How to Set Up and Use Apple Cash to Send Money

Apple Cash lets iPhone users send money directly through iMessage — great for splitting bills, sending birthday money to grandchildren, or paying family back.

In this guide (5 steps):

1.Enable Apple Cash
2.Link a Debit Card or Bank Account
3.Send Money in the Messages App
4.Receive Money from Someone
5.Transfer Your Apple Cash to Your Bank

Enable Apple Cash

~23s

Open SettingsWallet & Apple PayApple Cash → toggle it on. If prompted, tap "Set Up" and verify your identity with your name, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. This one-time verification is required by federal banking regulations.

Quick Tip

If you do not see Apple Cash, make sure your iPhone runs iOS 11.2 or later and that you are in the United States.

Link a Debit Card or Bank Account

~17s

Go to SettingsWallet & Apple PayApple Cash cardAdd Bank Account. Enter your bank routing and account numbers, or link a debit card. This is needed to fund payments — money is pulled from this account when you send someone money.

Send Money in the Messages App

~23s

Open a conversation in Messages with the person you want to pay. Tap the "+" button near the text box. Look for the Apple Cash icon (it may be in "More" or shown directly). Tap it, enter the amount, tap "Pay," and confirm with Face ID or Touch ID.

Quick Tip

You can also request money: tap "Request" instead of "Pay" — the person receives a request they can approve.

Receive Money from Someone

~15s

When someone sends you Apple Cash, a payment notification appears in Messages. Tap "Accept" to add the funds to your Apple Cash balance. The money appears in your Wallet appApple Cash card.

Transfer Your Apple Cash to Your Bank

~27s

Open the Wallet app. Tap your Apple Cash card. Tap "Transfer to Bank." Enter the amount. Choose standard (free, 1-3 business days) or instant (small fee). Confirm with Face ID or Touch ID. The transfer goes to the bank account you linked.

Warning

Only accept Apple Cash payments from people you know. If a stranger sends you money and asks you to forward it elsewhere, this is a common scam — report it to Apple and do not forward the money.

You Did It!

You've completed: How to Set Up and Use Apple Cash to Send Money

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Apple Cash is Apple's built-in peer-to-peer payment service, integrated directly into the Messages app on iPhone. When you receive a payment through Apple Cash, the money sits in your virtual Apple Cash card in your Wallet app. You can use it to send money to others, spend it using Apple Pay, or transfer it to your bank account.

Apple Cash is convenient for sending small amounts to family and friends who also have iPhones. Birthdays, splitting a restaurant bill, paying a family member back for groceries — these are the common use cases.

Setting up Apple Cash requires that you are 18 or older, have an iPhone running iOS 11.2 or later, and live in the United States. You also need a debit card or bank account linked to Apple Pay to fund payments (or you can send money from your existing Apple Cash balance).

Transfers from Apple Cash to your bank account are free but take 1-3 business days. Instant bank transfers are available for a small fee (1.5% of the amount, minimum $0.25).

Apple Cash uses the same contactless payment technology as Apple Pay — it is protected by Face ID, Touch ID, and your device passcode. No one can send money from your account without your biometric or passcode authorization.

For most people, Apple Cash is simpler to set up and use than Venmo or Zelle, because it lives within the Messages app they already use every day — there is no separate app to open.

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