I just got the new iPhone and started using apple pay. It's nice as a notification for all of my card purchases, even ones that are automated, populate on my phone screen. This morning "NHL Interactive Cyber: $4.95" came up. Apparently, for the last year I've been giving them $5 a month and haven't realized. Fuckers. I need to cancel it. That's the kind of thing that happens when you don't have cable and are too lazy to audit your credit card statement.
I use ApplePay every chance I get - probably a few dozen times since early december. It's still awkward reaching for my wallet and then switching to my phone when I realize it's an option. It's quick - it works well. I don't know if I could ever leave my wallet though. Maybe. I don't like the idea of being single threaded.
I don't remember all of it - I think I just had my card in my hand, opened the passbook app and input the number. It did some kind of activation behind the scenes… anyway - now when I go to home depot, I just hold my phone up to the card reader, put my finger on the home button and the reader beeps, my phone buzzes and it shows that I paid. Kinda cool. EDIT: I just remembered - actually - I think you can even use the camera to capture your card info. It was super easy. My credit card just worked, but I think I had to log into my bank account online to activate the debit card.
so far, the biggest hit with the phone is the slow-motion video option. My daughter loves it.
I've only used it to pay for something once, at Whole Foods, but I shop there often enough that it'll be nice. I like passbook, I store my loyalty program cards there too, it's nice to have my hilton honors # handy, I travel enough.