Apple Pay, the popular tap-to-pay service used by millions around the world, faced a sudden outage on Friday morning, leaving customers unable to make payments or transfer funds. Users across both the United States and the United Kingdom were hit with error messages while trying to use the app, leading to widespread complaints and confusion.
Let’s break down what happened, which areas were affected the most, and what Apple has said about the issue.
Thousands Affected by Apple Pay Outage
According to Down Detector, a website that tracks real-time service disruptions, Apple Pay started showing signs of trouble at around 10 am PT in the US. Within just 15 minutes, 660 users had reported issues. That number quickly surged, hitting nearly 3,000 complaints by 11:08 am PT.
The majority of users faced trouble when trying to make payments or transfer money. In total, 9% of US Apple Pay users reported problems with the app itself.
Meanwhile, the UK also saw a wave of problems starting around 9:30 am PT. By 11:15 am PT, roughly 600 UK users were dealing with Apple Pay failures. The situation was more severe in terms of payment functionality—92% of users in the UK said they couldn’t make payments, while 8% had issues just with the app.
Frustrated Users Speak Out
Many Apple Pay users in the US and UK rushed to DownDetector and social media to share their frustration. Some of the complaints included:
“Won’t let me pay my account. ‘Account Services Unavailable’…”
“Service is temporarily unavailable… man I’m just trying to order food.”
“Why is Apple Pay trippinggggg.”
Users from across Pennsylvania, Georgia, Virginia, Idaho, Florida, Arizona, and more states reported issues, showing that the outage was widespread across the US.
Outage Was Global
The Apple Pay problem was not limited to the US and UK. Customers from around the world, including India, France, Spain, and Canada, also reported similar issues on Friday morning.
However, the number of complaints began to drop steadily after 11:24 am PT, and by 11:50 am PT, Apple had restored the service, according to a company spokesperson.
Apple Confirms the Issue Is Resolved
Apple told The U.S. Sun that the Apple Pay outage has been fixed, and the system is now working as usual. Users can check Apple’s official System Status page to confirm the real-time status of services.
Other Apple Issues in the News
This outage is not the only trouble Apple has been facing recently. The tech giant is currently involved in a $95 million “eavesdropping” settlement, and customers can now file claims. Additionally, the Apple CEO has issued a $900 million warning regarding the cost of producing iPhones in the USA.
Apple Pay’s unexpected outage caused inconvenience for users trying to make payments or transfer money on Friday morning. While the issue has now been resolved, the temporary disruption led to a wave of global complaints and highlighted just how dependent people have become on digital payment tools. Apple has restored the service, and users can now return to using Apple Pay without any further issues.