There were a few last minute items we needed, so I headed over to Trader Joe’s. The store was mobbed, but I got to the checkout counter with the shortest line and an efficient checkout person who rang up the items very quickly. To my delight, I noticed for the first time that Trader Joe’s accepts Apple Pay. I didn’t even have to reach into my pocket. One double tap on the Apple Watch, turning my wrist turning the checkout device, and I was headed for the door. So far, I have made Apple Pay purchases at McDonalds, Walgreens, Panera Bread, and Whole Foods. The list of places where you can pay with your wrist is growing rapidly. It now works in more than 700,000 stores. But wait, there is more. Apple Pay works in 40,000 Coca Cola vending machines, and will work with 100,000 by end of the year. Many more possibilities are on the horizon including all kinds of vending machines, self-service terminals, and laundromats. In September, you will be able to use Apple Pay for admission to national parks. See Digital Trends for lists of stores and banks.

You can store your credit cards in your Apple Watch separately from your iPhone. That means you can go shopping without your wallet or iPhone. A nice security feature is if you choose to store your cards in the watch, you must enter a PIN code after you have removed your watch. If someone steals your watch, they will need your PIN to be able to use Apple Pay.

Read about how wearable technology will change healthcare in Health Attitude.