Apple Pay is a great way of quickly sending and receiving money using just your iPhone. But sometimes, users are greeted with the “Apple Pay Services are currently unavailable” message. If you’ve recently encountered this problem, keep reading this article. we’ll try to solve it together.
Table of contents:
- Enable Cellular Data
- Update iOS
- Check the servers’ status
- Make sure Apple Pay is available in your region
- Verify your identity
Apple Pay Services are currently unavailable? Here’s what to do
Some of the most common reasons for Apple Services not working properly are:
- Disabled Cellular Data
- Unverified Apple ID
- Server outage
- Unsupported region
Enable Cellular Data
If you’re not connected to a Wi-Fi network, Wallet will use cellular data to proceed with transactions. However, there’s a chance Wallet is not allowed to use cellular data. In that case, you’ll need to allow it. Here’s how to do that:
- Go to Settings.
- Open Mobile Data.
- Scroll down and make sure to toggle the switch next to Wallet on.
Update iOS
iOS updates are usually very useful. They introduce new features and improve the overall stability and security of your iPhone. However, some updates do more harm than good. Although most iOS releases are trouble-free, some updates may also bring a few bugs that will make your life harder. It’s possible the most recent iOS update you installed on your iPhone caused the problem with Apple Pay.
If that’s the case, and you can’t find any other workaround, your only option is to wait for Apple to fix the problem in some of the future releases.
To check for updates, head over to Settings > General > Software Update. If the new update is available, install it and see if the problem persists.
Check the servers’ status
There’s a chance Apple Pay services are indeed unavailable due to a server outage. Although rare, these things happen from time to time. If the Apple Pay servers are down, there’s nothing you can do about it, except for waiting for Apple to fix the problem. Fortunately, server outages don’t last for too long, as Apple is quick to tackle any possible interferences.
You can check the status of all of Apple’s servers.
Make sure Apple Pay is available in your region
Sending and receiving money with Apple Cash is available in the US only. So, if you don’t reside in the US, and don’t have a functional US bank account, you won’t be able to use Wallet and Apple Cash to send and receive money. At least for now.
When it comes to paying with Apple Pay in stores, the situation is much better. You can use Apple Pay instead of your physical credit/debit card in numerous countries around the world. However, the number of countries in Africa, Asia, and South America that support Apple Pay is still limited.
You can find more info about regions where Apple Pay is available.
Verify your identity
You need to verify your identity to be able to send cash through Apple Cash. If you haven’t already done so, here’s how to verify your Apple ID:
- Open the Wallet app, tap your Apple Cash card, then tap the three-dotted menu.
- Tap Verify Identity.
- Follow further on-screen instructions.
Here are some of the personal information you may be asked to submit to verify your Apple ID:
- Full name
- Social security number
- Fate of birth
- Home address
- Answers to questions regarding your personal history
- An image of your valid Driver’s License or a State ID card
Also, keep in mind that Apple usually doesn’t accept passports for verification, so you’ll have to submit another document.
That’s about it. I hope at least one of these solutions helped you with your Apple Pay problem. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, feel free to write them down in the comments below.
Editor’s note: This article was initially published in March 2022. We made sure to revamp it for freshness and accuracy.
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