Apple Pay has stopped working for large numbers of users worldwide due to outages also affecting other iPhone payment systems.
Apple confirmed technical issues with Apple Pay, Wallet, Apple Card and Apple Cash started shortly after 4pm today.
The company said Apple Card and Apple Cash services were back to normal by 6pm but admitted the Apple Pay and Wallet problems were ‘ongoing’.
Hundreds of Apple Pay users in the UK reported problems on Downdetector.
The vast majority said they were able to open the app but that payments weren’t functioning.
Users on social media reported receiving an error messaying stating: ‘Cannot receive payments sent with Apple Cash at this time.’
Some said the outages showed the risks of relying on mobile payment systems.
‘Apple Pay being down is the ultimate example of why a cashless society is dystopian. Cash must live on so we are free,’ wrote one X user.
‘The one day I decided to take my wallet with me, Apple Pay is down, thank goodness for physical cards,’ another said.
Downdetector also received thousands of reports from the US, where Apple Pay is most popular.
Users in France, Germany, Taiwan and Japan were also continuing to report issues on Friday evening, though on a smaller scale.
Apple Pay counts some 745 million users worldwide, its popularity part of a growing trend of ditching physical bank cards.
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
MORE: WhatsApp will stop working on a range of iPhones today – is yours on the list?
MORE: Apple issues urgent warning to 1,800,000,000 iPhone users over popular feature
MORE: Fortnite coming back to iOS if Apple accepts ‘peace proposal’ from Epic Games
