Two months in, Apple Pay is doing impressively well

Apple Pay
But still a lot of work to do if it's going to catch up to PayPal

Tech-savvy punters in the US have been able to use Apple Pay in stores since October 20, and now we have our first indication of just how well it's doing.

Analyst firm ITG has reported that the tech accounted for 1% of all digital payments made in the US in the month of November. That's a solid start for Apple considering you need an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and iOS 8.1 to be able to use it on the go.

By comparison, the more established Google Wallet accounted for 4% of transactions in the same period. ITG said Apple's service has "strong momentum" and "the ability to significantly transform the mobile payment space."

What's more, 60% of Apple Pay buyers made use of the service multiple times in the same month. That's an impressive level of loyalty considering PayPal's comparable figure is hovering around the 20% mark.

Cyber shopping

And where exactly are these dollars being spent? Whole Foods was the most popular retailer for Apple Pay users, with 20% of all transactions. It was joined in the top five by Walgreens, McDonald's, Panera Bread and Subway.

Apple Pay users activated the tech an average of 1.4 times per week and continued to use Apple Pay at the same retailer 66 percent of the time. The general feeling is that these are strong figures for Apple, and the statistics should look even better once the Apple Watch is out.

If you're in the UK and eager to start swiping with your iPhone to pay for goods, services and McDonald's fast food, the indications are you might not have much longer to wait.

David Nield
Freelance Contributor

Dave is a freelance tech journalist who has been writing about gadgets, apps and the web for more than two decades. Based out of Stockport, England, on TechRadar you'll find him covering news, features and reviews, particularly for phones, tablets and wearables. Working to ensure our breaking news coverage is the best in the business over weekends, David also has bylines at Gizmodo, T3, PopSci and a few other places besides, as well as being many years editing the likes of PC Explorer and The Hardware Handbook.