Does CVS Take Apple Pay? (Yes, Here Is How!)

Are you visiting your local CVS pharmacy for a prescription or over-the-counter medication and are wondering whether CVS accepts Apple Pay?

If you have forgotten your wallet or want to try and easily pay with your phone or watch, you may be asking yourself this question.

CVS is the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S, with over 9,600 stores in 49 states.

But does CVS take Apple Pay? Yes, CVS does accept Apple Pay in 8,600 of its stores, which is most of its stores and locations. CVS has accepted Apple Pay since 2018 at the pharmacy counter, checkout counter, and self-service checkouts. CVS accepts Apple Pay in-store but not online or on the CVS app.

Read on to find out more about whether CVS accepts Apple Pay and which other payment methods they do or do not accept to ensure you can always collect the drugs that you need.

What is CVS?

CVS Pharmacy Inc, often shortened to CVS, is the largest pharmacy chain in the U.S, with almost 10,000 locations across 49 states.

CVS was founded in 1963 in Massachusetts, and originally named the Consumer Value Store. It has expanded rapidly across the U.S and now has headquarters in Rhode Island and stores in 49 out of 50 U.S states.

What Do CVS Sell?

As a pharmacy, CVS sells prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, cosmetics, beauty products, greeting cards, convenience foods, seasonal merchandise, and photo and film services.

It operates through CVS Pharmacy stores, Longs Drugs retail stores, and also has an online store available at CVS.com and a CVS app.

Many CVS Pharmacy stores also provide healthcare services through medical clinics named MinuteClinic, of which there are over 1,100, and Diabetes Care Centers.

Read also: Does CVS Sell Amazon Gift Cards (Secrets Nobody Is Talking About)

What is Apple Pay?

Apple Pay is a way to pay with your Apple device, whether that is an iPhone, Apple Watch, iPad, or Mac.

Payments can easily be made online through Safari, through iOS apps, or in-store using Apple Pay. Apple Pay is accepted by most retailers in-store and online.

Apple Pay works as a digital wallet, by adding payment and bank card details to your Apple Wallet. Apple Pay can be used in the same way as contactless payment, in the place of a credit or debit card, and replaces lengthy chip and PIN transactions with a simple tap.

Two-factor authentication in the form of the passcode, PIN number, Touch ID, or Face ID is required to make purchases, for an extra level of security similar to a bank card PIN.

Apple Pay can only be used on Apple made devices, and therefore Google/Android and Samsung have differing Pay methods which operate in a similar fashion.

Does CVS accept Apple Pay In-Store?

Yes, CVS does accept Apple Pay as a payment method in-store. CVS began accepting Apple Pay in late 2018. Both the pharmacy counters, checkout counters, and self-service checkouts accept Apple Pay.

Other retailers began accepting Apple Pay as early as 2015, yet CVS previously had their own contactless payment system named CVS Pay. This worked in a similar way, with a QR code generating a payment. in 2018 CVS decided to discontinue this and accept payment through a variety of devices.

Does CVS accept Apple Pay on CVS Online or on the CVS App?

Although CVS accepts Apple Pay in-store, it does not accept Apple Pay online on the CVS online store or on the CVS app. The accepted payment methods for CVS online and the app are credit cards, Visa checkout, PayPal, or a CVS gift card.

What Other Payment Methods Do CVS Accept?

Along with Apple Pay, CVS accept a wide variety of payment methods in-store, including:

• Apple Pay
• Google/Android Pay
• Samsung Pay
• NFC contactless payments
• Cash
• Credit cards
• Debit cards
• PayPal
• Venmo
• Coupons
• Gift cards
• EBT or SNAP payments (for eligible items)
• Personal checks
• Reliacard balance
• GoodRx

How Do You Pay at CVS Using Apple Pay?

You can pay in-store at CVS using your iPhone or Apple Watch. Select the Apple Pay option when checking out your purchases and click on your Apple Wallet on your device.

• Quickly double click the side of the iPhone or watch.
• Authorize the purchase through the two-factor authentication that is set up, such as holding it to your face, touching the home sensor, or entering the PIN or passcode.
• Hold the phone or watch to the contactless payment reader.
• After a few seconds the payment reader will confirm that the payment has gone through by beeping, flashing a green light, or by showing a check mark on the screen.

Can You Get Cashback Using Apple Pay At CVS?

Yes, you can get cashback using Apple Pay at CVS, but the only way to do so is with customers using a Discover Card as their Apple Pay method, by entering this Discover Card into the Apple Wallet.

CVS has a limit of $35 cashback in-store when using a debit card.

CVS customers can receive 1% cashback on Apple Pay purchases made with the Discover Cashback Debit Card. Customers can get up to $120 of cashback every 24 hours.

How Do You Know If Your Local Store Accepts Apple Pay?

Most CVS stores, over 8,600 of the stores in various locations, accept Apple Pay. To discover if your local store accepts Apple Pay, there are two methods:

1. Go to Apple’s website, which has a regularly updated webpage of all the major retailers that accept Apple Pay. You can search your location on the webpage for a list of all your local stores that accept Apple Pay and see if CVS is in this list.
2. The Apple Maps app also keeps updated information on which stores in which locations accept Apple Pay. Open the Apple Maps app, search for CVS, and select the CVS store that is in your local area. There will be a section of information called Useful to Know. In this section there will be a checkmark next to Apple Pay if the payment is accepted in this location.

Read also: Does CVS Sell Flowers? (Fresh, Artificial, Valentine’s Flowers)

References

https://mashable.com/article/cvs-enables-apple-pay-in-store-payments