- Tap to Cash allows one Apple Cash user to pay another
- It’s safe, secure, and private
- Tap to Provision is a quick way to add payment cards to Apple Pay
With iOS 18, Apple introduced a couple of neat features to simplify banking. Tap to Cash allows for instant, private payments by tapping two iPhones together, while Tap to Provision provides a quicker way to add payment cards to Apple Pay. Here’s how they work.
Tap to Cash
After the success of NameDrop last year, which similarly shares contact info with a tap, Apple is going on all in on proximity sharing. That means you can now make instant payments from one Apple Cash user to another by simply touching the top of two iPhones together for a moment.
You’ll need to confirm the amount and authenticate the transaction before it completes, of course, so there’s no risk of accidentally emptying your funds just by walking too close to another iPhone. Apple says payments made in this way are extremely secure and have the added benefit of not sharing any of your personal information. No need to text someone bank details, or even your phone number. Just tap, pay, and move on.
To use Tap to Cash, you’ll need to live in the US and have an active Apple Cash account. Apple has vague plans to expand the functionality to more regions, but financial regulations can be tricky so it could be some time before Apple Cash is available elsewhere.
Tap to Provision
Another slick feature that works a bit like magic is Tap to Provision, which is used to quickly add debit and credit cards to Apple Pay. Open the Wallet app and press the + button to add a new card. The default prompt now asks users to hold their iPhone near the chip on their bank card. It will automatically detect and input the relevant data, saving you typing out long card numbers.
The downside is that not all cards are compatible, so if it doesn’t work you’ll need to tap Enter Card Details Manually and do things the old-fashioned way instead. This feature also isn’t available in all markets, though Apple hasn’t given specifics. We can confirm at the very least that it works in the US and UK.