Apple Cash feature cannot be used by Android devices or other branded tech outside of the Apple product line. Additionally, you need to make sure you and the recipient’s Apple Pay accounts have been set up in the Wallet app before proceeding with the guide below.
Step One: Open iMessage

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First, open iMessage and start a new conversation thread with an iPhone user. Then, tap the Apple Cash icon in the row of apps above the keyboard. This will open the Apple Cash interface.
Step Two: Enter An Amount

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Next, enter the amount you want to send via the iMessage Apple Cash interface. You can either swipe up to unveil a full keypad, tap “Show Keypad,” or use the Plus (+) and Minus (-) buttons to enter the desired amount.
Step Three: Hit Send

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Once you’ve settled on an amount, hit the “Send” button. This will transfer the amount into a text box in your iMessage conversation thread. Then, hit the Up arrow to send the Apple Cash. The recipient will receive the amount instantly (as long as you have enough funds in your account).
With these three simple steps, you can send money via Apple Pay as often as you’d like. You can send and receive up to $2,000 a week with this Apple Cash feature. Let’s review:
- Open iMessage and start a conversation thread with a fellow Apple user
- Tap the Apple Cash icon from the row of apps above the keyboard and enter your desired amount
- Hit “Send,” then send the money via iMessage
As you can see, sending money through Apple Cash is as easy as one, two, three! If you’d like to learn more about sending money through Apple Cash, including hardware and software requirements and more, check out this video from Insider Tech.
Summary Table
Step | Action |
---|---|
1 | Open iMessage and tap the Apple Cash icon |
2 | Enter the amount you want to send |
3 | Hit Send and confirm the transaction |
The image featured at the top of this post is ©LightField Studios/Shutterstock.com.