On a more serious note, how do you use your iPhone as a TAP card in the subway?

Apple Products iPhones
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I’ve got about $25 on my TAP card in my wallet. Despite having my phone unlocked and Face ID approved, I encounter an error almost every time I try to use it at the receiver. Frustrated after 10 failed attempts, I ended up buying a physical card at Noho station yesterday.

However, on my way back at Union Station, I decided to try again. Surprisingly, it worked on the third attempt (after two errors). I noticed that the time it worked, I inserted it at an angle and passed it over the sensor rather than approaching straight on. Could this method have made the difference? Hard to say.

Does anyone else regularly use their phone for TAP payments and have tips to make it more reliable? Have others experienced a high failure rate of over 90%?

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The chip is close to the top of the iPhone, so you need to tap the machine near the camera. Have you tried that?

At first, I didn’t know and kept getting errors when I tapped the middle of my phone against the machine.

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Download the TAP app and add your card to it. Then set up the card in your Apple Wallet (sorry, I don’t remember exactly how to do this).

When you’re at the gate, double-tap the power button, select the TAP card, unlock with Face ID, and hold your phone near the gate when it says “hold near reader.”

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Tap and go: Simply hold your iPhone or Apple Watch near the reader to pay your fare.