Guide to Apple Pay in Canada

Apple Pay is a secure mobile payment solution that enables you to make purchases using your Apple device without needing a physical card. The service is supported by a growing number of banks and credit unions, making it a convenient option for contactless payments.

Keep reading to learn how Apple Pay works, how to set it up and which financial institutions in Canada are compatible.

What is Apple Pay?

Apple Pay is a mobile payment service within the Apple Wallet app that allows you to make secure, contactless payments using your Apple device, such as an iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad or Mac.

Instead of swiping a physical debit or credit card, you can simply hold your device near a payment terminal that supports contactless payment or use it for online and in-app purchases.

Does Apple Pay work in Canada?

Yes, Apple Pay is widely available in Canada and supported by most major banks and credit unions. However, not all card types are compatible with Apple Pay.

Banks and credit unions that are compatible with Apple Pay in Canada

Bank	Apple Pay	Samsung Pay
1st Choice Savings
Acadian Credit Union
Access Credit Union
Advance Savings Credit Union
Affinity Credit Union
American Express
Assiniboine Credit Union
ATB Financial
Bank of America and BofA Securities – Commercial Cards
Bank of America (Merrill Lynch)		❌
Bank of Montreal
Bayview Credit Union Limited
Beaubear Credit Union
Beem (formerly Gulf and Fraser Fishermen’s Credit Union)		❌
Biggar & District Credit Union
Blackville Credit Union Limited
Bow Valley Credit Union
Brightside		❌
Brim Financial
Caisse Populaire de Clare
Cambrian Credit Union Limited
Canadian Tire (Mastercard credit cards)		❌
Cape Breton Credit Union
Chinook Financial
Churchbridge Credit Union
CIBC (Interac debit cards, Mastercard and Visa credit cards)
Citibank
Coastal Financial Credit Union
Coast Capital Savings Credit Union		❌
Collabria Financial Services, Inc
Community Credit Union Ltd
Community Credit Union of Cumberland Colchester Ltd
Conexus Credit Union
Consolidated Credit Union
Copperfin Credit Union
Cornerstone Credit Union
Crossroads Credit Union		❌
CUA
Desjardins		❌
Dodsland and District Credit Union Limited		❌
Dominion Credit Union
Eagle River Credit Union
East Coast Credit Union Ltd
EasternEdge Credit Union Limited
Edam Credit Union Limited
Enderby & District Financial, a division of First West Credit Union	❌
Envision Financial, a division of First West Credit Union
Evangeline-Central Credit Union
First Calgary Financial
Flin Flon Credit Union
Foam Lake Savings & Credit Union		❌
Fusion Credit Union
Glace Bay Central Credit Union
Hamilton Sound Credit Union
HSBC (Mastercard credit cards)
Innovation Credit Union
iNova Credit Union Limited
Interior Savings Credit Union
Island Savings, a division of First West Credit Union
Kerrobert Credit Union Limited
Khalsa Credit Union (KCU)
Kingston Community Credit Union
KOHO
LaHave River Credit Union
Leading Edge Credit Union
Libro Credit Union
Luseland Credit Union Limited
Macklin Credit Union
Mainstreet Credit Union
Malpeque Bay Credit Union
MBNA
Manulife
Morell Credit Union Ltd
Motor City Community Credit Union
Mountain View Financial
National Bank of Canada		❌
NBTA Credit Union
Neo		❌
Newfoundland and Labrador Credit Union
New Ross Credit Union
New Waterford Credit Union Limited
Northern Savings Credit Union
North Sydney Credit Union
OMISTA Credit Union Limited
Oshawa Community Credit Union		❌
PC Financial		❌
PenFinancial Credit Union
Peoples Trust Company
Prairie Centre Credit Union
Princess Credit Union
Progressive Credit Union Limited
Prospera Credit Union
Provincial Credit Union Limited
Provincial Government Employees Credit Union
Public Service Credit Union
Radius Credit Union Limited
Raymore Credit Union
Rocky Credit Union
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
Reddy Kilowatt Credit Union
Rogers Bank
SASCU (Salmon Arm Savings and Credit Union)
Scotiabank
Servus Credit Union
Simplii Financial
Souris Credit Union
Steinbach Credit Union
St. Joseph’s Credit Union
Stoughton Credit Union Ltd
Sunova Credit Union
Sydney Credit Union Limited
Synergy Credit Union
Tandia Financial Credit Union
Tangerine
TD Bank
Teachers Plus Credit Union
Tignish Credit Union Limited
Thread Bank		❌
Ukrainian Credit Union Limited
Unity Credit Union
Valley Credit Union
Valley First – Enderby, a division of First West Credit Union
Vancity		❌
VantageOne Credit Union
Venture Credit Union Limited
Victory Credit Union		❌
Westminster Savings Credit Union
Weyburn Credit Union
Windsor Family Credit Union
YNCU (Your Neighbourhood Credit Union)

*The information presented in this table is accurate as of July 6, 2025.

How to add a debit or credit card to Apple Pay

Set up a debit or credit card on your iPhone in just a few steps:

1. Open Apple Wallet on your iPhone and tap the “+” button at the top.
2. Scan the front of your debit or credit card by positioning it in the frame or enter the details manually.
3. Tap Next.

Your card provider may send you an activation code to verify your information. If applicable, select your verification method and enter the code when you receive it.

Once your card is verified, you’ll be able to make payments through Apple Pay.

Can you use Apple Pay at an ATM in Canada?

Yes, you can use Apple Pay at some ATMs in Canada, but only if the ATM supports NFC (near field communication) or cardless withdrawals. This feature isn’t widespread in Canada yet, so in most cases, you’ll still need your physical debit card to withdraw cash from your chequing account.

Is Apple Pay safe?

Yes. Apple Pay takes a number of measures to keep sensitive data safe. This includes tokenization, which replaces your actual card number with a unique device-specific code, and biometric authentication (Face ID or Touch ID) or a passcode to authorize each transaction.

It doesn’t retain any transaction information or store the card numbers you use with Apple Pay either. And it encrypts all sensitive data transmitted through Apple’s servers.

Features of Apple Pay

Apple Pay offers a range of features designed to make payments faster, more secure and more convenient, including:

Contactless payments

Make secure in-store purchases by holding your iPhone or Apple Watch near a payment terminal that supports contactless payments.

Online and in-app purchases

Use Apple Pay to pay quickly and securely on websites and in apps without manually entering your card details for every purchase.

Biometric authentication

Authenticate payments using Face ID, Touch ID or a device passcode for added security and convenience.

Multi-device sync

Use Apple Pay across all your Apple devices — including iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads and Macs — once you’ve added your card to your Apple Wallet.

Loyalty and rewards cards

Add select loyalty programs or rewards cards to your Apple Wallet and use them with Apple Pay at participating retailers.

Transit support

In many cities, you can add your transit card to your Apple Wallet and use Apple Pay to tap and ride on public transit.

International use

Apple Pay works in many countries and currencies, so you can use it wherever contactless payments are accepted.

Apple Pay vs Google Pay vs Samsung Pay — what’s the difference?

Apple Pay, Google Pay and Samsung Pay are all mobile payment systems that let users make contactless purchases using their smartphones, smartwatches, tablets or laptops. All three services use encryption and biometric authentication to keep in-store, in-app and online transactions secure.

The main difference between the three is the type of device they’re available on. Apple Pay is only available on Apple devices, Google Pay works on both Android and iOS and Samsung Pay is exclusive to Samsung devices.

Bottom line

With Apple Pay, you can make contactless payments using your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Mac computer. But it’s only available on Apple devices and not all debit and credit cards are compatible. Compare some of the best banks and accounts that are compatible with Apple Pay in Canada to ensure seamless and convenient transactions.

Frequently asked questions about Apple Pay in Canada

• How do I set up Apple Pay in Canada?

  You can set up Apple Pay in the Wallet app on your iPhone. Simply open the app and tap the "+" symbol at the top to add a credit, debit or prepaid card. You can then hold your phone near a card reader to make contactless payments.

• Is Apple Pay the same as Apple Wallet?

  Apple Pay is Apple's mobile payment system. Apple Wallet is an app where you store your credit and debit card details so you can use them to make payments with Apple Pay. You can also add boarding passes, transit cards and point cards to your Apple Wallet for easier access.
  Essentially, Apple Wallet is the digital storage, while Apple Pay is the tool that lets you use what's stored to complete transactions.

• Where do I get the Apple Wallet app?

  Apple Wallet is a pre-installed iOS app on your iPhone or Apple Watch. You can also download it from the App Store.

• Which devices are compatible with Apple Pay?

  • iPhone models with Face ID
  • iPhone models with Touch ID (except iPhone 5s)
  • iPad Pro, iPad Air, iPad and iPad mini models with Touch ID or Face ID
  • Apple Watch Series 1 and later
  • Mac models with Touch ID
  • Apple Vision Pro

• Is the Apple Card available in Canada?

  No, the Apple Card is only available in the USA.

Written by

Rebecca Low

Writer

Rebecca Low is a writer for Finder. She has contributed to a range of digital publications, including income.ca, Indeed, and Expatden, writing on topics like personal finance, career development, and travel. See full bio

Co-written by

Alison Banney

Editor

Alison Banney is the banking and investments editor at Finder. She has written about finance for over six years, with her work featured on sites including Yahoo Finance, Money Magazine and Dynamic Business. She has previously worked at Westpac, and has written for several other major banks including BCU, Greater Bank and Gateway Credit Union. Alison has a Bachelor of Communications from Newcastle University, with a double major in Journalism and Public Relations. She has ASIC RG146 compliance certificates for Financial Advice, Securities and Managed Investments and Superannuation. Outside of Finder, you’ll likely find her somewhere near the ocean. See full bio