Apple Wallet: Beyond Apple Pay's Hidden Features

Summary

Apple's Wallet app is more than just a payment tool; it's a digital hub replacing your physical wallet. A key feature is Express Transit, allowing a designated transit card to be used with a single tap at terminals, bypassing Face ID for faster travel. Apple Cash is emerging as a competitor to services like Venmo and Cash App, enabling peer-to-peer payments directly through iMessage and via tap-to-cash functionality, useful for small vendors. The app also allows you to store encrypted physical credit card information, acting as a backup in case Apple Pay isn't available, providing direct access to your card number without needing the physical card. Digital car and home keys are also integrated, offering keyless entry through NFC and proximity unlocking. However, a notable area for improvement is order tracking, which has been inconsistently implemented and fails to capture many purchases, despite its potential for real-time updates.