Teen Easter Basket IdeasLight Therapy LampsEaster Gifts for AdultsBest Earbuds for iPhoneEaster Basket StuffersTechHow to Use Apple Cash: Add Money, Transfer Funds, and Tap-to-Pay for PurchasesThink of it as Venmo for iOS users.

　　By Melanie Yates

　　There are a lot of wireless payment services to choose from these days, from PayPal to Venmo — but if you're an iPhone user, you'll want to know how to use Apple Cash. This feature launched in late 2017 and allows for quick money transfers between two iOS users.

　　Apple Cash fits intuitively into the rest of the Apple payment ecosystem by giving users the ability to send and receive money through the Messages or Wallet app. You can transfer your balance to your bank account anytime without fees, and any retailer that accepts Apple Pay will also take Apple Cash. It works similarly to a digital debit card, so setting up Apple Cash won't affect your credit score or be subject to credit freezing.

　　After you have Apple Cash set up on your account, it will automatically be accessible through all your iOS devices, including your iPad and Apple Watch. While the experience is meant to be seamless, there are a few terms to understand and steps to take so that you're getting the most out of this feature. Read on to learn how to use Apple Cash and what makes it different from similar services.

　　How to Set Up Apple Cash

　　Before you can send and receive money through Apple Cash, you'll need to make sure you've added a debit card to your Wallet app. Once you've done that, you can proceed to the following steps:

　　Open the "Settings" app on your iOS device.Select "Wallet & Apple Pay."Select "Apple Pay Cash."Tap "Continue," then follow the instructions to finish the setup.

　　How to Use Apple Cash

　　Once you have Apple Cash set up in your Wallet, you can request or send money through Messages to any other iOS user. Here's how:

　　Open the Messages app and select the contact you'd like to interact with.Next to the text field, tap the "+" symbol.Tap "Apple Cash."Choose your dollar amount and tap "Request" or "Send."You can type an optional comment to accompany your Apple Cash message, so your recipient knows what this payment is for. Then, hit the "↑" symbol to send.If you do not have funds in your Apple Cash account to send, the funds will come from the card you have linked to your Wallet. Any funds you receive will go right into your Apple Cash account. You can transfer this balance to your bank account at any time — keep in mind that it may take 1-3 days to process.

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　　Making Payments With Apple Cash

　　You can use your Apple Cash balance to pay for purchases anywhere that Apple Pay is accepted. To select it as a payment option, double-press the side button on your iPhone, tap the payment icons minimized at the bottom of the screen, and select the Apple Cash icon from this group. Then, scan your screen on the card reader at checkout to pay for the purchase.

　　It's important to note that you will want to keep an eye on your Apple Cash balance before you plan to pay with it. Much like using a Visa gift card, you usually will not be able to split your payment between using Apple Cash and a regular credit/debit card.

　　If the funds in your Apple Cash account can't cover the purchase, the sale will be declined and you'll need to use another method of purchase.

　　What Is the Difference Between Apple Cash and Apple Pay?

　　Apple Pay is the contactless payment system that holds your debit/credit card information, along with gift cards, rewards points, and digital payment methods like Apple Cash.

　　In a sense, Apple Pay functions as a wallet and Apple Cash is like a debit card. By double-pressing the side button of your iPhone, you are enabling Apple Pay — from here, you can choose Apple Cash as the payment method.

　　What Is the Difference Between Apple Cash and Venmo?

　　Once you start using Apple Cash, you might wonder if you'll ever need to use a wireless payment service like Venmo again. Between Apple users, you can certainly replace your Venmo transactions with Apple Cash, as these two services have many similar features:

　　Apple Cash and Venmo have similar 1-3-day bank transfer times.The Venmo debit card can be accessed as a digital payment option in Apple Pay, just like Apple Cash.Apple Cash and Venmo both provide the option to create age-appropriate accounts for teens with Apple Cash Family and Venmo Teen Account.However, Apple Cash is available to Apple users only. So, if you want to instantly send funds to friends and family who don't use iOS devices, you'll need to use Venmo or another wireless payment service to do so.

　　The last notable difference is that Apple Cash also doesn't have a feed of public transactions as Venmo does — all of Apple Cash's transactions are private, while Venmo's have the option to be private or publicly shown on the app. Depending on whether you love or hate this feature, you can choose your method of wireless money transfer accordingly.

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