Apple Pay Statistics and Facts 2023

Today, we’re going to explore some of the most valuable Apple Pay statistics for 2023.

Let’s get started.

Apple Pay Adoption Statistics 2023

Statistics show that the adoption rate of contactless payment services has boomed over the past two years. Even those who weren’t that thrilled initially are slowly coming around now that it has become almost inevitable as a payment option. First, let’s look at some stats on the adoption of Apple Pay services to better understand how far-reaching this service has really become in recent years.

#1: Apple Pay’s user base grew by 66 million in 2020.

(Statista)

According to the survey released in November 2020 and conducted from 2016 to 2020, the number of Apple Pay users worldwide has increased by well over 600% in just four years. With only 67 million users in 2016, Apple Pay wasn’t a very popular payment method at launch or in the first few years after it.

However, the figures have increased to a massive 507 million users in 2020. If we compare 2019 and 2020 data, we can see that the use of Apple Pay has grown by almost 15%, from 441 to 507 million users worldwide.

#2: Around 93% of US smartphones had access to Apple Pay in 2020.

(Pymnts)

Apple Pay growth in the US has been staggering in recent years. Only 39% of all iOS devices could use Apple Pay functionalities in 2015, but the number grew to nearly 93% in just five years. As older devices slowly get phased out, we’ll undoubtedly start reaching 100% soon. That said, adoption is not quite at the same level yet, and many people still use credit cards for payments instead of going for mobile wallets such as Apple Pay.

#3: Over 48% of iOS users worldwide activated Apple Pay in 2019.

(Statista)

Apple Pay usage statistics from September 2019 show that 441 million people have activated Apple Pay. It’s a significant increase compared to the 33 percent usage reach in 2018, even more so than just nine percent of Apple users who activated the payment feature back in 2016.

#4: The UK topped Apple Pay transactions in 2021, with 63% of people using it at least once in stores or restaurants.

(Statista)

As of August 2021, the United Kingdom tops a list of seventeen countries worldwide both for online payments and those made through the point of sale (POS) systems. According to Apple Pay statistics for the UK, the country ranked first when it comes to payments in stores, restaurants, and other point-of-sale systems, and its users made over a fifth of all online Apple Pay payments, too.

The second on the list is the United States, with 54% of POS transactions and 21% of online payments, followed by Canada with 54% and 20%.

#5: Apple Pay dominates the US mobile payment market with a 43.9% share.

(Business of Apps)

Knowing that iPhone ranks third in the global smartphone market, it’s no wonder that iOS mobile devices are so popular in the US and that so many Americans choose to pay for goods and services using Apple Pay. Interestingly, Samsung Pay and Google Pay only took third and fourth place in the US.

Apple Pay adoption stats show that the Cupertino giant’s solution dominates the market ahead of a surprising competitor – Starbucks.

#6: Apple Pay transactions dominated the US mobile debit wallet market in 2020, accounting for 92% of all payments.

(Pulse Network)

Around two billion debit transactions were completed in 2020 through Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Samsung Pay. Samsung and Google counted for less than 10% of the overall payment volume, with the latter having only a 3% share.

#7: Despite having half a billion users worldwide, Apple Pay is almost non-existent in China.

(Business of Apps)

Apple Pay user statistics reveal that despite the unbeatable popularity of contactless payment methods in China (87.3%), its mobile ecosystem hasn’t been receptive to Apple and other US companies. Even though iPhones are becoming increasingly popular in the country, Apple Pay hasn’t managed to make any significant inroads on the market.

The two local mobile payment services, AliPay and WeChat Pay hold a massive duopoly on all eCommerce payments, with 650 million and 550 million registered users, for a total of 96% of the market share. Apple Pay and other big mobile payment names such as Google Pay, PayPal, Paytm, PhonePe, and Samsung Pay haven’t had much success in making a dent in the world’s largest market.

Industry-Related Apple Pay Statistics 2023

Now that we figured out where Apple Pay stands in terms of global and US adoption stats, we can deal with some industry-specific themes. We compiled a list of facts and stats indicating which industries widely accepted Apple Pay as a payment method and are slowly leaning into it. Also, we can take a look at the presence of specific sectors in the Apple Pay ecosystem and the perspectives and anticipations for the future. Stay with us and learn more about contactless payment methods’ market share and views. 

#8: As of 2020, 5,480 banks worldwide supported Apple Pay. 

(LoupFunds)

Judging by these Apple Pay stats, things are changing for the better in the traditionally hesitant banking sector. The number of banks that offer Apple Pay as a payment method increased to 5,480 in 2020. This represents a growth of 29% compared to the year before and 41% compared to 2018, when the number of supporting banks was only 2,707. The figures indicate that banks are doing their best to align their payment methods with consumer behavior. 

#9: 41% of US customers made an Apple Pay purchase in McDonald’s during 2015.

(Statista)

Those wondering about McDonald’s Apple Pay statistics will be glad to hear that the American fast-food company accounted for 41% of all Apple Pay in-store transactions in the US in 2015. This put McDonald’s just behind the Apple Store with 42 percent, ahead of Macy’s, which saw Apple Pay usage by 36% of its customers. Other names on the list were Subway, Nike, Walgreens, Whole Foods, and much more.

We are looking forward to new research that will provide us with further insight into the post-pandemic trends.

Disadvantages of Using Apple Pay 2023

If you’ve read up carefully on our Apple Pay statistics and facts, you’ve probably noticed positive and negative trends in using this payment service. One reason the service still isn’t as popular as it could be is that some people find it less intuitive than classic credit and debit cards. Another is privacy and cyber security concerns. With 33% of Americans being victims of identity theft, these concerns are more than understandable. Here is some data that deals with the less flashy side of using contactless payment services.

#10: Apple Pay’s fraud rate in 2015 was 6%, 60 times the average credit card fraud rate.

(CNNBusiness)

Apple Pay fraud statistics indicate that the fraud rate related to transactions with this payment service was a real problem in its first years. The figure represents 60 times the average credit card fraud rate and is a big turn-off for consumers. Even though Apple Pay’s system hasn’t been hacked, cybercriminals use stolen credit cards and enter them into smartphones to make purchases.

Loading up credit cards on an iPhone is still relatively easy and doesn’t require much in the way of authentication. As a result, many consumers had to reach out to identity theft services or banks to protect their stolen assets in the past.