Three Ways Apple Pay Interoperates with Cryptocurrencies

Apple Pay and cryptocurrencies work together in three different ways, each handling funds, authorization, and recipient differently. Customers can use Apple Pay to buy cryptocurrency or spend from a compatible crypto-funded card.

Tangem's integration with Apple Pay uses a virtual Visa card funded with USDC (a stablecoin tracking the US dollar) on the Polygon network. In this setup, customers fund their Tangem Pay account with USDC and add the card to Apple Wallet.

When using a crypto-funded card in Apple Pay, the merchant receives a conventional currency payment through Visa, not the original cryptocurrency. The card program handles conversion from USDC to local currency, and authenticating on the phone confirms the customer's intent to pay.