Yes, you can make contactless payments with an iPhone 6 using Apple Pay. The iPhone 6 features an NFC chip required for this functionality. To pay in stores, add your credit or debit card to the Wallet app, then hold your phone near the contactless reader while resting your finger on the Touch ID sensor.
Device compatibility
The service is compatible with iPhone 6 and newer, iPad Air 2 and newer, Macs with Touch ID, and Apple Watch Series 1 and later.
Yes, an iPhone 6 still physically works for basic tasks like calls, texts, and some apps, but it's stuck on iOS 12 and lacks crucial security updates, making many modern apps (banking, social media) incompatible or risky, and its performance will be slow; it's best as a backup device or for offline use, not a daily driver.
You can repurpose an old iPhone 6 as a dedicated music player, GPS, security camera, digital photo frame, or universal remote; trade it in for credit with Apple or others; sell it; donate it to family, friends, or a charity like Cell Phones For Soldiers; or recycle it responsibly through Apple or local programs. Before doing anything, remember to back up your data, sign out of your Apple ID, and erase all content and settings for security.
Pay with your iPhone
Supported devices
Tap to Pay requires an iPhone XS or later running a one-year or later iOS version.
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Does the Apple iPhone 6 have NFC ? Yes, however the NFC function within the iPhone 6 can only be used for making payments. The iPhone 6 cannot be used for scanning NFC tags, even with an App.
To set up Tap to Pay on iPhone, enable it in the payment app of your choice. To accept a payment, open the app, enter the amount, and present your iPhone to your customer. To pay, the customer holds their card horizontally or places their device directly over the payment symbol.
The oldest iPhones still considered "usable" for basic functions with some app support, thanks to extended security updates for iOS 15, are the iPhone 6S, 6S Plus, and the original iPhone SE (1st Gen), though they are now considered obsolete by Apple and will stop getting major updates soon. For modern apps and better longevity, you'd need an iPhone 8/X (stuck on iOS 16) or newer, with the iPhone 11 being a good entry point for current iOS 26 support and better functionality as of late 2025/early 2026.
If the card still doesn't read, ask the customer to slide the card to center the chip directly over the notch on the device. If the contactless card remains unread without any feedback from the interface, the card might have a damaged antenna or might not work with contactless payments.
Eligible Apple Devices
Apple Pay works on iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone SE, iPad Pro, iPad Air 2, iPad mini 4, iPad mini 3, MacBook Pro (with Touch Bar and Touch ID), Apple Watch Series 2 and any Apple Watch paired with iPhone 5 or later.
With iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple announced a new electronic payment service, Apple Pay. Called a mobile wallet, this service uses the Touch ID feature in your iPhone's Home button to identify you and any credit cards you've stored at the iTunes Store to make payments via a feature called Wallet.
You don't typically "turn on" NFC on modern iPhones; it's always on for automatic functions like Apple Pay and tag reading, but you can enable the tag reader feature through the Shortcuts app by creating an NFC automation, which prompts a scan when near a tag. For older models (iPhone 7/8), you might add the NFC Tag Reader to the Control Center via Settings.
With Tap to Pay on iPhone, customers' payment data is protected by the same technology that makes Apple Pay private and secure. All transactions made using Tap to Pay on iPhone are encrypted and processed using the Secure Element and, as with Apple Pay, Apple doesn't know what's being purchased or who is buying it.
You can use Apple Pay with an iPhone 5, 5s or 5c, but only if you have an Apple Watch paired with the phone as you can't carry out contactless transactions with an iPhone 5 alone. Older models of the iPhone won't work with Apple Pay.
Use an iPhone XS or newer. To check if your device is compatible, go to our device compatibility page. Tap to Pay on iPhone is not available on iPads. Make sure your iOS software is updated to the latest version.
No, Apple Pay and Apple Wallet aren't the same, but they work together: Apple Wallet is the app (your digital container) that stores your credit/debit cards, loyalty cards, tickets, and passes, while Apple Pay is the technology/service that uses those cards in the Wallet to make secure, contactless payments in stores, online, and in apps. Think of the Wallet as your physical purse and Pay as the tap-to-pay function.
Yes, an iPhone 6 still physically works for basic tasks like calls, texts, and some apps, but it's stuck on iOS 12 and lacks crucial security updates, making many modern apps (banking, social media) incompatible or risky, and its performance will be slow; it's best as a backup device or for offline use, not a daily driver.