It’s a familiar scene. You’re queuing up in the coffee shop for your mid-morning caffeine fix and start fumbling in your bag and pockets for your wallet. You remember saving your work and picking up your coat before you headed out the door, then have a grim flashback to leaving your wallet in your laptop bag. You shuffle out of the queue, back up the street, into the office and repeat the journey. Frustrating, a waste of time and chances are that last chocolate muffin you were eyeing up has probably gone to someone a bit more switched on.

No wallet? No worries
The dilemma could have been avoided though if you’d been forward-thinking enough to realise this was going to happen sooner or later and downloaded a few iPhone payment apps to save you the embarrassment and annoyance.
iPhone payment apps are fast becoming a modern tool for making transactions on the go. There are times when you might be without your cards – at a festival or even out for a run.
A digital wallet also gives you the opportunity to join loyalty schemes and earn rewards.
Get on board with the top 5 iPhone payment platforms

1. Square Wallet app
The Square Wallet app is available on iPhone 3GS, 4, 4S and 5, Samsung Galaxy Nexus, Samsung Galaxy S III and HTC One V.
What are the features?
Being able to explore the Square directory to browse and check out interesting places nearby, saving your favourite locations for instant access in future, collecting rewards, sharing with friends, pay hands free by simply saying your name to pay and confirming yourself with your stored name/photo for instant verification.

What are people saying about it?
The argument for Square Wallet is that it’s accepted at plenty of independent and small businesses and includes loyalty cards tied directly to each business. It also supports all major credit cards.
The argument against is that it’s different to explore businesses on the app, there’s minimal security and since hands free transactions are all it handles, there’s no PIN protection, which may put some people off.

2. Adelante’s Mobile POS app
The Adelante Mobile POS app is available on the majority of Smartphones including the iPhone, BlackBerry, Samsung Galaxy, Nokia and Windows phones.
What are the features?
The Adelante Mobile POS app enables customers to make secure transactions anytime, anywhere using an app and card-reader. Features include: Operating with most Smartphones (iPhone and Android), soon to be available with a card-reader, secure and safe system, fast transactions and easy set-up.

What are people saying about it?
Users of the Adelante Mobile POS app are impressed by the speed of the app and trust its encryption system. A potential drawback is the delay in waiting for the card-reader to be released yet once it’s up and running, this could be a serious contender.

3. LevelUp app
The LevelUp app is available on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. The app requires iOS 5.0 or later and is optimised for the iPhone 5.

What are the features?
Free app, pay with your phone at thousands of locations worldwide, when you pay at a business for the first time you save money, each time you return to a business, you save money again and transaction and receipt histories are easily accessible on screen.

What are people saying about it?
Users of LevelUp enjoy saving money when they start using the app to pay at a new business. Promo codes are regular and valued by its customers. Users of LevelUp aren’t so hot on searching for businesses, which can often be problematic, and smaller businesses may not have heard of the app.

4. GoPayment app
The GoPayment app is available on iPhone, iPod touch and iPad. It requires iOS 5.0 or later and is optimised for the iPhone 5.

What are the features?
Free mobile card, extended sign-in option enables users to stay signed-in securely, summary of daily transaction history on screen, improved interface from previous versions, longer swipe area makes it more sturdy and it is fast, reliable and convenient.

What are people saying about it?
Users of the GoPayment app comment that it’s fast, reliable and convenient. Many users have said they don’t care for apps that are advertised poorly and don’t deliver yet this app lives upto the hype. Other users added GoPayment has a slightly more complex account set-up process. There’s also a shorter list of supported hardware compared with other payment app devices.

 
5. PayPal app
The PayPal app is available on with the iPhone, Android, BlackBerry and Nokia handsets.

What are the features?
PayPal adds a second layer of security. Your credit card protects you from fraud, bu PayPal also protects the merchant from getting their hands on your details in the first place, users can use PayPal to shop in smaller businesses without even using the app; they simply set up an account for in-store checkouts, payments are made by entering a mobile number and pin – it’s quick and easy, users can keep track of their PayPal accounts at the same time as making transactions, PayPal is world-renowned so its major player status will appeal to some .

What are people saying about it?
PayPal app users like that it transfers money nearly instantly between friends and family, as well as to businesses. It lets you pay for goods and services at local shops and also keep track of your accounts. The argument against the PayPal app is that it doesn’t automatically log out the user and you can’t add bank accounts from the mobile app. Also, a limited selection of businesses that accept the payments is a turn-off, as is the SMS verification, which failed during testing. 

Lucy loves technology and is impressed by the range of EPOS capabilities, click here for a reliable provider.