In today’s digital world, services like Apple Pay are often preferred over carrying cash. That said, you’ll never have to worry about tech issues with a dollar bill.
On Friday, May 16, beginning around 8:00 a.m. PT, Apple Pay users began to report issues with the popular digital wallet. According to the website Downdetector, nearly 3,000 customers reported issues at the height of the outage.
The apparent issue affected Apple Pay, Wallet, Cash, and Card. Within the hour, Apple Cash and Card returned to normal, followed by Pay and Wallet. At the time of publication, it appears as though all services have been restored.
Apple has yet to address the reason for the outage. Moreover, many customers took to social media to express their displeasure, given how popular the service is.
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“The fact that I had to get on social media to find out that Apple Pay is down versus me being on hold for 20 mins just for them to tell me the same thing…lemme hang this damn phone up,” one user wrote via X.
“Apple Pay being down in the middle of me paying a bill is goin’ piss me right on off,” added another. “Apple Pay being down is exactly why cash must not go away,” a third user argued, while a fourth echoed, “Apple Pay being down right before an 11-hour road trip is a reminder to stop always relying on technology.”
Apple Pay was announced on September 9, 2014, during that year’s Apple keynote event. It was formally launched the following month in the U.S. with iPhone 6 and Apple Watch compatibility.
In the following years, Apple Pay expanded to include in-app purchases and web purchases. Additionally, peer-to-peer payments were made possible with Apple Cash.
As of 2025, Apple pay is widely accepted on apps, online platforms, public transit systems, and physical retail stores.