Apple Pay is a mobile payment service that allows users to make purchases using supported Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. So an important question for many shoppers is: Does Savers take Apple Pay? Let’s take a look at what Savers is, their payment options, and whether Apple Pay is accepted.
What is Savers?
Savers is a popular thrift store chain with locations throughout the United States and Canada. They sell a wide variety of pre-owned clothing, accessories, furniture, household goods, books, toys, and more. As a thrift store, their merchandise is donated by individuals and organizations. They then clean, price, and resell the items at significant discounts compared to regular retail prices.
Savers stores are designed to be like regular retail stores, neatly organized and merchandised to make shopping easy. Most locations also have stamp and coin shops within the stores. The chain brands itself as an eco-friendly way to recycle and reuse goods, keeping items out of landfills. They donate a portion of proceeds to nonprofits, so shopping at Savers supports charitable causes.
What Payment Methods Does Savers Accept?
Savers accepts most standard payment methods, including:
- Cash
- Credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover)
- Debit cards and PIN-based debit transactions
- Gift cards and store credit
- Apple Pay (at participating locations)
So they take both card-based payments and mobile payments. Checkout is fairly quick and customers can complete purchases using various payment types.
Cash and Cards
All Savers stores accept cash payments. This is useful for shoppers who want to closely stick to a budget or avoid credit/debit card fees. The cash price is simply the tagged price on an item.
They also take all major credit cards and debit cards issued by banks. Customers can tap, insert, or swipe their cards at checkout to pay. Savers uses modern POS systems to accept chip, contactless, magnetic stripe, and PIN-based debit card transactions.
Gift Cards
Purchasing a Savers gift card online or in-store allows recipients to shop for used goods at their convenience. Gift cards do not expire and have no fees. They can be used to pay for purchases at any corporate-owned Savers or Value Village stores in the U.S. and Canada.
Savers also accepts merchandise credits and store credit generated from returns or trade-ins. This store credit never expires and works just like a gift card to purchase items.
Apple Pay
Many Savers stores now accept Apple Pay contactless payments, though availability may vary by location. With Apple Pay, customers can hold their supported iPhone, Apple Watch, or iPad near the payment terminal to complete transactions using stored debit/credit cards. No wallet needed!
To use Apple Pay at Savers, look for the Apple Pay or contactless payment logo at checkout. Then authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or passcode as prompted on your Apple device. Apple Pay is quick, secure, and private.
Does Savers Accept Apple Pay?
Yes, Savers does accept Apple Pay as a form of payment, but availability is inconsistent across locations. Some key things to know about Apple Pay acceptance at Savers:
- Not all Savers stores take Apple Pay currently. Locations may still be transitioning to systems that support Apple Pay.
- Most corporate-owned stores located in major metro areas accept Apple Pay. Franchise stores and rural locations are less likely to offer it.
- Newer Savers stores or those recently remodeled are the most likely to accept Apple Pay.
- Where available, look for the Apple Pay or contactless logo near checkout to pay with an iPhone or Apple Watch.
It’s a good idea to call ahead to your local Savers store and ask if they accept Apple Pay before shopping there. Some store managers know exactly whether the payment type is enabled or not. You can also look around for point-of-sale systems with NFC readers when entering the store.
Ways to Check for Apple Pay Acceptance
Here are some helpful ways to confirm if a specific Savers store takes Apple Pay currently:
- Call the store and ask – the staff will know if Apple Pay works there.
- Check for contactless payment logos near registers when you arrive.
- Look up the store on the Apple Maps app – some show Apple Pay acceptance.
- Try adding a card to your Apple Wallet at that store’s location.
- Ask an associate at checkout before purchasing items if unsure.
Why Doesn’t Every Savers Take Apple Pay Yet?
There are a few likely reasons why many Savers stores don’t accept Apple Pay at this time, even though the capability exists:
Inconsistent POS Systems
With hundreds of stores nationwide, Savers likely has inconsistencies in their point-of-sale systems. Some locations may have modern NFC-capable registers, while others use older hardware without contactless support. Rolling out Apple Pay across all stores requires updating those older POS systems.
Franchise Adoption Rates
While corporate-owned Savers updated to Apple Pay-ready hardware, franchise locations can make their own decisions. Adoption has likely been slower among franchisees due to cost concerns. Forcing upgrades would put financial strain on individual store owners.
Lack of Consumer Demand
Contactless payments like Apple Pay may not have been demanded heavily yet by Savers shoppers. With an older customer base and average transaction under $20, there is less incentive to upgrade compared to major retailers seeing much pricier transactions.
Technical Challenges
With a chain of over 300 stores, there are likely some challenges in getting all POS hardware and software upgraded to support Apple Pay. His has resulted in the sporadic acceptance as some stores get enabled before others.
Using Apple Pay at Savers
When you find a Savers location that does accept Apple Pay, here are some tips for completing transactions:
- Set up Apple Pay with your credit/debit card in the Wallet app first.
- Hold your iPhone or Apple Watch near the contactless reader when prompted to pay.
- Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID – no need to open apps.
- Listen for the payment confirmation tone – your purchase is complete!
- Check your receipt to ensure the Apple Pay transaction went through.
Purchases made via Apple Pay are just as secure as using the physical card. Transaction totals appear on your regular debit/credit card statements.
Apple Pay Benefits
Paying with Apple Pay offers a few benefits over swiping your physical card at Savers:
- Faster checkout – no need to pull out your wallet.
- More secure with built-in encryption and dynamic security codes.
- Easy organization of receipts in your Wallet transaction history.
- Can help avoid touching payment terminals other people handled.
The Future of Apple Pay at Savers
It’s likely that more Savers stores will gain support for Apple Pay and other contactless payments in the future. As EMV chip cards and mobile wallets gain popularity in the U.S., stores are under pressure to modernize. And customers increasingly expect to be able to tap to pay wherever they shop.
To provide a consistent experience, Savers will need to update or replace outdated POS systems across all corporate and franchise locations over time. This will allow them to universally accept Apple Pay and other forms of contactless payment.
Savers may also eventually adopt other mobile payment services beyond just Apple Pay, such as Google Pay and Samsung Pay. However, Apple Pay is the clear leader in the U.S. currently. And the iPhone user base provides a strong incentive for stores like Savers to enable it.
Customer Demand May Accelerate Adoption
One factor that could drive faster Apple Pay adoption at all Savers locations is customer demand. If enough shoppers request or expect the capability at their local stores, corporate will respond to those requests sooner. So customers can help spur Apple Pay acceptance by providing feedback to store managers when shopping.
Expanding Mobile Payment Options
As a thrift store chain, Savers provides an eco-friendly way for shoppers to save money on a variety of used items. Enabling flexible payment options like Apple Pay makes purchasing even more convenient. Over time, Savers will likely expand contactless payment acceptance to more store locations as part of providing a seamless shopping experience.
For now, Savers customers can call ahead or look for contactless logos to find stores that accept Apple Pay currently. Tapping an iPhone or Apple Watch to pay is just as secure as using a physical credit or debit card. As mobile payments accelerate, customers will appreciate having Apple Pay as a checkout option.
Shoppers who prefer swiping or inserting cards can of course continue to do so at all Savers stores. But contactless payments like Apple Pay provide a faster, more hygienic payment method that many consumers now expect. Savers will work toward meeting that demand at more of its 300+ thrift store locations in the years ahead.
Conclusion
Savers does accept Apple Pay, but availability is still inconsistent across store locations. As a thrift store chain, they are gradually modernizing point-of-sale systems to enable contactless payments and improve the shopping experience. Customers can call ahead or look for Apple Pay logos to confirm if the capability is activated at their local store. Tapping to pay with Apple devices offers speed and convenience benefits once available. With mobile payments on the rise, Savers will likely expand Apple Pay acceptance to more stores over time.
