Have you ever gone a bit overboard adding all your cards to Apple Pay, and now want to remove some? Or realized the Apple Cash account linked to your Apple Pay is just sitting there unused?
You‘re not alone. Plenty of people decide Apple Pay isn‘t for them after trying it out.
The good news is you can easily stop Apple Pay from being used across your devices. By removing cards from the Wallet app, deleting associated payment methods, and disabling Apple Cash, you can effectively "turn off" Apple Pay.
In this guide, I‘ll walk you through exactly how to do this in just four simple steps:
| Method | What it Does |
|---|---|
| Remove Cards From Wallet | Stops specific cards being used for payments |
| Close Apple Cash Account | Disables Apple Cash card and payments |
| Delete Payment Methods | Removes credits cards associated with your Apple ID |
| Turn Off Apple Cash | Disables Apple Cash locally on each device |
Here‘s everything you need to know:
Overview Of Apple Pay And Why You Might Want To Stop Using It
First things first – what actually is Apple Pay?
In short, it‘s a contactless payment system that lets you use your Apple devices to pay in stores, apps, and on the web. You add your credit, debit or prepaid cards to the Wallet app, then simply tap or scan your phone to pay.
Many people love the convenience of Apple Pay. But over time, you may decide it‘s just not necessary to have all your cards added, or that you no longer use services like Apple Cash.
Common reasons people delete Apple Pay include:
- Removing old or unused cards from Wallet
- Don‘t want credit cards tied to your Apple ID anymore
- No longer using Apple Cash for peer payments
- Concerns over security and privacy
Luckily, Apple makes it pretty straightforward to disable specific aspects of Apple Pay across your devices.
Now, let‘s get into the step-by-step process for each method!
Method 1: Remove Cards From Your Apple Wallet
The Wallet app on your iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Mac stores any debit/credit cards you‘ve added for use with Apple Pay.
Removing a card through Wallet takes it out of the available payment methods – meaning you can no longer use it via Apple Pay for payments or purchases.
Here‘s how to delete cards on iPhone:
Step 1) Open the Apple Wallet App from your home screen. This is the app with the blue credit card icon.
Step 2) From the cards stored in your wallet, tap the one you want to remove. This will bring up details and recent transactions.
Step 3) Scroll down below your recent purchases, then tap the red "Remove Card" link.
Step 4) Confirm you want to remove the card by tapping "Remove" again when prompted.
And that‘s it! That card will immediately be removed from your Apple Pay wallet.
You‘ll have to repeat the steps for any other individual cards you want to delete.
The process is almost identical on iPad, Mac and Apple Watch:
- Apple Watch – Open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to Wallet & Apple Pay, tap the card, then tap Remove.
- iPad – Go to Settings > Wallet & Apple Pay, tap card, tap Remove.
- Mac – Open System Preferences > Wallet & Apple Pay, click card, click Remove.
Removing cards through Wallet is ideal if you just want to tidy up and delete any old, unused or unwanted payment cards. This prevents them being used for future Apple Pay transactions, without impacting rest of your account.
Up next, for a more permanent deletion…
Method 2 – Contact Apple To Close Your Apple Cash Account
The Apple Cash card within Wallet enables peer-to-peer cash transfers via Apple Pay.
By closing your Apple Cash account completely through Apple Support, you can effectively disable this major avenue for Apple Pay use.
Here‘s how it works:
Step 1) Transfer out any funds you have in your Apple Cash balance to your bank account or an external card. You can do this directly through Wallet.
Step 2) Ensure there are no pending transactions shown on your Apple Cash card. If so, you‘ll have to wait until they clear before closing.
Step 3) Finally, contact Apple Support directly and request closure of your Apple Cash account. Dial 1-877-233-8552 in the US.
Once your account is closed by support, Apple Cash will be permanently disabled and removed from Wallet across any linked devices like iPhones, iPads and Macs.
If you use Apple Cash frequently for personal payments, closing this account effectively cuts off a major Apple Pay feature. Any Daily Cash you earn from future card purchases will route back to your Apple Card, instead of Apple Cash.
Some things to note if you use Apple Cash Family for sharing funds with family members:
- If you‘re the Organizer closing your account, this automatically closes ALL family member accounts too.
- Family member closure requires the Organizer to approve account closure.
- Members below 18 will have funds transferred to Organizer‘s account upon closure.
- Members over 18 can claim account ownership to keep funds.
Want to temporarily disable Apple Cash instead? Keep reading!
Method 3 – Deleting Payment Methods From Your Apple ID
Your Apple ID account stores payment methods like credit/debit cards tied to services like the App Store, Apple Music or iCloud subscriptions.
By removing these payment methods, you can prevent them being used for Apple Pay transactions via your Apple ID.
Here‘s how to delete payment methods on iPhone:
1. Open the Settings app then tap your name > Payment & Shipping.
2. Under the Payment Methods section, select the card you want to remove.
3. Scroll down to the bottom then tap ‘Remove Payment Method‘.
When deleting payment methods, take note:
- You‘ll need to leave at least 1 payment method if you have active subscriptions or balances owed.
- Cancel iTunes/iCloud subscriptions before attempting deletion.
- Turn off Family Sharing purchase sharing if enabled.
Follow basically the same steps to remove payment methods through App Store on Mac or via iTunes on Windows.
With payment cards deleted, your Apple ID has one less avenue enabled for Apple Pay – helping prevent unwanted payments.
Method 4 – Disable Apple Cash On Your Devices
Previously, we covered permanently closing your Apple Cash account. But another option is temporarily disabling the Apple Cash card specifically on each device.
When toggled off here, Apple Cash will disappear from your Wallet without being closed. This means it can be turned back on anytime via your Apple ID password.
Here‘s where to disable Apple Cash on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch:
iPhone
- Open Settings
- Scroll down and tap Wallet & Apple Pay
- Toggle OFF the switch next to Apple Cash
iPad
- Go to Settings
- Tap Wallet & Apple Pay
- Toggle OFF the switch next to Apple Cash
Apple Watch
- Open Watch app on your iPhone
- Go to Wallet & Apple Pay
- Toggle OFF the switch next to Apple Cash
Repeat on ALL devices to fully disable Apple Cash across your personal ecosystem. Just remember this doesn‘t prevent reactivation – so delete payment methods for a more permanent block.
Troubleshooting: Common Apple Pay Deletion Issues
While Apple makes it straightforward to remove cards and disable Apple Cash, you might encounter some issues.
Here are fixes for common problems:
Unable to remove payment method
- Check for unpaid balances on your Apple ID and pay these off first.
- Cancel any active iCloud+ or other iTunes subscriptions.
- Turn off Family Sharing purchase sharing (if enabled as an Organizer)
- Contact Apple Support who can also remove payment methods for you.
Apple Cash won‘t disable
- Ensure no pending transactions shown on your Apple Cash card
- Close account fully by contacting Apple Support. This permanently disables Apple Cash.
Deleted card still showing in Wallet
- Restart your device then check Wallet again. This will sync the latest card updates.
- Manually remove the card again using the steps in Method 1.
How Secure Is Apple Pay Compared To Physical Cards?
As part of deleting Apple Pay, you might be wondering – how does its security compare to using regular payment cards?
In fact, Apple Pay offers superior security versus physical cards in some ways:
- Payments authorized via Face ID or Touch ID biometric authentication.
- Unique one-time dynamic security codes sent for each transaction.
- If iPhone is lost/stolen, cards are disabled immediately via Find My app.
- Paying in apps using Apple Pay doesn‘t share your actual card number.
- Your card details themselves are never stored on device or Apple servers.
However, the potential risks include:
- Lost/stolen devices still enable payments before you remote wipe.
- Potential for vulnerabilities in merchant check-out systems.
- Possible Apple account security flaws providing access to payment details.
Overall though, many experts agree Apple Pay provides enhanced security compared to regular credit/debit cards:
| Security Feature | Apple Pay | Physical Card |
|---|---|---|
| Biometric authentication | Yes | No |
| One-time dynamic codes | Yes | No |
| Remote wipe if lost/stolen | Yes | No |
| Hides card details from merchants | Yes | No |
| Card number stored on device | No | n/a |
So while no payment system is 100% flawless, Apple Pay has significant advantages over traditional payment cards.
Final Thoughts – How To Delete Apple Pay
That sums up the main methods to effectively delete Apple Pay from your devices!
While Apple Pay itself can‘t be outright removed, taking these steps will prevent it from being used for payments:
- Deleting cards from your Wallet app
- Disabling or closing your Apple Cash account
- Removing other payment methods associated with your Apple ID
- Turning off Apple Cash on each individual device
Within minutes, you can significantly limit or entirely block access to Apple Pay across your personal Apple ecosystem.
I hope this guide has helped explain exactly how to get rid of Apple Pay cards and services you no longer need! Let me know if you have any other questions.
