Apple Pay is a digital wallet payment method available to guests across RMS Pay Terminals, Pay by Link, the Guest Portal, Corporate Portal, and the New RMS Booking Engine.

Overview

Apple Pay allows guests to complete payments securely using Face ID or Touch ID on supported Apple devices and browsers. Apple Pay on RMS Pay Terminals is available as standard. From April 2026, Apple Pay is enabled by default across all RMS Pay digital channels (Pay by Link, Guest Portal, Corporate Portal, and the New RMS Booking Engine).

This article explains which RMS channels support Apple Pay, what guests and staff will experience, how Apple Pay tokens work, and how Apple Pay transactions appear in RMS reports.

Where Apple Pay Can Be Used

Apple Pay is available across the following guest-facing channels in RMS:

RMS Pay Terminals

Apple Pay is available as a standard payment method on supported RMS Pay Terminals. Guests can tap or scan their Apple device to complete payment.

Guest-Facing Channels

• Pay by Link - Apple Pay is available when guests open the link on supported devices and browsers.
• Guest Portal - Guests can pay using Apple Pay when completing payments in the portal.
• Corporate Portal - Apple Pay is available to corporate guests making payments.
• New RMS Booking Engine - Guests can select Apple Pay during the online booking checkout process.

Apple Pay will only surface on a guest-facing payment request that has a dollar value attached. It will not appear for card-not-present payments processed directly within the RMS application by staff.

RMS staff can use an Apple Pay token (captured from a previous guest payment) as a stored credential for follow-up payments across these RMS features:

• POS Lite with token
• Cash Account
• Company Account
• Travel Agent Account
• Guest Account
• Reservation Account

Apple Pay with Pay by Link

When a Pay by Link is sent to a guest, they can complete the payment using Apple Pay on supported devices and browsers.

Guest Experience

Guests can choose Apple Pay as their payment method when opening the link on:

• Safari on iOS (iPhone or iPad)
• Safari on macOS (on an Apple Pay-enabled device and browser)

If a Pay by Link is opened on a non-iOS device, an Apple Pay QR code may appear. The guest can scan this code with their Apple device to complete the payment using Apple Pay.

 

If the guest cancels Apple Pay during the payment process, the transaction will not be processed and no charge will be made. The guest can choose another payment method or abandon the payment.

Cardholder Name Display

For payments completed with Apple Pay, the Cardholder Name will display as:

Apple Pay PlaceHolder

This is expected behaviour. The guest's actual cardholder name is masked for privacy and security reasons. It does not affect payment processing, settlement, or reconciliation.

Why 3DS Does Not Apply to Apple Pay

Apple Pay is PSD2 SCA-compliant. The biometric authentication used by the guest (Face ID or Touch ID) fulfils the regulatory strong authentication requirement. This removes the need for an explicit 3DS (Three-Domain Secure) challenge, resulting in a frictionless payment flow. The transaction is still considered fully authenticated under PSD2 rules.

Using Apple Pay Tokens

Apple Pay transactions use a tokenised card number called a DPAN (Device Primary Account Number) instead of the guest's actual card number (FPAN - Funding Primary Account Number). The DPAN lives on the cardholder's device and is used by RMS for follow-up payment flows.

Pre-Authorisations with Apple Pay

A Pre-Authorisation (Pre-Auth) can be created from an Apple Pay token. When a Pre-Auth is created:

• It is visible on the cardholder's device (they will see it in their Apple Wallet or bank app).
• It is created against the tokenised DPAN rather than the physical card number.

Receipts Using an Apple Pay Pre-Auth Token

A receipt (capture) can be completed using a Pre-Auth that was originally created from an Apple Pay token. The receipt is processed as a standard Pre-Auth completion using the underlying Apple Pay token.

Surcharges and Apple Pay

If dynamic surcharging is enabled for the property, the following applies to Apple Pay payments:

• On terminal: Dynamic surcharging applies to Apple Pay payments made on supported terminals, in line with the property's configured surcharge settings.
• On Apple Pay tokens: Dynamic surcharging also applies when charging a stored Apple Pay token from within RMS (for example, from a Cash Account or Reservation Account).

External Mapping

External Mapping allows RMS to match card types received from an online channel connection when the external system (such as Sabre Synxis) uses a different name than the card type set up in RMS.

• External Card Type Codes for mapping with providers.
• The external provider may pass through multiple variations of a card type that should map to a single card type in RMS.
  Example: AX, American Express and AExpress should all map to Amex in RMS.
• Multiple external sources per Card Type can be created.
• An external source cannot be used more than once across all RMS Card Types.
• If a duplicate external source is entered, RMS will display an alert advising that the name is already in use and indicate which Card Type it is attached to.

External Mapping for Apple Pay Payment Types

External Mapping lets RMS match card types received from an online channel connection when the external system - such as Sabre SynXis - uses a different name than the card type configured in RMS.

Before you start: Apple Pay payment types must be added to your External Mapping configuration manually.

Use the variant codes in the table below to match each Apple Pay type to the correct card type in RMS.

RMS Booking Engine

To make Apple Pay available to guests on the RMS Booking Engine, it must be configured as an online payment option (Credit Card), in addition to being enabled within RMS Pay.

Apple Pay will be displayed as an available payment option on the RMS Booking Engine when a deposit or payment is requested (on supported Apple devices and browsers).

Credit Card Setup

In the side menu of RMS, go to Setup > Accounting > Credit Cards.

1. Select Add.
   
    
2. Enter ApplePay as the Card Description.
   (No fee configuration is required).
3. Select Save/Exit.
   

Assign to the RMS Booking Engine

In the side menu of RMS, go to Setup > Online Bookings > Online Options.

1. Navigate to the Payment Options/Fees tab.
2. Highlight the ApplePay Credit Card type.
3. Select Assign.
   The 'ApplePay' credit card type should display in the 'Credit Cards to Show Online' section.
4. Set the Gateway Provider as RMS Pay.
5. Select Tokenize Credit Card via RMS Pay as the Online Channel Credit Card Storage option.
6. Select Save.
   
    

How Apple Pay Appears in RMS Reports

Because Apple Pay uses a DPAN instead of the guest's physical card number, this tokenised value is what appears across RMS reporting. This is expected behaviour and is used for reconciliation.

Cash Transaction Report

Apple Pay transactions display the DPAN in the Cash Transaction Report. This is the expected card reference for Apple Pay and is used for reconciliation within RMS.

RMS Pay Transaction and Payout Overview

Apple Pay transactions display the following in the RMS Pay Transaction and Payout Overview Report:

• DPAN - The tokenised card number associated with the Apple Pay transaction.
• Cardholder Name - Displays as Apple Pay PlaceHolder rather than the guest's actual name.

This combination allows staff to identify payments that were made through Apple Pay.

RMS Pay Settlement Report

Apple Pay transactions in the RMS Pay Settlement Report display the DPAN. Use this for reconciliation against payment processor settlements.

FAQs

Why do I see "Apple Pay PlaceHolder" as the cardholder name?
This is expected behaviour. Apple Pay masks the guest's cardholder name for privacy and security. It does not affect payment processing or settlement.

Can I refund an Apple Pay transaction?
Yes. Refunds for Apple Pay payments (including those made via Pay by Link) can be processed in RMS in the same way as any other card refund.

Can I see the guest's real card number for Apple Pay transactions?
No. Apple Pay uses a DPAN (tokenised card number) for security. The DPAN will appear in RMS reports in place of the guest's primary card number (FPAN).

Does Apple Pay work on all devices?
Apple Pay surfaces on Safari on iOS (iPhone and iPad) and Safari on macOS with Apple Pay enabled. On non-Apple devices, an Apple Pay QR code may appear so the guest can complete the payment on their Apple device.

Do I need to configure anything to enable Apple Pay?
From April 2026, Apple Pay is enabled by default for all RMS Pay customers. No manual setup is required.