How to make credit card default on apple pay

Hi folks,

I recently signed up for the Apple Card to finance the iPhone 14 Pro. While it seems great to now get cash back on my Apple purchases, I've got a question.

I'd like to ensure that all of my apple purchases are applied to my new Apple Card, but I want my default card in my Apple Wallet to remain my bank's credit card. It seems that if I change my default card to the Apple Card, that would make my default card for all Apple Pay purchases. I use Apple Pay quite a bit and don't want to accidentally use my Apple Card at Trader Joe's or when I'm making a quick purchase. I'd prefer to keep it my bank card.

The idea seems so simple, but at the same time, there doesn't really seem to be an option to set my Apple Music, iCloud storage and other AppleID subscriptions and purchases to just go to that Apple Card without making it the default payment method in my wallet.

Anybody have any experience in this? Am I making sense? Any advice on this would be great!

Using Apple Pay in stores to make purchases is as easy as holding your iPhone near the NFC reader and authenticating with Face ID or Touch ID. That method uses the primary payment card in Apple Wallet automatically, and your primary card may change from week to week based on your spending, so you'll probably need to change it periodically.

Without changing it, you can select a different card for Apple Pay manually in Apple Wallet by double-clicking the Side or Home button, choosing the correct payment card, authenticating, then holding your iPhone near the reader. But to skip the extra work or to just have a different payment card be selected by default automatically, there are two ways to update your choice. First, via Apple Wallet, the fastest method, and second, via Settings, which contains more options.

  • Don't Miss: Add & Remove Debit & Credit Cards for Apple Pay on Your iPhone

Option 1: Change Your Default Card in Wallet

The faster method of changing your default Apple Pay card is through the Wallet app. Open it up and press-and-hold down on the card you wish to turn into your default card, then drag it to the front of all your cards. A pop-up will appear that says that card is now your new default; hit "OK" to finish. If your card is not listed, it's easy to add.

How to make credit card default on apple pay
How to make credit card default on apple pay

Option 2: Change Your Default Card from Settings

In your Settings app, go into the "Wallet & Apple Pay" page. Underneath Transaction Defaults, tap on "Default Card" to change your primary Apply Pay card. Select the card you want as your default, hit 'Back," and you're finished. Again, if your card is not listed, it's easy to add.

While you're in the Wallet & Apple Pay settings, you can also edit your shipping address, email, and phone number associated with your Apple Pay transactions.

How to make credit card default on apple pay
How to make credit card default on apple pay
How to make credit card default on apple pay

More Need-to-Know Information

A few other bits of information that you should know in regards to changing the default card in Wallet:

  • If you lose your physical debit or credit card or have it stolen, and it's your default card, it will be replaced automatically in your Wallet once your new card comes in. If for some reason your issuer doesn't support updates, you will have to manually remove the stolen/lost card and add the new one.
  • If you have an Apple Watch and use Apple Pay on it, open the Apple Watch app on your iPhone, tap on "My Watch," go into "Wallet & Apple Pay," and change your primary card in "Default Card."
  • If you don't change your default card and the wrong card pops up when you use Apple Pay, simply tap on the stack of cards on the screen and choose another card.

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