7 Inventive Apple Pay Alternatives

Published February 20, 2015 3:48 PM

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Updated October 20, 2016 10:18 AM

1 Min Read

The new Apple Inc. iPhone 6 is displayed after a product announcement at Flint Center in Cupertino, California, U.S., on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014. Apple Inc. unveiled redesigned iPhones with bigger screens, overhauling its top-selling product in an event that gives the clearest sign yet of the company's product direction under Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

Apple Pay's contactless payment model may be straightforward and simple, but it's not the only way to move funds without cards and cash. Many companies are coming up with alternatives that work from phones, smartwatches and other devices. (Image: Bloomberg News)

Visitors test out the latest Samsung wearable SmartWatch devices at the company's trade stand at the IFA Consumer Electronics Show in Berlin, Germany, on Friday, Sept. 5, 2014. Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled its first smartphone with a display extending down one side as it counts on two new versions of its Galaxy Note devices to help fend off Apple Inc.'s push into large-screen mobiles. Photographer: Krizstian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Krizstian Bocsi/Bloomberg

Samsung and LoopPay

LoopPay, which Samsung is buying, simulates a magstripe signal when held near a standard point of sale terminal. The merchant does not need to make any changes, but the consumer might need to buy special hardware unless Samsung builds LoopPay's tech directly into its devices. (Image: Bloomberg News)

Wolfe, Daniel

PayPal and Wearables

PayPal's cloud-based wallet has the benefit of being applicable to any wireless device - whether it's a smartphone or a smartwatch. PayPal has emphasized this point by supporting nearly every major smartwatch platform including Samsung, Android and Pebble.

An attendee wears Google Project Glass while listening to a keynote speech during the Google I/O Annual Developers Conference in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Wednesday, May 15, 2013. Google Inc. introduced a subscription music-streaming service, one of several product updates to be unveiled at a developer meeting this week as the search provider seeks to attract more users and advertisers. Photographer: David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg

'Nod to Pay', Tesco App

Google Glass, in its current form, may have been scrapped, but many tech companies, banks and retailers experimented with the headset. Systems like 'Nod to Pay' let shoppers pay with gestures; Tesco's system operates more like a mobile commerce site that can be used hands-free. (Image: Bloomberg News)

Barclaycard's Wardrobe of Wearables

Barclaycard is pushing the boundaries of which accessories can be used for mobile payments. Its wearables include gloves, bracelets and even a saddle for a donkey.

Wolfe, Daniel

Biometric Bracelets

Payment-capable wristbands are nothing new, but companies like MasterCard and RBC are trying to one-up the Apple Watch by adding biometric authentication. (Pictured: Nymi band)

Smartwatches the Burg 12, manufactured by Burg, left, the LG G Watch R, manufactured by LG Electronics Inc., center, and the Moto 360, manufactured by Motorola Mobility LLC, are arranged for a photograph during the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S., on Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2015. The devices, two of which are based on Google Inc.'s Android Wear operating system, are just a few of the review models being provided by companies at CES this week. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg

Alert-Based Payments

When Google debuted Android Wear, it showed off a new mobile payment option based on alerts. The Eat24 smartwatch app remembers when the wearer last ordered food, and offers to order - and pay for - the same meal at the same time the following week. (Image: Bloomberg News)

A pedestrian passes a Starbucks Corp., coffee shop in London, U.K., on Thursday, Dec, 1, 2011. Starbucks Corp., the world's largest coffee-shop operator, plans to add 200 more drive-through stores across the U.K. in an expansion that will create 5,000 jobs. Photographer: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg

Order Ahead

Starbucks and Square are separately developing ways to handle orders ahead of a person's visit to a store. Starbucks also uses Apple Pay as a funding method within its own app, getting the best of both worlds. (Image: Bloomberg News)