Can add credit card to Apple Watch but not iPhonr (just restored iPhone)

What Payment Network (Mastercard, Visa, etc.) are they on?

When you manually enter card information here are the three steps (calls) that happen from Apple’s servers.

>>When a user adds a credit, debit or pre-paid card (including store cards) to Apple Wallet, Apple securely sends the card information, along with other information about user’s account and device, to the card issuer or card issuer’s authorized service provider. Using this information, the card issuer determines whether to approve adding the card to Apple Wallet. As part of the card provisioning process, Apple Pay uses three server-side calls to send and receive communication with the card issuer or network:

• Required Fields — card number, expiration date, name as it appears on card etc.

• Check Card — If a terms and conditions ID is returned with the Check Card process, Apple downloads and displays the terms and conditions of the card issuer to the user. If the user accepts the terms and conditions, Apple sends the ID of the terms that were accepted as well as the CVV to the Link and Provision process. Additionally, as part of the Link and Provision process, Apple shares information from the device with the card issuer or network. This includes information about (a) the user’s iTunes and App Store account activity (for example, whether the user has a long history of transactions within iTunes), (b) the user’s device (for example, the phone number, name and model of the user’s device plus any companion Apple device necessary to set up Apple Pay), and (c) the user’s approximate location at the time the user adds their card (if the user has Location Services enabled). Using this information, the card issuer determines whether to approve adding the card to Apple Pay.

• Link and Provision — at this point the card has been provisioned by the bank or payment network and is linked to Apple Pay/Apple Wallet. Apple notifies bank and payment network card is ready for use with Apple Pay.

The card issuer or network uses these calls to verify, approve and add cards to Apple Wallet.

Apple does not and cannot block a card from being added. Your bank or payment network is blocking the process and not sending the provisioned card data for adding to Apple Wallet.<<

The entire process is outlined in the Apple Support articles I linked to below.

Card provisioning security overview - Apple Support

Adding credit or debit cards to Apple Pay - Apple Support

The card not added notification indicates either the bank or payment network failed the cards. They are not provisioned and cannot be added. The fact the same cards were added to Apple Watch or any other device doesn’t mean the bank or network isn’t blocking your iPhone. Each device is unique and treated as such.

One common issue is trying to add the cards too many times in a short period of time. This is a common behavior of bad actors with stolen card information and banks and payment networks can see the number of attempts. Another issue is having too many tokens assigned per card. As part of the provisioning process tokens are assigned to the card. Some banks limit as few as 10 tokens, while others permit the maximum (99).

In my experience the issue is usually the Payment Network and tier one support staff not aware the Payment Network is even involved in the process. If you can escalate the issue high enough within the banks support structure it can usually be resolved.

One more question. Please follow this path,

iPhone > Settings app > General > About > do you see an SEID number?

The fact you see the SEID number indicates the NFC module is probably OK. The fact you receive the terms and conditions means the communication network is working.

Apple can’t block a card. Once the T&C is agreed to and bank receives data, they do the provisioning and adding of the card. If your iPhone doesn’t receive data in a timely matter, the request times out and you get an error. The other possibility is the banks are flagging the device and not allowing the cards to be added. When I say banks, I’m including the payment networks.

This is the data Apple sends.

>>This includes information about (a) the user’s iTunes and App Store account activity (for example, whether the user has a long history of transactions within iTunes), (b) the user’s device (for example, the phone number, name and model of the user’s device plus any companion Apple device necessary to set up Apple Pay), and (c) the user’s approximate location at the time the user adds their card (if the user has Location Services enabled). Using this information, the card issuer determines whether to approve adding the card to Apple Pay.<<

Is any of the data off your iPhone perhaps failing bank verification?

Are logged into your Apple ID and iTunes account is in good standing?

Is the phone number the same on the iPhone and if different, banks have been notified of changes and adjusted their records?

Is you Watch on the same Apple ID and paired to your iPhone?

Is Location Services enabled for Wallet app and using precise location?

Have you traveled recently? Is your iPhone and Apple ID set for your current location? Is the location the same for the banks? In other words you’re in the US, banks are in the US and your iPhone and Apple ID are set to US?

How high a support level have you gotten with the bank? Are you talking to the entry level support person or is your call being escalated?

Just to rule out hardware, you can call (1-800-MY-APPLE) Apple Support and request remote diagnostics on the hardware.

Have you ever used a VPN on the iPhone?

I’ve just shown the problem to my son and he pointed out something unusual. When you get to terms and conditions they look off. They are not as long and detailed. When adding to the watch the t&cs are expanded as normal but trying to add to th phone they like very short note. I will attach photo of both phone and watch so you can see the difference. We compared them with another phone and t&cs should be expanded.

all the settings are ok. Location services are correct and switched on. No vpn ever used on any of my mobile devices. iTunes are signed in with correct id and are the same on both phone and watch. Communication between watch and phone is also correct .

The terms and conditions are downloaded from the banks secure server. Each bank, if required by the bank, will have their own terms and conditions.

We can go back to start and run through some basics if you’d like, but the conclusion is leading to it being the banks issue. Another test would be having someone log into your iPhone with their Apple ID and try adding the card. If it works, it’s not a hardware issue. You might want to read this discussion,

Apple Pay, Unable to link card contact Ca… - Apple Community

I didn’t participate in that discussion but I diagnosed the issue with him in another post and pointed him to it possibly being the Payment Network.

If your bank told you it’s an intermittent issue on their end, why don’t you believe them? What country and what bank?

How many days have you been experiencing this issue?

Apple also doesn’t put security blocks on cards. Your bank would have to do that.

Hey. I know it’s been quite a while but did you managed to get your issue resolved? I’m in the same boat that you have been in and am stomped. Adding just fine to watch but not to the phone. And apple keeps quaint to contact the bank and banks says they are all good and it’s not an issue on their end. Mind boggles!

All the same cards that I used on apple wallet yesterday but on the old phone. Same cards, same numbers. Same banks (rbs, nationwide, Revolut, Vanquis, capital 1). I get through accepting t&cs and get notification “card not added. Set up later”. All have now been added to my watch but not to the phone.

Hi again. It’s Mastercard and visa. 4 or 5 different banks. One card is for an account that never been linked to Apple Pay., so your point about repeatedly assigning the card to Apple Pay is void. Commands to attach the card to apple wallet go OUT ok, communication is also not an issue, it’s the signal back to the device that’s an issue. And yes I can access SEID.

Do you have any cards in your iPhone Wallet app?

The only other option without doing a full restore is to delete Apple Wallet app, download a new copy from App Store and try adding your cards again.

What do you mean, card on on iCloud and removed from iCloud?

I don’t believe credit card information is stored to iCloud. Please review this support article.

Security of iCloud Backup - Apple Support

What bank and what country are you in?