Can’t add a card to Apple Pay? 8 ways to fix

Linking your debit or credit card to Apple Pay is the first and most important step in setting up Apple’s digital wallet. Apple Pay can’t be used on your devices without a payment card.

Despite how simple the process is, many users encounter one error message or another when trying to add a card to Apple Pay. In this guide, we outline solutions to some of these errors.

1. Troubleshoot Internet Connections

Do you get the message “Cannot connect to Apple Pay. Make sure you are connected to the internet. ” error despite having an active internet connection? Turn off your device’s mobile data or Wi-Fi and turn it back on. Now try to add the tag again.

Can't connect to Apple Pay display

If the error persists, turn on airplane mode and turn it off again. You’ll be able to add your debit or credit card to Apple Pay when your device reconnects to the Internet. You should also consider switching to another network or restarting your router if you’re using a wireless connection.

2. Remove some tags

You can’t add new cards to Apple Pay if your device has reached the maximum number of cards it can hold. According to Apple, the iPhone 8 and later models can have up to 12 cards added to Apple Pay. The same limitations apply to Apple Watch Series 3 and later models.

Someone is using Apple Pay

Apple Pay on older devices can only hold up to 8 cards. If you have more than 8 cards on Apple Pay, you’ll need to remove one to make room for another. Go Wallet & Apple Pay settings menu on your device, select a card and press Remove card.

3. Check Apple ID and Device Region

For starters, Apple Pay doesn’t work in all countries. You can’t add a bank card to Apple Pay if your Apple ID or device region is set to an unsupported country. To check or change the region of your iOS or iPadOS device, go to Setting > Shared > Language & Region > Land and select a supported country.

Settings > General > Language & Region > Region” class=”wp-image-12370″ /></figure> </div> <p>Check out this list of countries that support Apple Pay. If the country in your device settings isn’t listed, change it to a supported region and try adding the card to Apple Pay again.</p> <p>You also want to make sure that your Apple ID region is set to the country where Apple Pay operates. To check your Apple ID country (on iPhone or iPad), launch <strong>Setting</strong> app and your tap <strong>account name</strong> to open the Apple ID settings menu. Then go to <strong>Vehicles & Purchases</strong> > <strong>View account</strong> > <strong>Country / Region</strong> to see your Apple ID area.</p> <div class=
Vehicles & Purchases > View Account > Country/Region” class=”wp-image-12371″ /></figure> </div> <p><strong>Note:</strong> You’ll need to cancel all active subscriptions before you can change your Apple ID country. To do that, visit <strong>Setting</strong>click your <strong>account name</strong>and choose <strong>Register</strong>. Select the registration(s) on the page and press <strong>Cancel registration</strong>.</p> <h2><span class=4. Turn off or modify your VPN connection
MacBook with VPN connection

A VPN connection can ruin your Apple Pay experience, especially if the server location/country is an area that doesn’t support Apple Pay. Change the VPN’s server location to a supported country and re-add your card to Apple Pay. If the problem persists, turn off the VPN connection and try again.

5. Check Apple Pay Status

If you still can’t add a card to Apple Pay after modifying your regional settings and VPN connection, there may be a problem with the payment service. Go to Apple’s System Status page and check the color next to Apple Pay. A green indicator means Apple Pay is active.

Apple's System Status Page

If the indicator is yellow, you may have an error “Apple Pay is temporarily unavailable” when trying to add tags. That means there was an issue with the Apple Pay server. You’ll need to wait until Apple fixes the server outage (possibly within a few hours) or contact Apple Support to report the problem.

6. Reset your device password

While searching for potential solutions, we discovered that many iPhone and iPad users can fix the error “Can’t add card” of Apple Pay by disabling and re-enabling the passcode on their device. Follow the steps below and see if it helps.

1. Go to Setting > Face ID & Passcode (or Touch ID & Passcode). Enter your current passcode to continue.

2. On the Face ID & Passcode menu, tap Turn off passcode.

Turn off passcode

Note: Disabling the passcode will remove all previously added cards from Apple Pay. You’ll need to manually re-add the card after disabling your device passcode.

3. Click Turn off on the prompt to continue.

Password Off Button

4. Enter your Apple ID password and click Turn off.

Off Button

5. Finally, re-enter your current password.

6. Go to Setting > Wallet & Apple Pay and choose Add card.

Add card

7. You will receive a prompt to set up Face ID and Passcode. Clap Set up Face ID & Passcode to continue.

Face ID & Passcode Setup Button

8. Scroll through the page and select Turn on passcode.

Passcode Enable Button

9. Enter your preferred passcode and re-enter it for verification purposes.

10. Enter your Apple ID password and click Log in.

Sign In Button

Now you can add your card to Apple Pay without any problem. If not, try the next troubleshooting suggestion below.

7. Restart your device

Still can’t add a card to Apple Pay? Speeding up your device can help set things up in a stable manner. Whether it’s your iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, or Mac, turn it off and back on again. Try adding cards again and see if you hit gold this time.

8. Contact your card issuer

“Your issuer has not yet provided support for this card” is another common mistake when adding a card to Apple Pay. In this case, you should do as the error message instructs — contact your bank or the financial institution that issued the card.

You can press looking for more information on the error message to see a list of financial institutions whose debit and credit cards work with Apple Pay in your country.

Learn More Button

Also, visit this Apple Pay Support page to see all participating banks that support Apple Pay worldwide. According to Apple, cards from some participating banks may not work in Apple Pay. So, if your bank is an Apple Pay partner but you can’t add your card, contact your bank for assistance.

Pay with Apple

It’s also important to reiterate that you can’t add expired or blocked cards to Apple Pay. Contact your bank to confirm that there are no restrictions or limitations on your card. According to Apple, updating your device can help resolve issues that prevent you from adding cards to Wallet or Apple Pay. You may reset your device settings as a last resort; that’s the tip for some iPhone and iPad users.

Go Setting > Shared > Reset > Reset all settings and enter your device’s passcode. Your phone will turn off and back on immediately. Try adding your card after the reset and see if it works.

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