Apple Pay is the mobile payment and digital wallet service that Apple announced on September 9, 2014, alongside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The service launched in the United States in October 2014 as a free update to iOS 8, enabling contactless transactions through iPhone, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices.[1]
Design and History
The Apple Pay mark combines Apple’s bitten apple symbol with the word “Pay” placed to its right. The mark is typically presented inside a rounded rectangle container, which gives it a card-like or button-like appearance suitable for payment contexts. Apple registered the design as a trademark in Canada under the name “APPLE LOGO PAY,” with the official description noting the mark consists of an apple design and the word “PAY.”[2] A corresponding U.S. trademark application for the word “PAY,” filed on September 12, 2014, describes the mark as “the design of an apple with a bite removed and the word ‘PAY’.”[3]
Apple made the Apple Pay logo available for download to businesses in March 2015, along with a PDF explaining guidelines for using the payment mark. The guidelines specified that the Apple Pay logo should be placed ahead of similar marks for other payment services such as MasterCard and Visa, and included rules for sizing the icon across physical signs, mobile and desktop websites, and emails.[4]
In 2017, Apple updated the Apple Pay badge artwork to use its San Francisco corporate font. Developers noted the change on Apple’s developer forums in September 2017, observing that the new badge had been appearing in the San Francisco typeface while the official guidelines still showed the older version.[5] This change aligned with Apple’s broader transition of its corporate typography from Myriad to San Francisco, which began on Apple’s website in January 2017.[6]
Meaning and Symbolism
Apple’s official marketing guidelines describe the Apple Pay mark as available only in white with an outline rule for marketing communications, stating that other color options are not available and that the artwork must not be altered.[7] For in-app payment buttons, Apple provides three style options: black with white lettering, white with black lettering, and white with black lettering plus a black outline.[8]
Apple’s guidelines also prohibit translating the word “Pay” within the mark, and require that the Apple Pay name always be typeset as two words with an uppercase A and uppercase P followed by lowercase letters.[7]
Typography and Design
The “Pay” portion of the Apple Pay mark uses Apple’s San Francisco typeface, which became Apple’s corporate font in 2017.[9] Apple’s marketing guidelines instruct that Apple trademarks must be typeset exactly as they appear on the Apple Trademark List and that third parties should not imitate Apple typography in their own communications.[7]
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