Problem using Touch ID for Apple Pay on Mac M4 OS 26.5.2

Apple Pay on your Mac mini M4 should not normally require your Mac login password every time you make an online purchase.

Since the Mac mini does not have built-in Touch ID, Apple Pay is usually approved using either an Apple Touch ID-enabled keyboard, your Apple iWatch, or your iPhone if "Allow Payments on Mac" is enabled.

If your Mac is asking for your Mac password instead, it usually means it is not able to communicate with your Apple Touch ID-enabled keyboard, Apple Watch, or iPhone for payment approval.

In that situation, macOS falls back to using your Mac password as the authentication method.

The first thing to check is that your Apple Touch ID-enabled keyboard is paired with your Mac and that Touch ID is working correctly for unlocking the Mac and other authentication requests.

Also confirm that your iPhone has "Allow Payments on Mac" enabled in Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay.

Verify that your Apple iWatch is unlocked, has a passcode enabled, is using the same Apple Account as your Mac, and that your payment cards are available in Wallet.

Another useful clue is whether your Apple iWatch can unlock your Mac.

If that feature is also not working, the problem is likely related to communication between the iWatch and the Mac rather than Apple Pay itself.

Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and two-factor authentication all need to be be enabled for these features to work correctly.

Apple Intelligence may have been used for the wording; the technical content reflects my own experience

Hi, Macs have different security requirements than mobile devices. A recent Mac OS update may have disabled Apple Pay. Usually, you get a notification and you haven’t mentioned any, so on to the next possibility.

Apple Watch approval may not be enabled or meeting requirements. To pay with Apple Watch on Mac, the watch and Mac must be signed into the same Apple ID, near each other, connected as required, and “Allow Payments on Mac” must be enabled on the watch.

cdeegan wrote:

Every time I try to use Apple Pay online via my desktop M4, I am required to enter my computer (not my Apple) password.

Why is this happening?

Apple Watch is also set up to approve Apple Pay, not working either

Verify your >System Settings that you have enabled it,

if it is on —toggle it off and back on again to solicit some change in the plist

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