Apple added support for Apple Pay, Apple’s NFC-based mobile payments solution that works at physical stores and in apps in iOS 8.1. In this post, we guide you through the Apple Pay set up process.

Apple Pay is built into Passbook, and requires a credit card. Here are the steps you need to follow to set it up on your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus:

• Open the Passbook app, and click on the “+” icon at the top right. You’ll see a screen with options to add passes or Set Up Apple Pay. Tap on “Set Up Apple Pay”

• Apple Pay will now ask if you want to use the credit card you have associated with iTunes, or use a different card:

• When using a different card, you can either input the card number manually, or use iOS 8’s camera card scanner to automatically populate these fields:

• Once you enter in all the information, you should see a confirmation screen telling you that your card is ready for Apple Pay.

• You’ll now see your card in Passbook’s main screen, stacked together with other passes and cards.

• A lot of additional Apple Pay functionality is buried within Settings > Passbook & Apple Pay. Here you can see all the cards you’ve added, add or change your billing and shipping address as well as your email and phone number.

• Tapping on any of the cards in the settings will show you its details, including transactions, if available, the last four digits of your card number and device account number. You also have a button to open the appropriate bank’s app, and contact the bank.

Note that some banks might require an additional verification step while adding a card to Apple Pay, which could either be through the app, or through a phone call.

Once you’ve completed the set up, you’re ready to head to any Apple Pay supported store to pay using your iPhone. Check out the video walkthrough of the process, and how it is like using Apple Pay at retail stores like Walgreens.

Here’s another look at how easy it is to make a payment with Apple Pay:

➤ Apple Pay requires iOS 8.1, released this morning. You can update by following the instructions here

➤ Here’s a list of stores where you can try Apple Pay

➤ Apple Pay also supports online payments, which you can try in the apps listed here

➤ Apple Pay is currently US only. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus support both physical payments and online payments, while the iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 support only online payments

Did you get a chance to try Apple Pay at a physical store? Let us know if the process was easier or harder than standard credit card payments.