Hobby Lobby carries a ton of craft items, home goods, and other products that crafters and creatives can purchase.
Besides having several physical stores in most major locations, Hobby Lobby also has an online store.
When shopping, you may wonder if you can use Apple Pay to pay for your purchases.
Due to its use of Cloud technology to transfer funds, not all stores have the equipment they need to accept Apple Pay.
Here’s what you need to know about Apple Pay and if Hobby Lobby accepts it as payment.
Does Hobby Lobby Take Apple Pay?
No, Hobby Lobby does not take Apple Pay.
Hobby Lobby hasn’t updated its checkout technology in some time.
As such, they only accept the traditional forms of payment like cash, checks, and major credit and debit cards.
You also can’t use Apple Pay on the Hobby Lobby website.
Hobby lobby not having apple pay…… we are in 2023
— m (@luffyelitist) January 28, 2023
Hobby Lobby not having Apple Pay is really a problem in my life.
— S (@Since9Duece) December 9, 2022
not hobby lobby not having Apple Pay I’m annoyed
— try again (@makeitrainnbtch) July 8, 2022
However, there is a way that you can use Apple Pay to get around the fact that Hobby Lobby doesn’t accept it.
You can use Zip to make purchases at Hobby Lobby with your Apple Pay account.
How Do You Use Zip To Pay On Hobby Lobby’s Web Store?
If you have an Apple Pay account, then you can use Zip.
Zip is a service that generates a one-time-use Visa debit card that lets you make a purchase.
Here are the steps you should follow to use Zip to make a payment through Apple Pay on the Hobby Lobby online store.
1. Make An Account On Zip
Zip is an app, so you’ll need to download the app first.
Then enter the requested information to create an account.
2. Add Card
You’ll need to add a card to your account to generate the debit card.
You’ll see a “Cards” tab on the app.
Click on that and then choose the “Get a Card” option.
The app doesn’t give a hard credit check, so you should be able to qualify for the service.
3. Accept Terms
You’ll then need to read the terms and conditions of the service.
Accept the terms.
4. Add Zip To Apple Pay
Once you have your Zip account ready, you’ll see a few stores and payment methods.
Choose Apple Pay to link it to your Zip account.
5. Shop On Hobby Lobby
Go to the Hobby Lobby app and shop.
You can also shop on their website through your favorite browser.
Once you make your purchases, click on the “Cart” option to check out as usual.
6. Click On Zip
When you go to the checkout page, you should see an option to pay with Zip.
Since you linked Zip to your Apple Pay, you’ll be using your Apple Pay to pay for the purchase.
Once you click on Zip as your payment option, then you’ll need to confirm the transfer.
You should check out successfully.
How To Use Zip To Use Your Apple Pay At Hobby Lobby’s Physical Stores
If you prefer to shop at Hobby Lobby in-store, then you can still use the Zip app to make purchases with your Apple Pay account.
Keep in mind that the store needs to have a reader.
Otherwise, using Zip won’t work.
That said, Zip can get around most problems by generating a virtual debit card that you use one time.
Here are the steps you should take to use Zip at a Hobby Lobby’s physical store.
1. Download Zip App And Make An Account
As before, you’ll need to download the Zip app if you haven’t already.
Make your account and add your Apple Pay to the Card section.
You may also need to go to your Apple Pay account to ensure it’s linked to Zip.
2. Go To The “In-Store” Tab On Zip
On the Zip app, you’ll see a tab that reads, “In-Store.”
This is the tab you need to click whenever you’re using Zip in a physical store.
When you click it, you’ll see a list of different stores that work with Zip.
Find Hobby Lobby and select it.
3. Shop And Check Out
Once you have your app ready, you can head to Hobby Lobby and start doing your shopping.
When you’re ready to check out, head to the cashier and hold your phone close to the reader.
You need to have the Zip app up and have the card generated.
The reader should recognize the Zip card as a Visa debit card and transfer the funds.
With Zip, it’s possible to use Apple Pay at Hobby Lobby’s physical stores provided that they have a reader.
How Much Does It Cost To Use Zip?
Because Zip generates a one-time debit card through Visa, you may think that it costs a lot of money to use.
That isn’t the case.
Zip charges a flat $1 fee each time you use it for a transaction.
You don’t have to worry that the fee will increase as your cart becomes more expensive.
That makes Zip an easy and affordable way to use your Apple Pay account in different ways.
Whenever you find yourself needing a one-time debit card, Zip is a great solution.
Why Doesn’t Hobby Lobby Take Apple Pay?
Considering that digital wallets are becoming more and more popular as a method of payment, you may wonder why Hobby Lobby hasn’t adopted it yet.
Here are a few reasons Hobby Lobby hasn’t implemented Apple Pay support yet.
1. It Already Uses PayPal
One of the reasons that Hobby Lobby doesn’t use Apple Pay is that it already accepts PayPal as a payment method.
While Hobby Lobby doesn’t support PayPal in their stores, unless you have a PayPal Cash Card, you can use it on their online store.
Because Hobby Lobby has a PayPal option on their web store, some might think that Hobby Lobby has partnered with PayPal.
That doesn’t seem to be the case, however, since Hobby Lobby doesn’t accept all of the services that PayPal offers.
For example, you won’t be able to use PayPal’s Pay-in-4 service.
As such, it’s unlikely that Hobby Lobby actually partners with PayPal.
Instead, they likely use the service because it’s a popular payment method that’s been around for a long time.
Since it’s been around for some time, it’s proven itself to be a safe and cost-effective payment method.
Hobby Lobby may not feel the need to implement Apple Pay because the store thinks that everyone likely has a PayPal account already that they can use.
Since PayPal is also a competitor of Apple Pay, the company probably encourages Hobby Lobby to not accept the vendor, too.
Hobby Lobby doesn’t have Apple Pay because it already has support for PayPal on its online store.
2. Expensive Upgrades
Another reason that Hobby Lobby doesn’t accept Apple Pay is that they’d need to upgrade their checkout points.
Apple Pay uses special equipment designed to connect with your phone’s Cloud and take funds from your digital wallet.
The standard equipment that more stores have today can’t link up with the Cloud.
As such, they’re unable to perform the necessary transaction.
Hobby Lobby would need to buy the equipment and install it.
Depending on how many checkout points they have, not every store has the budget to support these upgrades.
Since Hobby Lobby probably doesn’t want to accept Apple Pay at some stores instead of all, they simply decided not to upgrade at all.
This might prove an unfortunate choice, however, if digital wallets end up becoming more popular in the future.
Sooner or later, Hobby Lobby will need to likely upgrade its equipment if they want to continue to compete with other craft stores.
Doing so earlier means that they can get customers who only pay with Apple Pay.
This is especially useful if they’re among the first craft stores to support Apple Pay.
They can offer a method of payment that no one else can.
As such, Apple Pay users will likely choose to shop at Hobby Lobby instead of the other craft stores.
Until then, however, the expense of the upgrades is likely keeping Hobby Lobby from upgrading their checkout equipment.
3. Extra Training
A final reason that Hobby Lobby likely hasn’t started using Apple Pay is the extra training they’ll need to give their cashiers.
Like most other retail stores, they want to get their new cashiers on the floor as soon as possible.
It means that they can cover more hours and ensure that they’re able to give their customers a quick checkout experience.
Apple Pay is a different type of payment method.
The cashiers need to understand it to help customers who may be new to using digital wallets.
For example, if you’re having a problem with your credit card, then the cashier has the training to offer up solutions.
They need to be able to do that with digital wallets like Apple Pay, too.
Since they need extra training, it means their entire training routine may have an extra day or two added to it.
It also means that everyone is going to receive the training.
It’s not a case where the training only needs to happen with new cashiers.
Since everyone is going to be running into Apple Pay users, everyone needs to understand the system.
That takes a lot of time and some Hobby Lobby stores may not have the manpower to cover shifts so people can get that training.
It’s a difficult situation that Hobby Lobby probably doesn’t want to deal with since it isn’t a pressing matter.
Hobby Lobby doesn’t accept Apple Pay because they’d need to train their cashiers how to use it, which isn’t always feasible for every store.
How Does Apple Pay Work?
If you’ve never used Apple Pay before, then you may be unsure how it all works.
Since 85% of stores accept Apple Pay, there’s a good chance that you could use it at most of the places that you shop.
Apple Pay is already part of any Apple product.
Whether you have a Mac, iPhone, or Apple Watch, you’ll find the digital wallet already loaded onto the device.
This is to help make activating Apple Pay even easier.
They don’t make you download an app or make an account or anything.
It’s on your phone and ready to go.
Once you load up a card to your Apple Pay account, that’s the only thing you need to set it up.
The last stage is to choose the security check that you want.
You have your pick between a face scan and a fingerprint.
With that set, you can head to your nearest store that accepts Apple Pay and make some purchases.
When you’re ready to check out, simply head to the cashier as normal.
You’ll need to tell them that you’re going to pay with Apple Pay.
They’ll turn on the Cloud reader which will send the information to your phone.
You can look over the cart and ensure everything is there.
Then you simply pass the security check by either scanning your face or fingerprint.
Once the security check is complete, hold your phone close to the reader.
In some cases, you may need to push a button on your phone as well.
You’ll see a checkmark when the payment successfully transfers.
It’s as easy as that.
You can also use Apple Pay to send money to friends and family through the iPhone’s messaging system.
If you’re out at dinner and plan on splitting the bill, then you can send someone your part of the bill through a simple message with Apple Pay.
There are a ton of features and benefits that you can explore.
Apple Pay is easy to use and even easier to set up.
What Are The Benefits Of Apple Pay?
There are several benefits that you can enjoy when using Apple Pay.
Some of these benefits may make customers of Hobby Lobby feel the need to put some pressure on the store to adopt it as a payment method.
Here are some benefits of Apple Pay.
1. Contactless
The biggest benefit of Apple Pay is that the transaction is completely contactless.
You don’t have to hand your card to someone.
Nor do you have to touch the scanner in any way.
You never make contact with something someone has already touched.
The only thing you touch with Apple Pay is your own phone.
This makes it an ideal way to pay for your purchases while reducing the chances of carrying home germs.
2. It’s Fast And Simple
When you shop with cash, a check, or even a card, it takes time.
You have to fish out the correct amount or card and hand it over.
You need to write out the check for the appropriate amount.
Maybe you need to type in your PIN or sign a signature for your card.
Apple Pay does away with all of that.
The only thing you need to do with Apple Pay is scan your face or finger.
It makes most transactions take seconds rather than minutes.
The less time you take at checkout, the more time you have to yourself.
3. You Can Switch Between Cards
If you use multiple cards for your digital wallet, then switching between them is easy.
For example, if you know that one of your cards gets bonus rewards at a certain store, then you can switch to that card in the Apple Pay app.
You don’t miss out on rewards or cashback bonuses by using Apple Pay.
Switching between a card at a given notice allows you to make the most of your cards and have complete flexibility with your payment options.
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