Does McDonald’s Take Apple Pay?

With so many prominent fast-food restaurants upgrading to include mobile payments, you’re bound to wonder if McDonald’s takes Apple Pay. Considering it’s the largest fast-food restaurant on the planet and serves roughly 69 million customers a day, one wouldn’t be surprised.

And the answer is yes. Thankfully, McDonald’s takes Apple Pay. In fact, it was one of the pioneer retailers to start accepting Apple Pay in 2014. Now you can whip out your Apple device and use your Apple Pay Wallet at the McDonald’s restaurant and its drive-thru. Ordering food on the McDonald’s app is now also possible by means of Apple Pay.

Richard and Maurice McDonald, better known as the McDonald brothers, launched their original outlet in 1940. And from those humble beginnings, the company has scaled to become the first brand most people think of when you say fast food.

Today, the nearly 38,000 McDonald’s restaurants can be found spread out across more than 100 countries. And, despite the occasional instance of bad press, McDonald’s remains one of the most renowned brands of our time.

Its success speaks volumes about its ability to innovate and remain ahead of the curve. And when we consider this, it’s no wonder it was one of the early adopters in terms of contactless and cardless payments.

So, how do you go about using Apple Pay to buy your next Egg McMuffin breakfast? Let’s take a look.

How Do You Pay at McDonald’s with Apple Pay?

Paying for your Big Mac with Apple Pay is easy if you know how to do it. Before heading to your nearest Mcdonald’s or ordering online, make sure you have the Apple Pay Wallet on your device. Apple devices typically come with the Apple Pay Wallet already installed. But, if the app doesn’t appear to be on your device, you’ find it in the app store.

When you have it, open your Apple Pay Wallet, and set up the payment method you’d prefer. Here you can choose to link a debit or credit card of your choice to the wallet. Therefore, when you use Apple Pay to purchase, the app will draw the funds from your selected card.

Always ensure that you’ve updated your iOS to the latest version for the best buying experience. And when you’re all set, you can start using Apple Pay to get your McFlurry fix either at the restaurant or through their website or app.

Purchasing with Apple Pay at a McDonald’s Eatery or Drive-Thru

1. If you’re in the restaurant, place your order with the cashier or at the self-service kiosk as you normally would. When using the drive-thru, give your order to the cashier over the telecom speaker and drive to the payment window.
2. When it comes time to pay for your food, tell the cashier that you want to pay with your Apple Pay Wallet. If you’re at the self-service kiosk, you’ll need to select Apple Pay as your method of payment.
3. If you’re dealing with a cashier, they’ll direct your attention to their NFC reader. However, you’ll need to look for the Apple Pay logo on the machine at the self-service kiosk to locate the reader.
4. Open the Apple Pay Wallet on your Apple device to start paying. This can be your iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad. You can access the app quickly by double-clicking the right-hand side button on your device. However, this will initiate payment using your default credit or debit card. To change the card, open the app the traditional way.
5. The Apple Pay app will now ask you to verify that it’s you through fingerprint or facial identity scan.
6. Once confirmed, you can hold your device next to the NFC reader to process payment.
7. If the payment is successful, you’ll see a notification on your phone, watch, or tablet. This is usually in the form of a checkmark on the screen and light vibration of the device.

Paying with Apple Pay on the McDonald’s Website or App

1. The first step is to double-check that you’re signed in on your devices using the same Apple ID. This is the Apple ID linked to the Apple Pay Wallet you’ve set up. In other words, if you’re using a PC or laptop to place your order, make sure you’re signed in with the correct ID on these.
2. Make sure you have your Apple Watch, iPhone, or iPad close by for the verification part of the payment process. The device used for this will be the one you’ve chosen as your default verification device.
3. Place your order by navigating the menu online or through the app and adding the items you want to your cart.
4. Select “checkout” to finalize and pay when you’re happy with your order.
5. At this point, you may be asked to input some personal information, like the delivery address. provide the required information and proceed to the payment portion of the process.
6. When paying, you’ll have the option to choose your payment method. And this is where you’ll select “Apple Pay” to make payment.
7. Next, a notification will pop up on your device to verify the transaction. Make sure that the credit or debit card you’ve selected is correct.
8. You’ll be prompted to confirm your identity using Apple’s Touch or Face ID scan technology. 
9. As soon as your identity is confirmed, the payment will go through. And you’ll receive a notification on your device to let you know that payment has been processed successfully.

Conclusion

With NFC readers at all McDonald’s restaurants, you can use Apple Pay at the cashier, self-service kiosk, or drive-thru with ease. And it’s an even more convenient experience when ordering via the McDonald’s app or website.

It’s great to know that McDonald’s takes Apple Pay and is leading the way when it comes to secure and convenient shopping.