Yesterday, I tried to set up my Apple Pay account after updating iOS yesterday, and I got a message saying, “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable.” It appeared below the “Could not connect to apple pay” title.
I believed that the updating had brought this error to me. I thoroughly searched and shared the ideas with the Apple Pay users. Finally, I found that updating had changed my location and it was the issue.
I discovered that the updating is not the only reason, as Apple Users had shared more. Also, I saw that some Apple Pay users had still not been able to get out of the “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable” issue.
Therefore, I thought to share my experience with you all.
Why Does “Apple Pay Is Temporarily Unavailable” Appear On My iPhone?
I could identify several reasons that could cause the particular error.
- You have moved out of the country
- You have set another region for your Apple Pay
- You have mismatching details between Apple Website and Apple iPhone
- Increased cache memory
- Bugs
- Enabled VPN
- Updated iOS
- Scamming
- Apple Pay restrictions
- Outdated Apple iOS
- Disabled network settings for Apple Pay
- Internet Failure
- Hacking
- You have not verified your identity
- Security settings (mainly on Mac)
Is It Possible To Recover From The “Apple Pay Is Temporarily Unavailable” Error?
Yes. That is possible. All you have to do is to follow a method to remove the restrictions against Apple Pay.
I could recover the Apple pay within 10 minutes, and I believe anyone can do that. But, I must insist that some fixes involve upgrading and updating, which may consume more time.
How to fix the “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable” error?
I could list out the fixes so that you can quickly fix the issue. You must follow them according to the right issue I have mentioned earlier.
Enabling Internet Access Or Resetting Network Settings
I found out that the simplest fix for the “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable” is to grant internet access. You must enable the network and Wi-Fi to do this.
You must check if Apple Pay has access to the internet. You may do that easily by,
Seeing a blue mark right next to the network icon. Also, if you have connected to WiFi, you will see the connected Wi-Fi icon in the top right corner.
How to reset the network for iPhone?
- Open Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap Reset
- Choose Reset Network Settings
- Confirm
Note: This trick will reset the Wi-Fi password, which makes you enter them again.
Restart Your iPhone
After a restart, you have the ability to fix your minor issues. I saw a few Apple Pay users who could fix their issues after a restart.
- If it doesn’t work, you may try force restarting.
- Press and quickly the volume up button quickly.
- Do the same to the volume down button.
- Press and hold the side button until the Apple logo appears.
Enable Data Access For The Apple Wallet App
Another reason that caused the trouble was users were not allowed Mobile Data for the Apple Wallet.
- Tap Settings app
- Choose Mobile Data
- Scroll down and make sure Apple Wallet has the Data Access
Fix The Region You Have Set In Apple Pay Settings.
Apple Pay is available in the US only. If you have set another country as the Region, you will see the error. You must set the Region to the US.
You must follow both methods to change the Region to the USA.
Set the Region for the Apple ID
- Launch the Settings app.
- Tap your name
- Choose Media & Purchases.
- Choose View Account
- Go to Country/Region. And choose Change
- Choose the USA as your country
- Tap Agree and confirm again
Warning: After changing the region for Apple ID, you may lose subscriptions, memberships, pre-orders, movie rentals, Season Passes, and credit refunding processes. Therefore, it is recommended to conduct this to cause the least loss of Apple Money.
Change the region to the USA in General Settings
- Open Settings app
- Go to General
- Choose language & region
- Set USA
Identify Verification
I discovered that the “Apple Pay Temporarily Unavailable” message comes due to the failed identity verification. After appearing identity Failed notification, the above message will appear in a drop box.
You must follow the below steps to verify your identity and then try again.
How To Verify Your Identity To Apple?
You must follow different steps according to Apple iPhone, Apple iPad, and Apple Watch.
Apple iPhone
- Open Wallet app
- Tap on Apple Cash card
- You must follow the on screen instructions
Apple iPad
- Go to the settings app and open
- Tap Wallet & Apple Pay
- Tap the Apple cash card
- You must follow the on screen instructions onwards
Apple Watch
- Open the Apple Watch App on the iPhone
- Tap Wallet & Apple Pay
- Open an Apple cash card
- You must follow the on screen instructions onwards
Note: When capturing your license or state ID card, you must capture all corners. Also, you must place your ID on a darker surface.
Reset PRL
I discovered that PRL (Preferred Roaming List) may easily get corrupted. That may lead to Apple Pay malfunctioned. Also, you may see the “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable” message.
I found a code that could fix the PRL, which is ##873283#.
You must open the dialer and dial this code.
Disable Apple Cash Temporarily
Apple pay and Apple cash are similar functions on the Apple iPhone. You may try disabling Apple cash and give only priority to Apple Pay.
- Open Settings app
- Go to Wallet & Apple Pay
- Turn off Apple cash
- Restart Apple iPhone and see if Apple pay works
Disable VPN on Safari
I found an Apple Pay user who had not been able to use Apple Pay due to enabling VPN. She had got the same message “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable.”
I inquired about Apple, and they mentioned Apple Pay is not allowed outside the USA. Since VPN may set a location outside the USA, a particular message may appear. We simply disabled VPN and could fix the issue.
I found the easiest way to do that.
- Open Settings App
- Go to General Settings
- Tap VPN and device Management
- Turn off the VPN
Re-Add The Apple Cards Again
Some Apple users got the “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable” message while trying to make transactions. They could remove the apple pay card and add it again to fix the issue. You may follow the below steps to do that.
- Open settings app
- Tap on Wallet & Apple Pay
- Tap on the card that creates the trouble
- Remove it
- Restart the Apple iPhone
- Open settings app
- Tap on Wallet & Apple Pay
- Tap Add Card and then follow the instructions
Updating iPhone To The Latest Version
I figured that Apple’s lower iOS versions below iOS 12 would create troubles for Apple Pay. If you see “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable,” I recommend you update your iOS version.
I found the below article from the Apple website that explains “How to update the iOS to the latest version” in different ways.
Making Sure You Have Provided The Same Information On Both The Website And iPhone
Apple Pay Service wants you to be truthful about your information. When you have mistakenly provided the wrong information to Apple, they would think of you for scamming or creating conflicts.
Having the wrong information on Apple ID and Apple Website is such a scenario. You must make sure it won’t happen.
- I suggest you follow the below steps to correct such issues.
- Go to the Apple ID section on the Apple website and log in with your credentials.
- Go to Personal Information
- Arrange other information that mismatches with the Apple ID on your phone
- Move to the payment section
- Correct other information that mismatches with the Apple ID on your phone
Note: I suggest you keep a name without the mid name as it may avoid any complications.
Contact The Bank
Among the Apple users who saw “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable,” 2% of people got the issue due to bank. If any of the above fixes do not work for you, you may contact the bank to get assistance.
Conclusion
I hope you must have found an answer to the “Apple pay is temporarily unavailable” issue. If it remains, get assistance from Apple Pay.
