Five Below is a popular discount retailer offering a wide variety of merchandise with most items priced at $5 or less. With mobile payment methods like Apple Pay becoming increasingly common, many shoppers wonder if you can use these contactless payment options when shopping at Five Below.
So does Five Below take Apple Pay or other mobile wallet services? Read on for the key details on paying with your iPhone, Samsung, Google device or wearable at Five Below stores. We’ll also discuss future support possibilities and alternatives if Apple Pay is not accepted.
Does Five Below Accept Apple Pay In Stores?
At this time, Five Below does not accept Apple Pay or contactless payments from mobile devices or wearables in stores. The retailer only accepts traditional payment methods like cash, Five Below gift cards, and physical credit/debit cards from major card issuers.
Five Below checkout terminals are not equipped with the NFC capabilities required for Apple Pay and similar mobile tap-to-pay services. You will need to pull out your physical wallet for in-person purchases instead of relying solely on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
This means Apple Pay is not accepted both in Five Below stores and when checking out in-store purchases online for pickup. Shoppers cannot tap their device to pay when visiting physical Five Below locations across the United States.
Future Apple Pay Support
While Five Below does not currently accept Apple Pay, support for additional payment methods is always possible in the future. Many top retailers have added Apple Pay over the years to provide more checkout flexibility and convenience to their customers.
As mobile tap-to-pay adoption grows, Five Below may reevaluate and introduce Apple Pay support across its store locations. However, the company has not announced any official plans to start accepting Apple, Google, or Samsung Pay at this time.
We recommend checking with your local store periodically or monitoring Five Below’s website and social media pages for the latest updates on Apple Pay acceptance.
Why Isn’t Apple Pay Supported?
There are a few possible reasons why Five Below does not accept Apple Pay payments in its brick-and-mortar locations yet:
- Cost of NFC terminals – Upgrading all checkout terminals to support contactless payments requires a significant upfront investment. As a discount retailer focused on keeping prices low, installing new hardware nationwide may be cost-prohibitive.
- Low priority – With an emphasis on simplicity and bargains, implementing Apple Pay may not be a pressing priority for Five Below currently when many shoppers still prefer cards or cash.
- Security concerns – Some retailers cite risks like mobile payment fraud as reasons not to activate Apple Pay. However, Apple Pay transactions provide strong encryption and tokenized data for secure purchases.
- Lack of customer demand – Without requests from many iPhone/watch users, Five Below may see little incentive or urgency to adopt Apple Pay at this stage.
So in summary, while enabling mobile wallet functionality could occur down the line, the cost and need to overhaul systems likely outweighs the benefits for Five Below in providing Apple Pay currently.
Other Mobile Payments
Along with Apple Pay, Five Below also does not accept other common third-party mobile wallets like:
- Google Pay
- Samsung Pay
- LG Pay
- Fitbit Pay
- And other phone/wearable contactless services
Without NFC payments activated, shoppers cannot tap Android devices, Samsung Galaxy phones, LG smartphones, or contactless-enabled fitness bands to pay when shopping at Five Below either.
And when it comes to digital wallets beyond phones and wearables, Five Below also does not accept payment apps like:
- Venmo
- PayPal
- Square Cash
- Klarna
You’ll need to stick with physical payment cards and voucher options when checking out in Five Below locations for now.
Checking Out Without Apple Pay
Even if Apple Pay is not supported, you still have several ways to pay when shopping at Five Below stores:
- Credit/debit cards – All Five Below stores accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express and Discover cards. Debit cards backed by these major providers also work.
- Cash – Cash payments are always accepted for an easy in-person payment option if you have bills and coins on hand.
- Five Below gift cards – Plastic and eGift gift cards offered in various denominations can be used to pay at Five Below. They make great gifts for Five Below fans!
- Product vouchers – Printed merchandise vouchers for items bought on FiveBelow.com can be presented to complete online orders and pick them up in store.
So while Apple Pay would be a convenient addition, standard payment methods give shoppers straightforward checkout alternatives at all Five Below locations.
When Will Five Below Accept Apple Pay?
Unfortunately Five Below has not officially commented on future plans to introduce Apple Pay. And as a discount store not known for being highly tech-forward, mobile payments may not be a top area of focus.
However, if customer interest grows, Five Below could certainly decide to head down the path of accepting contactless payments. We recommend checking their website periodically or asking in your local stores for any progress updates.
As adoption spreads, Five Below may also install tap-ready hardware during general checkout terminal upgrades. This would make enabling Apple Pay technically possible down the line with a simple software update whenever they are ready.
In the meantime, keep your physical wallet or Five Below gift cards handy when shopping in stores!
Shopping on FiveBelow.com
If you prefer skipping in-person checkout altogether, keep in mind that Five Below does offer an online shopping website at FiveBelow.com in addition to its retail locations.
When you shop online at FiveBelow.com rather than in stores, you can then use Apple Pay for your purchase if you add items to your cart and check out online.
The FiveBelow.com website is optimized for mobile, making browsing and buying items easy from your iPhone. At online checkout, you will see the Apple Pay icon displayed among the payment method options if paying from an iOS device or Mac.
So while in-store Apple Pay is not supported, online web payments via Apple Pay do work when you shop FiveBelow.com from iPhone, iPad or desktop. This brings added convenience for mobile customers, allowing instant checkout in just a few taps.
Over 1,000 fun finds under $5 are available on their website, often with free shipping on orders $35+ or free store pickup. So if you want Apple Pay to easily complete your order, online shopping may be the way to go!
Key Takeaways
- Five Below does not currently accept Apple Pay or contactless payments from mobile devices in stores due to lack of NFC terminal support.
- Customers can only pay with traditional physical credit/debit cards, Five Below gift cards, or cash when shopping in Five Below locations.
- Support for Apple Pay or other mobile wallets could be added in the future but is not confirmed.
- Shopping online at FiveBelow.com allows use of Apple Pay at online checkout, unlike in physical stores.
- Check Five Below’s website periodically for potential Apple Pay updates or ask your local stores if support will be added.
Frequently Asked Questions
-
Does Five Below take any kind of contactless payment?
No. Five Below does not currently accept Apple Pay, Samsung Pay, Google Pay or any other third-party mobile wallet using NFC taps to pay in stores.
-
Can I use Apple Pay on self checkout at Five Below?
No, the self checkout kiosks at Five Below also do not support contactless payments from mobile devices or wearables. Only physical credit/debit cards work.
-
Does Five Below accept Apple Pay or Apple Wallet?
Apple Pay support allows use of stored digital Apple Wallet cards. However, neither Apple Pay nor Apple Wallet is currently accepted by Five Below as a payment method.
-
Can I use my Apple Watch to pay with Apple Pay at Five Below?
Unfortunately you cannot use an Apple Watch for contactless payments at Five Below registers. The store checkout terminals are presently not equipped to accept wrist or phone taps.
-
Does Five Below take mobile payments like Apple Pay or Google Pay?
No, Five Below does not accept branded third-party mobile payments like Apple Pay or Google Pay in stores. You’ll need to use a traditional credit/debit card or cash instead.
-
What if my credit card has contactless built-in? Can I tap that to pay at Five Below?
You cannot tap to pay with contactless credit cards either, even if your physical card supports contactless transactions elsewhere. Five Below’s terminals simply don’t support any tap payments currently.
-
Why can’t I add my Five Below credit card to the Apple Wallet?
The proprietary Five Below credit card is not eligible to be added to Apple Wallet for device payments. And even if it was in your digital wallet, Apple Pay would still not be usable for purchases in Five Below stores at this time.
-
Does Five Below allow NFC payments from phones?
No, Five Below registers do not have NFC readers installed to support tap-to-pay phone transactions, restricting use of mobile contactless payment functionality in stores.
-
Will Five Below ever take Apple Pay or Samsung Pay?
Possibly in the future, but Five Below has not officially announced timing for when mobile payments like Apple Pay or Samsung Pay may be supported. Check their website periodically for updates on additional payment methods.
-
Where can I see if Five Below will be adding Apple Pay as a payment option?
Five Below may announce Apple Pay support on their main FiveBelow.com website, blog or social media pages when/if they decide to implement mobile tap-to-pay functionality. Their Customer Service team may also have updates to share.
-
Can I use PayPal QR Code to pay at Five Below?
No, Five Below does not currently accept any PayPal mobile payment solutions in stores either, including QR code scanning at checkout.
-
Does Five Below accept Alipay or WeChat Pay?
Third-party payment apps from China like Alipay and WeChat Pay are not payment options at Five Below checkout.
-
Can I pay through PayPal in the Five Below app?
The Five Below shopping app does not integrate payment capabilities or checkout functionality. It solely provides store info, deal browsing and account management. Payment can only be done directly in stores.
-
Why can I use Apple Pay on Five Below’s website but not in store?
The FiveBelow.com website features integration with web payment gateways that enable Apple Pay support online, while Five Below’s in-store terminals simply don’t have the right hardware installed yet to activate contactless transactions.
-
Where does Five Below stand on accepting cryptocurrency?
Five Below does not currently allow payment with cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. They only accept traditional country-specific physical currency and major credit/debit card providers.
-
Does Five Below allow me to pay using my smartphone’s built-in payment app?
No, any payment apps accessed directly via your phone’s operating system would not be accepted as payment by Five Below cashiers. They do not have support provide for branded wallets like Samsung Pay or Google Pay set up.
-
Can I tap my Garmin/Fitbit/Wear OS watch to pay?
Unfortunately, no smart watches that support contactless payment can be used at Five Below, including Garmin, Fitbit or Wear OS watches. Without NFC terminals, wrist payments are not possible.
-
Can I store my Five Below credit card in my mobile wallet if I wanted to?
The Five Below-specific store credit card is not eligible to be added to mobile wallets for use as a contactless payment method. You would need to physically pull out and swipe the card itself when shopping at their stores.
-
Are there any other discount retailers that accept Apple Pay?
Yes, competitor Dollar General is one discount chain that has enabled Apple Pay acceptance across most of its store locations, while Dollar Tree and Family Dollar do not take contactless payments.
-
Who can I contact for questions about Apple Pay at Five Below?
You can call 1-866-539-7068 or email Five Below customer service at [email protected] to ask about future acceptance of new payment types like Apple Pay at their store locations.
Conclusion
While Five Below does not offer Apple Pay or contactless payments in its stores, you can still complete purchases smoothly using standard payment card methods. As mobile tap-to-pay adoption grows, support for Apple Pay and other convenient checkout options could certainly come in the future.
Be sure to check back on FiveBelow.com periodically or ask in stores for updates. And for iPhone users who prefer shopping from home, Five Below’s full ecommerce site now allows handy Apple Pay web payments for online orders.