We are excited to announce that you will soon be able to use your Heartland Bank debit card with Apple Pay. This is a new mobile payment technology that allows you to make purchases with compatible Apple devices.
For those not yet familiar with this new service, we asked our Marketing Director, Jameon Rush, to detail the experience he has had so far using Apple Pay.
Just a few years ago, if you were paying for groceries and you waved your iPhone next to the card terminal at the cash register, you would have probably received some confused or blank stares from the cashier.
Today, you might still receive those same blank stares or confusion, but you can now actually pay for those groceries with only your smartphone. Technology certainly has come a long way in just a few years.
If you haven’t yet had the opportunity to use Apple Pay, it is a very easy process. There are now a number of Apple devices that support this new technology, including: the iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6 Plus, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, and the Apple Watch. 
When the cashier rings up your bill and asks for a payment, you simply place your iPhone next to the card terminal with your finger on the home button. You don’t have to wake the phone from sleep mode. You don’t even have to leave the app you were using while waiting in line to check out.
The phone automatically recognizes the payment terminal and brings up your preferred debit or credit card. Your fingerprint is scanned on the home button to verify your identity, and then the payment is processed. Your receipt is then printed from the cashier just as if you had purchased with cash or a physical card (some retailers are now offering email receipts too, but this depends on the retailer).
Some older store terminals still require a signature or input of a pin number if a purchase is over a certain amount (usually $25 or $50).
Altogether, this entire process only takes a few seconds. For those of us that always have our phones within reach, it is quite convenient not having to pull out your wallet or purse and find another payment form.
In addition to in-person payments, you can also use Apple Pay to make purchases within retail apps such as Apple, Panera Bread, Target, and Staples (the newer iPad models only support this in-app Apple Pay feature).
Setting up your card with Apple Pay is also a breeze. You can use the phone’s camera to enter the card numbers and expiration date, or you can enter them manually. You currently manage the cards within the Passbook app on your iPhone®. It also allows you to choose which card is your default card, making for quicker purchases without choosing the card for each transaction (so be sure to add your Heartland Bank debit card as your default card).
Having used Apple Pay for several months now, I have wondered if this new technology is really that ground breaking or necessary? In my opinion, this is the future of payments, although it’s not quite mainstream yet.
However, this should change later this year. On October 1, 2015, the liability for fraud shifts from the card issuer (banks) to any merchant not accepting EMV chip cards. Most new payment terminals that are installed to accept EMV chip cards are also expected to support Apple Pay.
When this change takes place, using Apple Pay at one of these terminals will be even easier and quicker than using the EMV chip card. You don’t have to worry about inserting your card into the terminal or leaving it behind once it has been approved. With Apple Pay, your phone and payment method stay in your hand at all times.
In preparation for the widespread adoption of EMV chip card and contactless payment terminals later this fall, we are working hard to make sure you can use your Heartland Bank debit card with Apple Pay. We will be sending out further announcements when this new service is available.
*Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. Apple Pay, Touch ID, iPad Air, and iPad mini are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Heartland Bank is a family-owned bank located in 13 different communities across the heart of Nebraska. Heartland Bank's vision is to improve the lives of customers, associates, and communities. Voted American Banker 2022 Best Banks to Work For. Learn more at MyHeartland.Bank.
