Image: D. Griffin Jones/Cult of Mac
You can get a temporary debit card number to pay with Apple Cash online in case you want to pay with your balance on a site that doesn’t accept Apple Pay. If you have a lot of money sitting in your Apple Cash account, this can be a convenient way to pay without using your other cards. (It’s also handy if you don’t have any credit or debit cards from other banks.)
In case it’s unclear, Apple Cash is what you receive when someone sends you money via iMessage. It’s not to be confused with the other products with similar names. Apple Card is a highly rated credit card you can apply for. (It’s a physical card, made of titanium.) Apple Card Savings is a high-interest savings account for people with a physical Apple Card. And Apple Pay is a payment method (secured by Face ID, Touch ID or your device’s passcode) that lets you pay with credit/debit cards from other banks.
Previously, you could only pay with your Apple Cash via Apple Pay (or transfer it to your bank). Now, you can tie your Apple Cash to a virtual card number to pay using your Apple Cash balance online. Here’s how to set it up.
Benefits of using an Apple Cash card number
Since this is a virtual card number, there are a few benefits to paying with your Apple Cash. The security code changes regularly and automatically, so it’s very hard for your card info to be stolen. And anytime you suspect fraud, you can refresh it with a new card number. Of course, you don’t need to wait for a new physical card to be made and mailed to your house — you can use it instantly.
You also don’t have to memorize a constantly changing security code or card number — it lives inside Safari autofill, so you you don’t really have to do anything.
How to pay with an Apple Cash card number
Time needed: 5 minutes
How to pay with an Apple Cash card number
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Update to iOS 17.4
Apple introduced this feature in iOS 17.4. To use it, you need to update your iPhone. Go to Settings > General > Software Update to install the latest version of iOS.
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Open Apple Cash settings in the Wallet app
Open the Wallet app and tap on the Apple Cash card. (It’s black with a sparkly design.) Tap the ⋯ menu and tap Card Number.
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Create your card number
Tap Set Up Virtual Card Number at the top of the screen. You’ll see a pop-up screen explaining how it works. Authenticate with Face ID to confirm, then tap Done.
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Pay with your Apple Cash card in Safari
When you tap on a credit card field in Safari, you should see a number pad keyboard with a list of cards above. Scroll through the list of saved cards until you see Apple Cash. Tap on that, authenticate with Face ID, and it will automatically fill it in.
You also can enter your virtual Apple Cash card number manually by copying and pasting it from the Wallet app. Open Wallet, tap on your Apple Cash card, tap ⋯ > Card Number. You can see the full card number, expiration date and security code here. Tap on any of these to copy it. Then go back to Safari and tap to paste. -
Change your Apple Cash card number or security code
To get a new card number, go back to Wallet > Apple Cash > ⋯ > Card Number. Authenticate with Face ID.
Tap Request New Card Number and confirm by tapping Request to get a new number. It’ll authenticate with Face ID, then generate a new num.
Every time you open the Wallet app or use Safari autofill, a new security code is automatically generated (and they expire after only 24 hours).
More iOS 17 how-tos
There are more great features in iOS 17, and its latest update: