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Personal Finance · head to head

Apple Pay vs Avalara

Apple Pay logo

Apple Pay

Personal Finance

The easier way to pay and send money

From
Free
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite
Avalara logo

Avalara

Accounting

Tax compliance done right

From
$29/month
Rated
-
Full reviewWebsite

The short version

  • Only Apple Pay has a free tier, so it costs nothing to try first.
  • Each has a real cost: Apple Pay apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets; Avalara pricing varies significantly based on products, integrations, transaction volume, and jurisdictions
  • They diverge on capability: Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Avalara covers Tax calculation.

Where they differ

Only the attributes on which Apple Pay and Avalara actually diverge.

Attributes where Apple Pay and Avalara differ
AttributeApple PayAvalara
Starting priceFree$29/month
Pricing modelfreesubscription
Free tierYesNo
PlatformsIOS, WatchOS, MacOSWeb, Api
CategoryPersonal FinanceAccounting
Founded20142004

Identical on both: user rating (Not yet rated).

What each one covers

Drawn from each product's published feature list. An absence here means we hold no record of it - not that the product lacks it.

Only in Apple Pay

  • Digital wallet
  • Secure payments
  • Contactless transactions
  • P2P money transfers
  • Credit cards
  • Debit cards
  • Bank accounts
  • IOS support

Only in Avalara

  • Tax calculation
  • Returns filing
  • Exemption management
  • Document management
  • Real-time rates
  • QuickBooks
  • NetSuite
  • Shopify

What people use each for

The jobs each tool is most often brought in to do.

Apple Pay

  • Contactless in store payment from iPhone and Apple Watchnot Avalara
  • Paying in apps and on the web without entering card detailsnot Avalara
  • Sending money between Apple users with Apple Cash and Tap to Cashnot Avalara

Avalara

  • Real-time sales tax calculation at checkoutnot Apple Pay
  • Multi-state and multi-jurisdiction tax determinationnot Apple Pay
  • VAT, lodging, communications and excise tax calculationnot Apple Pay
  • Feeding tax results into an ERP or ecommerce platform through the APInot Apple Pay

Where each one falls short

Documented limitations, not opinions. Every one is a constraint you would hit in normal use.

Apple Pay

  • Apple Pay works only in countries and regions that support contactless payments and is not available in all markets
  • Apple Cash is available only in the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico
  • Apple Cash Family accounts and Tap to Cash transactions are each capped at 2000 USD within a rolling seven day period
  • Mac support requires a Touch ID equipped model
  • A card works only if the issuing bank supports Apple Pay, and banks may charge their own overseas usage fees

Avalara

  • Pricing varies significantly based on products, integrations, transaction volume, and jurisdictions
  • No free tier or trial period published
  • Enterprise sales model requires contacting sales specialists for customized quotes

Pricing, plan by plan

Apple Pay

Free
  • FreeFree
    • Secure payments
    • P2P transfers
    • Transit passes

Avalara

$29/month
  • AvaTax$50/month
    • Tax calculation
    • Exemption certificates
    • Returns filing

Which should you pick?

Choose Apple Pay if

  • You need digital wallet.
  • You want to start without paying.
  • You work on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS.
  • You also want secure payments.
Apple Pay review

Choose Avalara if

  • You need tax calculation.
  • You work on Web, Api.
  • You also want returns filing.
Avalara review

Questions people ask

Is Apple Pay or Avalara better?
Neither clearly leads. Apple Pay starts at Free and Avalara at $29/month, and user ratings are close enough to be indistinguishable. Choose on capability and platform support.
Which is cheaper, Apple Pay or Avalara?
Apple Pay has a free tier; the other does not. Paid plans start at Free for Apple Pay and $29/month for Avalara.
Does Apple Pay or Avalara run on more platforms?
Apple Pay runs on IOS, WatchOS, MacOS. Avalara runs on Web, Api.
Can I use Apple Pay for free?
Yes. Apple Pay has a free tier, so you can try it without paying. Avalara starts at $29/month.
What is Apple Pay best used for?
Apple Pay is most often used for contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch, paying in apps and on the web without entering card details, sending money between apple users with apple cash and tap to cash. Of those, contactless in store payment from iphone and apple watch and paying in apps and on the web without entering card details are not what Avalara is typically brought in for.
What can Apple Pay do that Avalara cannot?
Apple Pay covers Digital wallet, Secure payments, Contactless transactions, P2P money transfers. Avalara covers Tax calculation, Returns filing, Exemption management, Document management.

Answered from the vendors’ own pages

Apple Pay: Does Apple Pay charge fees?

No. Apple does not charge any fees when you pay with Apple Pay in stores, online, or in apps.

Source
Avalara: What are the starting prices for Avalara services?

Avalara Tax Calculation and Returns Compliance Package starts at $699. License Guidance is available for as low as $119. Sales Tax Registration costs $403 per location.

Source
Apple Pay: What are the transaction limits for Apple Cash Family?

Apple Cash Family accounts have a maximum transaction limit of $2,000 within any rolling seven-day period for sending or receiving money. The same $2,000 rolling 7-day limit applies to Tap to Cash peer-to-peer transfers.

Source
Avalara: How does Avalara's pricing scale?

Avalara uses volume-based pricing that varies based on the number of integrated business applications, volume of monthly sales transactions, number of states or jurisdictions for tax collection, and Streamlined Sales Tax enrollment. Pricing scales with business growth and transaction volume.

Source
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