Pay By Prompt

How to Pay by Prompt — A Practical Guide

Step-by-step guide to setting up and using AI assistants for payments, transfers, and bill management.

Setting Up Prompt-Based Payments

Getting started with paying by prompt is straightforward if you already use a smartphone and digital wallet. Here's what's available today.

Apple Devices (Siri + Apple Pay)

  1. Set up Apple Pay with at least one debit or credit card
  2. Enable Siri in Settings → Siri & Search
  3. Try it: "Hey Siri, pay £30 to Sarah" (sends via Apple Cash/Messages)
  4. For bills: "Hey Siri, pay my Vodafone bill" (requires the provider's app installed)
  5. Authenticate with Face ID or Touch ID when prompted

Google Devices (Assistant + Google Pay)

  1. Set up Google Pay with a payment method
  2. Enable Google Assistant
  3. Try it: "Hey Google, send £20 to Mark" (uses Google Pay)
  4. For purchases: "Hey Google, order a large pepperoni from Domino's" (requires linked accounts)

Amazon Echo (Alexa + Amazon Pay)

  1. Enable voice purchasing in the Alexa app → Settings → Voice Purchasing
  2. Set a voice PIN for security (4-digit code spoken aloud)
  3. Try it: "Alexa, reorder my coffee pods" (uses your default Amazon payment method)
  4. For bills: "Alexa, pay my British Gas bill" (limited providers supported)

Bank Apps with AI Features

Several UK banks now support voice or chat-based payments:

  • Monzo — in-app chat can initiate transfers
  • Starling — voice commands for balance checks (payments coming)
  • Revolut — AI assistant for transaction queries and budgeting

Security Considerations

Every prompt payment should require at least one authentication factor beyond the voice command itself:

  • Biometric (Face ID, fingerprint) — most secure
  • PIN/passcode — spoken or entered
  • Device trust — payment only from your registered devices

Never use prompt payments on shared or public devices. Always review the confirmation screen before authorising.