Apple Cash will require ID verification to add money starting November 9

Apple Cash users will soon need to verify their identity before they can add any money to their balance. In emails sent to customers on October 5, Apple says that starting November 9, Green Dot Bank, the bank that provides Apple Cash, will begin requiring identity verification to reload an Apple Cash card, MacRumors reports. 9to5Mac and AppleInsider also published the email, which accompanies revised Apple Cash terms and conditions from Green Dot.

Apple says the requirement is for "fraud protection and regulatory reasons," the same wording it uses on its identity verification support page.

What changes on November 9

Until now, verification was only needed for larger activity. According to MacRumors, Apple Cash required it once a user added, sent, or received more than $500 in total. From November 9, verification will be needed for any reload, regardless of the amount.

Right now, the only way to add money to Apple Cash is through the Wallet app, using a linked debit or prepaid card.

Who's affected

• If you don't verify: Starting November 9, you won't be able to add money. Apple says that if your identity can't be verified, you also can't send or receive money with Apple Cash.
• If you already verified: No action is needed. Apple says that if you don't see the Verify Identity option for your Apple Cash card, you've already verified.
• Existing balances: Money already in your account isn't locked. You can still spend it with Apple Pay in stores, in apps, and on the web, or transfer it to your bank.
• Apple Cash Family: Users under 18 get Apple Cash through a family organizer's Apple Cash Family account. Apple says the organizer might need to verify their identity during setup, and a member 18 or older who leaves the family to open their own account will be asked to verify.

Apple Cash is available only in the U.S., which Apple defines as the 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico, and you must be 18 or older to send and receive money with your own account. That's a narrower footprint than Apple Pay, which recently launched in India with Axis Bank cards.

How to verify before November 9

Apple documents these steps on iPhone:

1. Open Settings, tap Wallet & Apple Pay, then tap your Apple Cash card.
2. Scroll down, tap Verify Identity, then follow the on-screen steps.
3. In iOS 27, if your driver's license is in Wallet, tap Continue with ID in Wallet. MacRumors notes this option is for users in states that support digital driver's licenses.
4. If you don't see Verify Identity, your identity is already verified.

Green Dot's terms say it asks for your full name, address, date of birth, and Social Security number to register an account, and may also ask for a driver's license or other identifying documents, or for answers to security questions. Apple notes you might be prompted to verify again later even if you've done so before. If you need help, Apple directs users to an Apple Cash Specialist at Green Dot Bank.

Bank and merchant transfers may follow

The email also flags a possible new way to add money. Apple writes that Green Dot "may enable Externally-Initiated Funding Transactions, which provide you the ability to transfer funds directly from a bank or merchant to your Apple Cash Card, subject to certain limits." No date was given.

Green Dot also updated the arbitration section of its terms. Apple's email doesn't detail the changes but encourages users to review them, since they cover users' rights and how disputes are handled.

Sources

• MacRumors, Juli Clover, October 5, 2026
• 9to5Mac, Ryan Christoffel, October 5, 2026
• AppleInsider, Malcolm Owen, October 5, 2026
• Apple Support: Verify your identity for Apple Card or Apple Cash
• Green Dot Bank: Apple Cash Terms and Conditions