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

Apple Logo Cash Feature Blue

Apple Reports 4Q 2026 Results: $30.7B Profit on $114.5B Revenue

Monday November 2, 2026 1:38 pm PST by
Apple today announced financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2026, which corresponds to the third calendar quarter of the year. The quarter included a number of August and September product releases from Apple, as well as the CEO transition from Tim Cook to John Ternus that took place on September 1. For the quarter, Apple posted revenue of $114.5 billion and net quarterly profit ...
Apple Logo Cash Feature Blue

Apple's Q4 2026 Earnings Call Takeaways

Monday November 2, 2026 4:26 pm PST by
Apple held its earnings call for the fourth fiscal quarter of 2026 today, and it was Apple CEO John Ternus' first earnings call in his new role. He had Apple CFO Kevan Parekh on hand, and he brought in Chief Operating Officer Sabih Khan. The trio covered iPhone Duo sales, Siri AI, and increasing memory costs, among other topics. iPhone Duo After the earnings release, Ternus told Reuters...
John Ternus and Rainbow Countour Apple Logo

John Ternus Hosting His First Earnings Call as Apple CEO Today

Monday November 2, 2026 9:33 am PST by
John Ternus will participate in his first Apple earnings call as the company's CEO today. The call begins at 2 p.m. Pacific Time / 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Ternus and Apple's CFO Kevan Parekh will discuss the company's earnings results for the third quarter of the 2026 calendar year on the live-streamed conference call. While the call is primarily intended for Apple shareholders and Wall Street...

Top Rated Comments

79 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
79 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
79 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)
79 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
79 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)
79 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)
Latest Stories
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
Apple Store Subscription Sign-Up Controversy Exposed
4 hours ago
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
Siri AI Rumored to Become 'More Like an Agent' as Early as Next Year
14 hours ago
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28
15 hours ago
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
Early Apple Black Friday Deals on Apple Watch, MacBook Air, and More
1 day ago
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
'Backglow' Lets You Customize New MacBook Pro's Glowing Apple Logo
1 day ago
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
Top Stories: Apple Product Launches, iOS 27.3 Beta, and More
2 days ago
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
More Fun iPhone Duo Apps: 30 New Picks to Try
2 days ago
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
Hands-On With Apple's New OLED Touchscreen MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
Apple Store With All-New Design Opening Soon in Southern California
2 days ago
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
Control the Glowing Apple Logo on Your New MacBook Pro
2 days ago
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
Apple Shares New 'Apple Card: Apply and Use in Minutes' Ad
3 days ago
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
Apple Says More Than 100,000 Apps Optimized for iPhone Duo, Here's What's Still Missing
3 days ago
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
Early Black Friday Deals Kickoff With Steep Discounts on Apple Watch Ultras and More
3 days ago
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
The MacRumors Show: iOS 27.3 Looks Like a Huge Update
3 days ago
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
Best Buy's Black Friday Event Begins With Sitewide Savings on Apple, TVs, More
3 days ago
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
Apple Releasing Yet Another Two New Products Next Week
3 days ago
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
MacBook Air Drops to Lowest Price in Months With Amazon's $250 Discount
3 days ago
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
Apple Rumored to Drop the iPhone's Action Button Next Year
3 days ago
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
Apple's Extended Return Policy Now in Effect for 2026 Holiday Season
3 days ago
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
Apple Music Classical Updated With New Icon and Refreshed Design
3 days ago
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
OLED iPad Mini, M6 iMac, and New MacBook Pros Available From Today
3 days ago
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
Apple Surveys iPhone Duo Buyers About Crease and Camera
3 days ago
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
Apple's First Touchscreen Mac is Now Arriving to Customers
3 days ago
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
Claude Gets Personal Finance Feature With Bank Account Linking
3 days ago
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
Apple Arcade Adds Crossy Road Rush and NBA 2K27
3 days ago
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
Apple's New HomeView Smart Home Hub: Here's How Much RAM It Has
3 days ago
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
iPad Mini vs. iPad Air Buyer's Guide: Now Just $50 Apart
3 days ago
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
First iOS 27.3 and macOS Golden Gate 27.3 Public Betas Now Available
4 days ago
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
Apple Announces a New Mac Sales Record
4 days ago
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
Paid $200 for Logic Pro? Apple Says You Won't Get This New Feature
4 days ago