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Apple Pay allows customers to pay using their Apple Wallet, providing a seamless checkout experience on Safari and iOS devices. To enable Apple Pay on your embedded checkout, you need to verify ownership of your domain.
Domain verification is only required for embedded checkout. Whop-hosted checkout pages already support Apple Pay without any additional setup.

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Prerequisites

Before setting up Apple Pay, ensure you have:
  • A domain where you’re hosting the embedded checkout
  • Access to your domain’s DNS settings (for Whop-hosted verification) or file hosting (for self-hosted verification)
  • @whop/[email protected] or later if using the hideSubmitButton option in React

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Choose a verification method

There are two ways to verify your domain for Apple Pay:

Whop-hosted verification

Recommended for most users. Whop handles the verification file hosting - you just need to add DNS records.

Self-hosted verification

For advanced users who prefer to host the verification file themselves.

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Whop-hosted verification

This method lets Whop host the Apple Pay verification file on your behalf. You’ll temporarily point your domain to Whop’s servers to complete verification, then revert your DNS settings.
This method requires temporary DNS changes that will cause your domain to be unavailable for a few minutes during verification. Plan accordingly.
Before you begin: Take a screenshot or export your current DNS records for the domain you’re verifying. While the verification wizard will show revert instructions after completion, these are best-effort and may not capture all edge cases. Having your own backup ensures you can restore your DNS configuration accurately.

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Step 0: Lower your DNS TTL (optional)

If the domain you’re verifying is actively serving traffic, consider lowering the TTL (Time To Live) on the existing DNS record for that domain before starting. This ensures DNS changes propagate faster when you switch records and when you revert them. If you skip this step, downtime may last longer while DNS caches expire.
  1. Find the existing A or CNAME record for the domain you want to verify (e.g., the record for checkout.yoursite.com)
  2. Lower its TTL to 60-300 seconds
  3. Wait for the previous TTL duration to pass (e.g., if it was 1 hour, wait 1 hour) so all DNS caches refresh
  4. Then proceed with the verification steps below

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Step 1: Open payment domains settings

Navigate to your checkout settings and find the Apple Pay for embedded checkout section. Click Configure to open the domain management panel.
Payment domains settings showing the Configure button

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Step 2: Add your domain

Click the + button (or Add payment domain if no domains exist yet). From the dropdown menu, select Whop-hosted verification.
Add domain dropdown menu with Whop-hosted option
Enter the domain where you’re hosting the embedded checkout (e.g., checkout.yoursite.com or yoursite.com). You’ll need to acknowledge that your domain will experience temporary downtime during the verification process by checking the confirmation checkbox, then click Start verification.
Add domain dialog for Whop-hosted verification

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Step 3: Add DNS records

This step will cause downtime for your domain. Your domain will point to Whop’s servers until you revert the DNS records after verification. If you haven’t already, take a screenshot of your current DNS settings now before making any changes.
After adding your domain, you’ll see a list of DNS records that need to be added to your domain’s DNS settings. These typically include:
  • A record or CNAME record - Points your domain to Whop’s verification servers
  • (optional) TXT record - Proves domain ownership
Use a low TTL (60-300 seconds) so you can revert quickly after verification.
DNS records to add for domain verification
If your domain already has an A or CNAME record, edit or replace it with the values shown—don’t add a second record alongside the existing one. You can find these settings in your DNS provider’s dashboard (e.g., Cloudflare, Namecheap, GoDaddy, Route 53).
DNS records configured in Cloudflare

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Step 4: Wait for DNS propagation

DNS changes can take anywhere from a few minutes to 48 hours to propagate, though most changes are visible within 5-15 minutes. The verification wizard will automatically detect when your DNS records are properly configured.

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Step 5: Complete verification

Once the DNS records are verified, Whop will:
  1. Issue an SSL certificate for your domain
  2. Host the Apple Pay verification file
  3. Register your domain with Apple

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Step 6: Revert DNS settings

After verification is complete, revert your DNS settings to point back to your original hosting. The Apple Pay verification will remain valid. The wizard will show you the records to delete and restore.
The revert instructions shown in the wizard are best-effort and may not be 100% accurate in all cases. Always refer to your own DNS backup (screenshot or export) to ensure you restore the correct values. If you’re unsure, check with your hosting provider for the correct DNS configuration.
Domain verification complete with revert instructions

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Self-hosted verification

If you prefer to host the verification file yourself, you can do so by serving the Apple Pay merchant ID domain association file at a specific path on your domain.

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Step 1: Download the verification file

Download the Apple Pay verification file.

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Step 2: Host the file

Host this file at the following path on your domain: 
https://<your-domain>/.well-known/apple-developer-merchantid-domain-association
The file must be:
  • Served over HTTPS
  • Accessible without authentication
  • Served with the correct content (no modifications)
Place the file in your public folder:
public/
└── .well-known/
    └── apple-developer-merchantid-domain-association

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Step 3: Verify the file is accessible

Test that the file is accessible by visiting: 
https://<your-domain>/.well-known/apple-developer-merchantid-domain-association
The file should download or display its contents without any errors.

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Step 4: Open payment domains settings

Navigate to your checkout settings and find the Apple Pay for embedded checkout section. Click Configure to open the domain management panel.
Payment domains settings showing the Configure button

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Step 5: Register your domain

Click the + button (or Add payment domain if no domains exist yet). From the dropdown menu, select Self-hosted verification.
Add domain dropdown menu with self-hosted option
Enter your domain. Whop will verify that the file is accessible before registering your domain with Apple.
Add domain dialog for self-hosted verification

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Troubleshooting

  • Ensure your domain is fully verified in the payment domains settings
  • Check that you’re using @whop/[email protected] or later
  • Apple Pay only appears on supported browsers (Safari) and devices (iOS, macOS)
  • Test on an actual Apple device, not in a simulator
  • DNS propagation can take up to 48 hours in some cases
  • Use a tool like dnschecker.org to verify your records have propagated
  • Ensure you’ve added the records to the correct DNS zone
  • If using Cloudflare, make sure the DNS record is set to “DNS only” (gray cloud), not “Proxied” (orange cloud) during verification
  • Ensure your DNS records are pointing to the correct values
  • Wait a few minutes for the certificate to be issued
  • If the issue persists, try removing and re-adding the domain
  • Verify the file is in the correct location: /.well-known/apple-developer-merchantid-domain-association
  • Check that your web server is configured to serve files without extensions
  • Ensure the .well-known directory is not blocked by your hosting configuration

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Next steps

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