Via iStockphoto / @patrickemcc TikTok
One bartender issues a warning for anyone using Apple Pay at the bar. As it turns out, he and other bartenders can lurk on your phone.
Contactless payments have become more popular since the pandemic. People have ditched physical credit cards in lieu of Apple Pay or other contactless payment methods. However, not all bartenders are having it.
In a TikTok with over 316,000 views, Patrick (@patrickemcc) issues a warning for customers who pay with Apple Pay at the bar.
“If you use Apple Pay when you’re out at a bar, here’s a little tip from a bartender—something to be cautious about,” Patrick begins.
While some places have the handheld reader, other payment systems are out of the customer’s reach. This means a bartender has to take the customer’s payment method from them to pay.
“When I tap it, the Apple Pay goes away. What you had on the screen before that will come back up,” Patrick shares.
Patrick admits while the receipt is printing, he usually lurks on the phone’s screen. The bartender spills the tea and reveals he’s seen some wild texts—texts from controlling boyfriends, upset wives, and asking ChatGPT for an outfit inspiration.
“Be careful. Because there are nosy bartenders out there like me. I will never scroll, and I’ll never tough anything,” he shares.
But whatever screen is left up, the bartender is looking at it.
“Also stop using Apple Pay. It’s annoying. Thank you,” he captioned the post.
Do Bartenders Peep On Your Phone?
Viewers in the comment section were surprised people don’t pay directly from the lock screen.
“Y’all don’t do this on the lock screen,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
“People aren’t just Apple paying from their lock screen,” another added.
“People are handing the bartender their phones,” a third chimed in.
Other bartenders weighed in about what they would do with phones when people paid with Apple Pay.
“This was the bane of my existence bartending. And then it would lock me out so I would have to awkwardly stand there while they unlocked their phone with their face again omg,” one commented.
“The drunker they get the less they care about that phone. I take a selfie every now and then,” another shared.
“I don’t look but I have seen some things against my will,” a third revealed.
Do Bartenders Hate When Customers Use Apple Pay?
Apple Pay has made making digital payments easier, and, with it, forgetting your wallet is less severe. Some consumers have ditched physical cards altogether and rely on Apple Pay for all their payments.
“Omg you would hate me. Haven’t seen my physical card in forever,” one TikTok commenter wrote.
Since the pandemic, the rise in contactless payment has risen drastically. There is a pro for bartenders. When customers use Apple Pay, they don’t have a massive stack of receipts with tips that need to be imputed into the system, per Money.
However, one caveat is if the phone screen locks before tapping the Apple Pay payment, it can end up eating up more of a bartender’s time.
In an ideal world, the bar will have a handheld reader that makes the tap easy. The setup of the bar’s payment system will likely dictate if bartenders find Apple Pay transactions annoying or not.
BroBible has contacted Patrick by Instagram and TikTok direct message. The story will be updated if he responds.