Remove a card from Apple Pay in three steps
To remove a credit card from Apple Pay, open the Wallet app on your iPhone or iPad, tap the card you want to remove, tap the three dots (or menu icon) in the top right corner, scroll down, and select "Remove This Card." On an Apple Watch, open the Wallet app, swipe left on the card, tap the trash icon, and confirm. The card stays in your Apple Pay account but is no longer available for payments until you add it back.
The process takes less than a minute and does not affect your credit card account itself — the card remains open with your bank or credit card issuer. You can add the card back to Apple Pay at any time by opening Wallet, tapping the plus sign, and following the prompts to re-add it.
Key Takeaways
- Removing a card from Apple Pay does not close the card or change your account with the issuer — it only stops the card from working in the Wallet app.
- On iPhone or iPad, go to Wallet, select the card, tap the menu icon, and choose "Remove This Card."
- On Apple Watch, swipe left on the card in Wallet and tap the trash icon to remove it.
- You can add the card back to Apple Pay later without contacting your bank or credit card company.
Removing a card on iPhone or iPad
Open the Wallet app and look at your list of cards. Tap the card you want to remove. At the top right of the card details screen, you will see three dots arranged vertically (sometimes called a menu icon or ellipsis). Tap that icon.
Scroll down to the bottom of the menu that appears. You will see a red button labeled "Remove This Card." Tap it. A confirmation message will appear asking if you are sure. Tap "Remove" again to confirm. The card is now removed from Apple Pay and will no longer appear in your Wallet app.
Removing a card from Apple Watch
If you have added a card to Apple Watch, you can remove it directly from the watch or from your iPhone. On the watch itself, open the Wallet app. Find the card you want to remove and swipe left across it. A trash icon will appear on the right side of the screen. Tap the trash icon, then confirm the removal when prompted.
Alternatively, you can remove it from your iPhone: open the Watch app on your iPhone, go to the Wallet & Apple Pay section, find the card, and tap "Remove." Both methods work equally well — use whichever is more convenient.
What happens to your credit card account
Removing a card from Apple Pay has no effect on your actual credit card account. The card itself remains open and active with your bank or credit card issuer. Your credit limit, balance, and payment history are unchanged. You can still use the physical card or the card number for online purchases.
Your bank will not be notified that you removed the card from Apple Pay, and you do not need to contact them. The removal only affects the Wallet app on your device.
Adding the card back to Apple Pay later
If you remove a card and later want to use it in Apple Pay again, you can add it back without any extra steps. Open Wallet, tap the plus sign in the top right corner, select "Credit or Debit Card," and follow the prompts. You can either scan the card with your camera or enter the details manually. Your bank may ask you to verify the card again, but the process is the same as adding any new card.
You will not lose any history or settings associated with the card. If you had set it as your default payment method before removing it, you may need to set it as default again after re-adding it.
Reasons to remove a card temporarily
People remove cards from Apple Pay for different reasons. You might remove a card if you are concerned about security and want to limit which devices can access it. You might also remove it if you are lending your phone to someone and want to prevent accidental purchases. Some people remove cards when they are not actively using them to reduce clutter in the Wallet app.
Removing a card is also useful if you are troubleshooting payment problems — removing and re-adding the card can sometimes fix issues where Apple Pay stops recognizing the card or payment fails repeatedly.
Removing all cards from Apple Pay
If you want to remove every card from Apple Pay at once, you do not need to delete them one by one. You can turn off Apple Pay entirely in your device settings. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, and toggle off "Double-Click Side Button" (or "Double-Click Home Button" on older models). This disables Apple Pay on your device without removing the cards from your account.
If you want to remove cards but keep Apple Pay active for other purposes, you will need to remove each card individually using the steps described earlier. There is no bulk-remove option in the Wallet app.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does removing a card from Apple Pay close the credit card account?
No. Removing a card from Apple Pay only removes it from the Wallet app on your device. Your credit card account remains open and active with your bank. You can still use the physical card or the card number for other purchases.
Will my bank know I removed the card from Apple Pay?
No. Your bank does not receive any notification when you remove a card from Apple Pay. The removal is local to your device and does not affect your account with the issuer.
Can I remove a card if it is set as my default payment method?
Yes. You can remove a card even if it is your default. After you remove it, Apple Pay will use your next default card for payments. If you re-add the card later, you can set it as default again if you want.
What if I remove a card by mistake?
You can add it back when ready. Open Wallet, tap the plus sign, select "Credit or Debit Card," and re-add the card using the same details. Your bank may ask you to verify it again, but the process is straightforward.
Does removing a card from Apple Pay affect my credit score?
No. Removing a card from Apple Pay has no impact on your credit score or credit history. It is purely a change to how you access the card on your device.