Burger King does accept contactless payments via their mobile app, which is available on both iOS and Android. Unfortunately, online reviews of Burger King say their payment terminals are often ancient and do not support tapping. So the mobile app may be your only option for contactless payment, depending on your restaurant.
Using the mobile app, you can select your location, which will provide you with locations nearby. Pick the restaurant you will be ordering from, and a menu specific to that location will appear.
If you haven’t already done so, you must register your name and email with the app to create an account, which can be a lengthy process as you wait for a code to be sent and is very frustrating.
So the ultimate question of this article is, what payment methods are accepted by the mobile app, and does that include Apple Pay?
Does Burger King Take Apple Pay in 2022?
Burger King currently does not take Apple Pay. The Burger King mobile app does not accept Apple Pay as a payment option, and with a lack of contactless payment terminals at locations, you may not even be able to try that method.
The official word from Burger King is that they do not accept Apple Pay, but there is nothing to say if they have actually blocked its use. So if you can find a location with a tap-enabled payment terminal, you may be able to try, but that is not guaranteed, and I was unable to find anything online of people having success with this.
The mobile app does support PayPal and credit card payments. Simply pick your location, select your items and then make payment. You can then pick up your order from that location.
Burger King not accepting Apple Pay as an option is frustrating, as seen from the mobile app reviews on the Apple App Store. So is there a reason Burger King Doesn’t accept Apple Pay?
Why Doesn’t Burger King Take Apple Pay?
Burger King has entered into an exclusive agreement with PayPal to provide contactless payments. PayPal, Apple Pay, and other payment providers are fighting it out with restaurant chains to become the primary payment method. Burger King has likely been provided desirable terms for PayPal to be the only payment option outside of a traditional credit card.
Apple Pay is also only available on iOS devices, so if Burger King is trying to push their mobile apps on Android and iOS, then having a single payment method makes it more streamlined and keeps both apps in line with each other.
You can try your luck with Apple Pay in-store on a contactless payment terminal as it doesn’t seem Burger King has specifically blocked this, but you’re not guaranteed for this to work or for Burger King even to have tap-enabled payment terminals.
If PayPal is NOW the exclusive payment provider, does that mean other options were previously available?
Did Burger King Ever Take Apple Pay?
The Burger King mobile app previously accepted Apple Pay and several other payment methods, but with the agreement with PayPal, the Android and iOS apps have been updated to remove payment options outside of credit cards and PayPal.
There are many dissatisfied customers writing reviews on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store, saying the PayPal option is cumbersome and they don’t have a PayPal account. They’re continuing to request that Apple Pay and Google Pay, along with other payment options, are added back to the system. So will Burger King listen and add Apple Pay back to their mobile apps or even officially support the option in-store on their payment terminals?
Will Burger King Ever Take Apple Pay?
It seems unlikely that Burger King will accept Apple Pay soon as an official payment option, especially not in their mobile apps. Furthermore, the agreement with PayPal likely prohibits or strongly discourages adding other payment methods to the app or taking a stance on in-store purchasing on tap-enabled payment terminals.
Companies often switch around and make updates, so if PayPal loses the exclusive agreement or is wholly replaced, Apple Pay may be added back as an option on iOS devices. But the PayPal agreement is less than a year old, so I wouldn’t expect that to happen soon.
However, as Burger King slowly replaces their payment terminals, they will likely roll out tap-enabled payment terminals, and that’s all Apple Pay needs to work. Furthermore, Burger King does not state that they have blocked Apple Pay; they simply removed it from their mobile apps and do not support it as an official payment method. So you may have success if you find a location with a tap-enabled payment terminal.
So if Apple Pay isn’t accepted or officially supported, how else can you pay with your phone?
Any Other Way I Can Pay With My Phone at Burger King?
The only officially supported way to pay with your phone at Burger King is to use their mobile app, and this seems to be the approach Burger King wants, so it’s unlikely other methods will be provided soon.
If the methods provided in-store or via the mobile app don’t work for you, then you could look to use one of the many food delivery services that do accept different payment methods, including Apple Pay.
Depending on your location, Burger King may be an option on GrubHub, DoorDash, or UberEats, all of which accept Apple Pay as an option. These apps also allow you to pick up your food, which may be the workaround to paying with Apple Pay. However, you’re likely going to be paying more than if you paid Burger King directly.
So if not paying via your phone, what other methods can you use?
What other payment does Burger King accept?
Burger King is pushing their mobile app for payments, offering exclusive deals and discounts when you pay with it. However, if you decide not to, then your options would be:
- Cash
- Gift Cards
- Credit/Debit Card
- BK Crown Card – Which is similar to a gift card that you continue to top up for personal use.
If Apple Pay is the only payment option you want to use, then Burger King is likely not going to work for you, and you’ll need to eat elsewhere, so where can you go to use Apple Pay to get a burger?
Which other stores take Apple Pay?
Burger King and Mcdonald’s are major competitors, and they have taken a different approach to payments. McDonald’s does accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, and various payment methods, so it would be a great alternative to Burger King when you want similar food but specifically want to use Apple Pay.
Even KFC, a close competitor to Burger King, accepts Apple Pay. It seems Burger King may be making things difficult for themselves by only accepting PayPal when most other fast-food restaurants offer various methods and let the customer choose how they want to pay.
Check more stores to see if they accept Apple Pay:
Can I Use Apple Pay at Burger King?
The official answer from Burger King is that they do not accept Apple Pay, and with the lack of tap-enabled payment terminals at their stores right now, you will likely not be able to use Apple Pay.
However, if you can find a Burger King location that does have a contactless payment terminal, you may be able to test it out and have success, but that is not guaranteed, and you should ensure you have an alternative payment method before going in.
