Tim Cook Says Pandemic Boosting Contactless Payment Adoption in United States - MacRumorsOpen MenuShow RoundupsShow Forums menuVisit ForumsOpen Sidebar
Skip to Content

Tim Cook Says Pandemic Boosting Contactless Payment Adoption in United States

During today's earnings call covering the fourth quarter of 2020, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked about Apple's payment services, where he said that contactless payment usage could see growth in the United States due to the pandemic, where people are aiming to use cash less and less.

apple pay hand

As you can imagine in this environment, people are less wont to hand over a card. Contactless payment has taken on a different level of adoption and I don't think we'll go back. The United States has been lagging in contactless payments and I think the pandemic may very well put the U.S. on a different trajectory there. We are very bullish on this area and there are more things that Apple can do in this space so this is an area of great interest to us.

Cook also said that Apple in general continues to be enthusiastic about payment services. Apple Card is "doing well," and Apple Pay is "doing exceptionally well."

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

macOS 27 on MacBook Pro

Apple Says macOS 27 Won't Be Compatible With These Macs

Wednesday June 3, 2026 8:29 am PDT by
During WWDC 2025, Apple revealed that macOS 26 Tahoe would be the final major macOS version for Intel-based Macs. macOS 27 will be compatible with Apple silicon Macs only, meaning that you will need a Mac with an M-series chip or a MacBook Neo with an A18 Pro chip in order to install the software update. Apple will unveil macOS 27 during its WWDC 2026 keynote this Monday, June 8, and the...
MacBook Neo on Yellow Feature

MacBook Neo is So Popular That Apple Reportedly Doubled Production

Wednesday June 3, 2026 9:24 am PDT by
On an earnings call in late April, Apple's CEO Tim Cook said that customer response to the MacBook Neo was "off the charts," and the popularity of the laptop has reportedly led the company to significantly boost production. Apple supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo this week said he believes that MacBook Neo shipments to Apple were doubled from an initial target of 5 million units to 10...
iphone 18 pro blue%402x

iPhone 18 Pro: Dark Cherry, Light Blue, and Dark Gray Chassis Leaked [Update]

Thursday June 4, 2026 5:18 am PDT by
Update: Since publication, new information has come to light suggesting the images have been AI-manipulated and are not in fact iPhone 18 Pro chassis parts. The original article follows. The color options Apple is reportedly planning for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max have appeared online today in the form of images of chassis parts of unknown authenticity....

Top Rated Comments

73 months ago
we need to be able to store our ID securely on our phones too.

yes, I know some of you won't like the privacy implications of that, but I for one would gladly ditch my wallet completely.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
zorinlynx Avatar
73 months ago

Here in Florida, where supposed to get some sort of this next year with our drivers license. One less thing to carry and lose.
Yes because handing my phone to a police officer at a traffic stop is definitely on the top ten list of things I've dreamt of being able to do.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bpeeps Avatar
73 months ago

I admit, I am a very ‘germ conscious’ person, and I don’t even use my debit card anymore. Anywhere I go, it’s contactless payment at the pumps where I don’t have to touch those nasty terminals in stores. I won’t even frequent a store if they don’t support Apple Pay. Less touching = Stopping cross-contamination=Slowing spread.
My favorite is when stores have Apple Pay, but their terminals still ask you a thousand questions because they haven't been setup properly. So you have to touch the stupid screens anyway. Looking at you, CVS!
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
Here in the UK, I think I’ve used a credit or debit card about twice in the last six months. Everything can be done contactless now
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
7thson Avatar
73 months ago

NOT TRUE, I cannot use Apple Pay at all because I need to wear mask now in stores.
WAY TRUE! Use your passcode or an Apple Watch if you own one.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
I loved it before COVID, and I love it even more now. The more merchants that use Apple Pay the better.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)