Young woman who just learned how to send money on Apple Pay with her iPhone.

How to Send Money on Apple Pay [2024] Apple Pay Someone 

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Sometimes, it feels like it’s Apple’s world, and we’re just living in it. After all, the company is worth an incredible $2.9 trillion!

It’s easy to see why. You can do practically anything with an Apple device, from taking professional-grade photos to sending money to your friends.

Yes, I said, “sending money to your friends.” There’s a feature called Apple Cash that’s almost similar to PayPal, allowing you to send and request funds within an app.

Below, I’ll describe exactly how to send money on Apple devices with Apple Cash.

How Does Apple Cash Work?

If you’re wondering how to send money on Apple, then Apple Cash is the answer. It’s a digital card that appears in the Wallet app, allowing you to easily spend and receive money on an Apple device. 

You can use Apple Cash to:

  • Send money to someone
  • Request and receive money from someone
  • Shop online with Apple Pay
  • Shop in stores with Apple Pay

Basically, Apple Cash is a combination of a debit card and a peer-to-peer (P2P) payment service.

Apple Cash can draw funds from a linked debit card or bank account, but you’ll also establish an Apple Cash balance when people send you money. If you have a balance, you can use it to send other people money or make purchases. You can also send the funds from your Apple Cash balance to a linked bank account. 

Apple Cash is only available to people with specific Apple devices: An iPhone, an iPad, or an Apple Watch. 

It’s easy to learn how to send money on Apple Pay once you know your way around your Apple Wallet app. 
Apple Cash is a digital card that you can use to send people money. 
Source: Apple

How to Send Money on Apple Pay

You can send money on Apple thanks to the Apple Cash feature. And while it’s related to Apple Pay, Apple Cash is actually a little different.

Here’s the difference between Apple Cash and Apple Pay:

  • Apple Cash is a digital card that allows you to send and receive money through your Messages app or the Wallet app.
  • Apple Pay is the payment service that lets you make purchases with online and in-person retailers. The funds can be drawn from any of the cards in your Apple Wallet app, including Apple Cash. 

So, Apple Cash is a PayPal-like service for sending and receiving money with people you know, but it can also be used to fund Apple Pay purchases.

The exact strategy for how to send money on Apple depends on the device you’re using. Below, I’ll tell you how to send money on an iPhone or iPad. Then, I’ll explain how to do it with an Apple Watch, which is just a little bit different.

How to Send Money on Apple Pay on an iPhone or iPad

Here’s how to send money on Apple: Set up Apple Cash, then use it to send funds to your contacts.

Before you can actually start sending money, you need to make sure Apple Cash is all setup and ready to go. Luckily, setting up Apple Cash is super simple. 

There are three ways to set up Apple Cash: through the Wallet app, through the Settings page, or by simply sending or accepting a payment in the Messages app.

Setting up App Cash in the Wallet App is possible with an iPhone, but not an iPad. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open your iPhone’s Wallet app.
  2. Tap the Apple Cash card.
  3. Tap “Set Up Now.

Here’s how to do it through the Settings app, which works with an iPhone or iPad:

  1. Go to “Settings” on your iPhone.
  2. Select “Wallet & Apple Pay.”
  3. Turn on Apple Cash.

The third method is the simplest of all. Go to the Messages app, then send or accept a payment.

That’s it for setup. Super easy, right? Now, let’s focus on how to send money.

On an iPhone, there are two methods for sending money with Apple Cash:

  1. Through the Messages app.
  2. With the Wallet app.

With an iPad, you can only use Option #1 and send money through the Messages app.

Here’s how to send money on Apple Cash through Messages: 

  1. Open the Messages app.
  2. Tap an existing conversation or start a new one.
  3. Tap the plus (+) icon next to the message bar at the bottom of the screen.
  4. Enter the amount that you want to send.
  5. Tap “send.”
  6. Tap the send icon (it looks like an arrow).
  7. Double-click your device’s side button.
  8. Confirm with your passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.

This process is safe, secure, and totally easy! That’s why using Apple Cash with Messages is such a great way to send money to friends.

And remember, with an iPhone, you can also use the Wallet app to make a payment.

Here’s how to send money on Apple Cash with your iPhone’s Wallet app:

  1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Apple Cash card.
  3. Tap “Send.”
  4. Select the person you want to receive the money.
  5. Tap “Next.”
  6. Enter the amount.
  7. Tap “Send.”
  8. Tap the send icon (it looks like an arrow).
  9. Double-click your phone’s side button.
  10. Confirm with your passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.

What if you want to send the same amount of money to the same person every week? Do you have to go through the process described above every time?

No, thanks to the recurring payments feature! 

Here’s how to set up a recurring Apple Cash payment on your iPhone:

  1. Open the Wallet app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap the Apple Cash card.
  3. Tap the “More” button (3 dots in a circle).
  4. Tap “Recurring Payments.” 
  5. Tap “New Recurring Payment.”
  6. Select the person you want to receive the money.
  7. Follow the instructions to choose the amount, start date, and frequency of payments.
  8. Tap “Send.”
  9. Tap the send icon (it looks like an arrow).
  10. Double-click your phone’s side button.
  11. Confirm with your passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.

And don’t worry. You won’t be stuck making these payments for the rest of your life! If at any point you want to pause, edit, or cancel a recurring payment, you can find it with the Wallet app and tap “Edit.”

It’s also worth remembering that Apple Cash isn’t just for sending money to friends. 

You can also use it to fund the in-store purchases you make with Apple Pay. When you’re making a purchase, tap the Apple Cash card within the Apple Pay screen on your device. If you have some extra money in your Apple Cash balance, this is a convenient way to spend it!

When learning how to send money on Apple Pay, using the send feature in Messages keeps things simple. 
Sending money with Apple Cash is super easy, especially if you do it through Messages. 
Source: Apple

How to Send Money on Apple Pay on an Apple Watch

You can easily send money to people with your Apple Watch by using Apple Cash. If you already have Apple Cash on another Apple device, you’ll automatically be able to use it with your Apple Watch.  

If you don’t have Apple Cash at all, then setting it up is super easy. You can either set it up on another device or go through the Apple Watch app on your iPhone. 

Here’s how to set up Apple Cash on an Apple Watch:

  1. On your iPhone, open the Apple Watch app. 
  2. Tap “My Watch.”
  3. Tap “Wallet and Apple Pay.”
  4. Tap the Apple Cash card to begin the setup process.

From there, you can fund your Apple Cash balance with a debit card.

Once Apple Cash is set up, using it to send money from an Apple Watch really couldn’t be any easier.

Here’s how to send money on Apple Cash with an Apple Watch:

  1. On your Apple Watch, open the Messages app.
  2. Select an existing conversation.
  3. Tap the App Store icon (it looks like a stylized “A”).
  4. Tap the Apple Cash icon (the Apple logo next to the word “Cash”).
  5. Change the amount with the plus or minus signs.
  6. Tap “Send.”
  7. Double-click the side button to confirm.

Just like that, the money will be on its way!

How to Request Money on Apple Pay

What’s even better than sending money? Requesting money, of course! Because who doesn’t like getting paid? 

With Apple Cash, requesting a transfer is amazingly simple. Whether you have an iPhone, an iPad, or an Apple Watch, you can request a payment right in the Messages app.

Here’s how to request an Apple Cash payment with an iPhone or iPad.

  1. Open the Messages app.
  2. Start a new conversation or open an existing one.
  3. Tap the plus (+) icon at the bottom of the screen near the message bar.
  4. Tap “Apple Cash.”
  5. Enter the amount.
  6. Tap “Request.”
  7. Tap the send icon (it looks like an arrow).

The other person will receive your request, allowing them to easily make the payment. All they’ll have to do is confirm it.

The process for requesting a payment is almost the same as with an Apple Watch. Here’s how to do it:

  1. Open the Messages app.
  2. Select an existing conversation.
  3. Tap the App Store icon (it looks like a stylized “A”).
  4. Tap the Apple Cash icon (the Apple logo next to the word “Cash”).
  5. Enter the amount.
  6. Swipe left on the “Send” icon so that the “Request” option appears.
  7. Tap “Request.”

How to Transfer Apple Cash to Bank

There are two ways to transfer money from your Apple Cash card to your bank account:

  1. An instant transfer to a linked debit card.
  2. A transfer to a bank account, which takes 1-3 business days. 

With both strategies, your first step is to access your Apple Cash card on your device and initiate the transfer.

Here’s how to do that on an iPhone:

  1. Open the Wallet app.
  2. Select the Apple Cash card.
  3. Tap the More icon (3 dots in a circle).
  4. Select “Transfer to Bank.”
  5. Enter the transfer amount and tap “Next.”

And here’s how to initiate the transfer on an iPad:

  1. Go to the “Settings” app.
  2. Select “Wallet & Apple Pay.”
  3. Select the Apple Cash card.
  4. Select “Transfer to Bank.”
  5. Enter the transfer amount and tap “Next.”

At this stage, you have to decide whether you want to choose an instant transfer using a debit card or a standard transfer to a bank account that takes 1-3 business days. 

Want to do an instant transfer? In that case, simply tap “Instant Transfer.” From there, the next step depends on whether you already have an eligible debit card linked to your Apple Cash card. If you don’t, you can tap “Add Card” and then follow the instructions.

If you already have eligible debit cards on file, just tap “Transfer” and select the card you want to send the money to. From there, the funds should appear within 30 minutes. 

But what if you want a standard transfer to your bank account? 

In that case, once you’ve entered the transfer amount and tapped “Next,” you should select “1-3 Business Days.” If your Apple Cash account isn’t linked to a bank account, instructions will appear so you can complete the process. From there, you can tap “Transfer” and confirm the transaction with your passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID. 

Commonly Asked Questions About How to Send Money on Apple Pay

How to Apple Pay Someone?

While Apple Pay is meant for making purchases, Apple Cash is a PayPal-like service that makes it easy to send money to your contacts. Just set up Apple Cash on your device. Then, open a conversation with someone in your Messages app and tap the plus (+) icon.

How to Send Someone Money Through Apple Pay?

You can use Apple Cash, which is similar to Apple Pay, to send money to the people in your contacts. Just set up Apple Pay through the Wallet App. Then, open a conversion with the person in the Messages app and tap the plus (+) icon to make a payment. 

How to Send Money Through Apple Pay to Cash App? 

Unfortunately, you can’t send money directly from Apple Pay to Cash App. What you can do is transfer money from your Apple Cash card to your bank account and then use that same money to fund your Cash App balance. 

Alternatives to Apple Pay?

Apple Pay might be super convenient, but it’s not the only option. Alternatives include:

And if you need a way to manage your mail while you’re away from home, check out our Anytime Mailbox review.

Can I Send Someone Money From My Apple Account? 

You can send someone money from your Apple account as long as you have Apple Cash. You can set up Apple Cash through the Wallet app on your iPhone. From there, you can send money to people with just a few taps within the Messages app.

Can You Apple Pay Someone With a Credit Card? 

You can use a credit card with Apple Pay to make purchases, but you can’t use it to send money to people in your contacts. That’s because Apple Cash is the feature used for peer-to-peer transfers, and it doesn’t work with credit cards. 

Is Apple Cash Like Venmo?

Apple Cash works as a peer-to-peer (P2P) service, just like Venmo or PayPal. Once you have Apple Cash set up on your Apple device, you can use it to send money through the Messages app. It’s simple and seamless, allowing you to send and request funds mid-conversation.