Do I have to use apple pay or apple walket on iPhone for purchases
Do I have to use apple pay or apple wallet on iPhone. What if I just want to use my pay as I go method?
iPhone 13, iOS 16
Apple Wallet = an electronic wallet which can store credit/debit cards ... like a physical wallet. You have to add each card you want to use. Note that not all cards can be added and may also be restricted by what country you reside in.
Once you have various payment methods in the Apple Wallet, you then use Apple Pay to use them for payment where Apple Pay is accepted.
Ref: Apple Card vs Apple Pay vs Apple Cash: What you need to know - c|net