How Many People Use Apple Pay in the US? (2022–2026)
Digital wallets currently rank among the most popular online payment methods in North America and are used by 37% of consumers there. Coupled with proximity mobile payment spending per user increasing year after year, it should come as no surprise that the number of Apple Pay users has also been rising. It is, after all, the most-used mobile payment method by US consumers.
To get a better idea of its popularity, we need to ask the question: How many people use Apple Pay in the US?
Number of Apple Pay users in the US: Table
|
Year |
Number of Apple Pay users in the US |
Annual change |
Percentage of population |
|
2022 |
50.8 million |
18.1% |
|
|
2023 |
55.8 million |
+9.8% |
19.8% |
|
2024 |
60.2 million |
+7.9% |
21.2% |
|
2025 |
63.9 million |
+6.1% |
22.3% |
|
2026 |
67.0 million |
+4.9% |
23.3% |
How many people use Apple Pay in the US?
According to the latest Apple Pay statistics, the number of Apple Pay users is forecast to hit 60.2 million in 2024, surpassing the 60 million mark for the first time. This refers to mobile phone users aged 14 and above who pay for their purchases using Apple’s contactless payment option at least once a month.
This marks a 7.9% annual increase from 2023 and represents 21.2% of the overall US population. In other words, more than one out of every five US consumers uses Apple Pay at least once a month.
Apple Pay usage among US shoppers is set to continue rising in the coming years. However, the growth rate is expected to decelerate. In 2025, the number of Apple Pay users is projected to grow by 6.1%, to 63.9 million, making up 22.3% of the population.
Growth is forecast to continue and experts expect there will be 67 million Apple Pay users in the US in 2026, making up 23.3% of the population. That is to say, in two years, nearly one out of every four consumers will be an Apple Pay user.
According to a separate source, the number of Apple Pay users in the US is anticipated to rise every year until at least 2030, by which time it will have reached 75.4 million, accounting for more than one-quarter of the US population.
Apple Pay usage in the US
Recent research on mobile payment preferences in the US shows that millennials use touchless payments more than other generations. However, Apple Pay usage is highest among Gen Z consumers.
Apple Pay statistics also show that the popular contactless payment method is accepted by more than 85% of US retailers.
Apple itself has also recently enhanced Apple Pay’s features to provide more security to existing users and to attract new ones. This includes sharing assessments and transaction details with card networks to reduce fraud incidents.
Apple Pay usage: online and POS adoption
According to recent Apple Pay statistics, the adoption of the technology is higher for in-person payments. In Q2 2024, 58% of US consumers reported using Apple Pay in stores, restaurants, or for other point-of-sale purchases within the past 12 months.
In contrast, just over one-third (36%) indicated they had used Apple Pay for online purchases. That said, Apple Pay usage for digital transactions appears to be increasing. In 2018, only 21% of people used it for online payments—a 15 percentage point difference. This figure dipped slightly to 19% in Q1 2021 but has generally been on the rise since.