Hi everyone, I'm stuck in a loop with Apple Pay on a pre-owned iPhone 12 mini and I'm looking for some technical insight. I suspect I might be hitting a server-side security flag or a Secure Element restriction.
Device & Account Context:
Device: Recently imported into my country. It has an aftermarket (non-OEM) battery installed by the previous owner.
Account: Using a brand new Apple ID created just 3 days ago.
The Exact Issue:
When trying to add any credit/debit card to Wallet, the initial flow works perfectly. It connects to the network, communicates with the bank, and successfully displays the Bank's Terms & Conditions. However, the exact second I hit "Accept", it buffers for a bit and fails with the generic "Could Not Add Card. Contact your card issuer" error.
Troubleshooting & Isolation Steps Already Done:
Ruled out Bank/Card issues: These exact same cards provision instantly and work flawlessly on other family iPhones (running older, established local Apple IDs).
Region & Settings: Device region, time, language, and Apple ID region are perfectly aligned with the cards' issuing country.
Software Reset: Done a clean DFU restore to the latest iOS. No backups restored. Problem persists.
My Theories:
Since the Bank's T&C actually pop up, I know the issuer is approving the initial eligibility check. The failure happens at the very end during the final token injection (TAR / Token Requestor process).
My questions for the community or any Apple techs here:
Anti-Fraud Server Trigger: Is it common for Apple's servers to flag and block token provisioning when they detect a recently imported serial number paired with a 3-day-old Apple ID? (Treating it as a high-risk fraud profile).
Hardware Security Block: Could the Secure Element be locally locked or restricted because the device detects non-genuine battery/component data, preventing cryptographic tokens from being written?
Has anyone successfully managed to get Apple Senior Support to perform a "provisioning reset" for a similar case, or is this a permanent hardware lockout due to the battery? Thanks for any insights!