Apple is further polishing Apple Pay with a package of new features that aims directly at how we pay on a daily basis and how we manage our money from the iPhone, without complications and with a lot of focus on the user experience in iOS 27.
Apple Pay debuts a clearer payment experience in iOS 27
The first big improvement comes with a new design of the Apple Pay payment interface in iOS 27, designed so that changing cards is something natural and not a mini ordeal every time you go to checkout. You can now swipe between your cards directly on the main payment screen, making it much easier to choose the right payment method in both apps and online purchases. If you need a more complete view, just tap on a card to bring up a grid with all the cards you have in Apple Pay, ready to select in a couple of taps.
This change is not just about aesthetics since the new payment sheet also improves the information you see for each card. Apple Pay shows you key details such as associated rewards, your card balances, or even pay later options, as long as the bank or merchant supports it. The idea is that you have a quick summary of how that purchase affects you before confirming, something especially useful if you manage several cards with different benefits or if you use “buy now, pay later” solutions.
For Apple, this renewed interface is a key piece of iOS 27 since the update is available in beta for developers and for those who sign up for the public beta, with a general release scheduled for autumn. In practice, what the company is doing is turning Apple Pay into a more visual and less cryptic experience where it is more difficult to make the wrong card and easier to understand what you are doing with your money.
Amex integrates better and Apple Pay becomes more flexible
Another important novelty has its own name American Express since Apple has closed an alliance that allows you to pay directly with Membership Rewards points from Apple Pay. When you use an Amex card for online or in-app purchases, you'll see a new “Use Rewards” option next to your available points balance, allowing you to apply those points to cover part or all of the purchase without leaving the Apple Pay checkout flow.
Apple and Amex have set the value of those points at 0.7 cents for each point redeemed within Apple Pay, which means 10,000 points translates to $70 dollars applied to your purchase. It is not a revolution in terms of absolute value, but it is a movement that makes the Apple Pay ecosystem more attractive for users who are already hooked on rewards programs and who can now take advantage of them more directly. Beyond the numbers, the key is that friction is reduced and the world of traditional cards is better integrated with mobile payments.
This integration also reinforces the narrative of Apple Pay as a platform and not just as a “mobile pay button” since the experience extends to how you manage the benefits of your cards. For heavy Amex users, Apple Pay goes from being a convenient shortcut to a kind of central dashboard where payments, points and financing options come together, all within the same environment.
Tap to Share and debit recharge turn the iPhone into a payment center
The third major pillar of these new features is Tap to Share, a function that will arrive with iOS 27 and that relies on Tap to Pay technology on iPhone to improve the experience in physical stores. The idea is simple but powerful since with a simple touch you can connect your iPhone with that of the participating merchant to securely share data such as your email, shipping address or loyalty program information. While you make your purchase, you will see the products in your cart in real time, which helps you check that everything is correct and that the discounts are applied as they should.
Once the process is finished, the closing is done directly on your iPhone using Apple Pay, without having to touch a traditional card machine. This approach turns the in-store experience into something more personal and transparent, with a curious mix of physical purchasing and e-commerce logic where you control the screen and the data you share. For businesses, it also represents a door to collecting customer information in a more fluid way, always under the security and privacy rules that Apple promises for this type of functions.
The fourth piece of the puzzle has to do with the day-to-day life of those who live with debit cards since Apple Pay will allow you to manage the balance of certain cards directly from the service interface. Apple explains that it will be possible to add money to a compatible debit card from Apple Wallet or during the payment process, without leaving the app environment. It is a function designed to reduce the gap between banks, apps and services and turn the iPhone into a kind of hub where you can move money more quickly.
This integrated balance management may seem like a minor detail but it fits with Apple's strategy of adding small pieces that make Apple Pay not just “pay with your mobile” but a layer of financial control that is light, fast and always at hand. In a context where the use of Apple Pay continues to grow among retailers, it is logical that the company wants to close the circle and that the user does not have to go to other apps every time they want to refill their card before paying.
With these four functions, Apple Pay positions itself as an even more relevant player in the field of digital payments, with improvements that touch both the interface and the points programs, the experience in physical stores and the management of debit cards, all pointing to a clear objective of making each payment from the iPhone more comfortable, more transparent and a little smarter.
