Why doesn’t Apple Pay work at grocery stores?

It's frustrating when Apple Pay, a convenient and secure payment method, doesn't seem to work at grocery stores, even when those stores technically accept Apple Pay. There can be several reasons behind this issue:

Compatibility: One potential issue might be the compatibility of the grocery store's payment terminals. While many retailers accept Apple Pay, not all of their terminals may be up to date or configured properly to process these transactions. Sometimes, a simple software update can resolve this problem.

Contactless Payment Limitations: Some grocery stores might have transaction limits for contactless payments. If your grocery bill exceeds this limit, Apple Pay may not work. In such cases, you might need to resort to using your physical card for larger purchases.

NFC Activation: Ensure that your NFC (Near Field Communication) is enabled on your device. Sometimes, Apple Pay may not work if this feature is turned off. You can find this in your device's settings, usually under "Wallet & Apple Pay."

Network Issues: Network connectivity is crucial for Apple Pay to function correctly. If you're in an area with weak or no signal, the payment may not go through. Make sure you have a stable network connection.

Wallet Setup: Double-check that your payment card is properly set up in your Apple Wallet. Sometimes, an expired card or an issue with the card's details can cause payment failures.

Merchant-specific Issues: Certain grocery stores might have specific policies or configurations that affect Apple Pay. It's possible that they may need to update their systems or have certain restrictions in place.

Device Compatibility: Ensure that your device is compatible with Apple Pay. While most newer iPhones and Apple Watches support this feature, older models might not. Also, make sure your iOS is updated to the latest version.

If you've ruled out these common issues and Apple Pay still doesn't work at grocery stores that accept it, it might be a good idea to contact Apple's customer support or the grocery store's customer service for specific troubleshooting. They may be able to provide more insights or even offer a solution tailored to your situation. In the meantime, using your physical card as a backup is a good practice to ensure you can always make your grocery purchases without any hiccups...

Note that using a Platinum AppleCard is technically not "Apple Pay" ... it's generally processed just like any other credit card transaction.

Many grocery stores DO accept ApplePay. (The 4x I routinely use do)

There are indeed some notable exceptions.

Kroger (which owns Harris Teeter as well as a few others) only recently started accepting ApplePay

HEB (in Texas) does NOT.

Groceries are a notoriously low-margin business, so any way to reduce cost is viewed quite favorably.

Walmart, Home Depot, and Lowe's don't accept it either. (Although the Lowe's iOS app does ... ???)

At the end of the day it's a business decision by the retailer as to whether the additional costs to support ApplePay outweigh the additional revenue generated.

wjohnson8081 wrote:

I’ve used Apple Pay many times at different merchants, but have never been able to use it at any grocery store (Aldi, Food Lion, Harris teeter for example) even though those merchants take Apple Pay, and my physical card always works.

Ask the managers at the merchants that don’t. This is their organizational decision.

With the exception of Aldi—which are also quite distant—all of the food stores here in Boondocks do accept Apple Pay, including all of the local bigs and my preferred local bodega.

Jeff Donald wrote:

Apple Card is a Mastercard. Some club stores and a few other grocery chains (smaller) are network specific, meaning only accepting one payment network (Visa, Mastercard or AmEx) to the exclusion of all other cards.

Alas, that won’t explain the reported symptoms: the physical card works in the reader, but the same payment card presented via Apple Pay does not. And other cards work via Apple Pay.

There’s something different within the payment network, or within the payment terminal, or with local policies, involving that card. Somehow.

As for the issue Need2Know21C mentions, I’d remove and re-add the problem card, if that has not already been tried. Next stop after that is a discussion directly with Apple Support.

Need2Know21C wrote:

Yes, I have the same issue. A large chain grocery store near me. One credit card will not work with ApplePay. It works when swiped but not Apple Pay. Apple Pay works with other cards at that store which lead me to call the credit card company. The credit card company said they didn’t see any declines for payment at the store and said I should reach out to Apple and see if there is something on their end. Nothing resolved yet. I just use a different card.

I had a similar issue in the early days of Apple Pay at Trader Joe's. They actually asked me if I could stay for a few minutes and help them test the system. We didn't really get very far. A couple of weeks later, everything was fine.

I suspect there is something wrong with the setup in the stores in question. You can try reporting it to the store's manager but there probably isn't much they can do about it. Perhaps write a letter to corporate?

Apple Card is a Mastercard. Some club stores and a few other grocery chains (smaller) are network specific, meaning only accepting one payment network (Visa, Mastercard or AmEx) to the exclusion of all other cards.

Re: “… NFC Activation: Ensure that your NFC (Near Field Communication) is enabled … Apple Pay may not work if this feature is turned off … You can find this in your device's settings, usually under "Wallet & Apple Pay … “

Without NFC, ApplePay via a POS terminal most definitely will NOT work.

However, might you possibly share as to where - EXACTLY - this user-accessible “NFC enable/disable” control is located in iOS ?

Also, mobile network communications for the customer is NOT required for ApplePay payment transaction processing. (although clearly the “merchant’s” communications to/from his POS terminal IS a requirement.

Yes, I have the same issue. A large chain grocery store near me. One credit card will not work with ApplePay. It works when swiped but not Apple Pay. Apple Pay works with other cards at that store which lead me to call the credit card company. The credit card company said they didn’t see any declines for payment at the store and said I should reach out to Apple and see if there is something on their end. Nothing resolved yet. I just use a different card.

helenvang wrote:

It's frustrating when Apple Pay, a convenient and secure payment method, doesn't seem to work at grocery stores, even when those stores technically accept Apple Pay. There can be several reasons behind this issue:

Apparently, you didn't actually read the post to which you replied. I don't have a problem with paying using Apple Pay. It works very well for me. And, even if I did have a problem, generic ChatGPT copypast probably wouldn't help.

Chattanoogan wrote:

However, might you possibly share as to where - EXACTLY - this user-accessible “NFC enable/disable” control is located in iOS ?

That's what happens when someone copy/pastes answers they don't understand from ChatGPT. Sigh....

Chattanoogan wrote:

Re: “… That's what happens when someone copy/pastes answers they don't understand from ChatGPT … “

So I guess I should stop holding my breath waiting for a reply … ??? 😉

But that shade of blue looks so good on you!

Inadvertent dupe deleted.

Re: “… That's what happens when someone copy/pastes answers they don't understand from ChatGPT … “

So I guess I should stop holding my breath waiting for a reply … ??? 😉