Transactions over some limit (in Romania it's over ~$25 because it's 100 local romanian lei so a nice round number) require you to enter the pin in the terminal.
But the US doesn't seem to have discovered pin numbers.
And judging by other posts for this story, you haven't discovered contactless payments either. They were available long before Apple Pay.
I dunno, I guess the card industry didn't stand still in the past 4 years since this news was published. I know my renewed card is newer then that and I never heard of this happening here. Not to mention needing PIN for larger purchases.
I don't care how hyper-secure Apple Pay is. Cash also has some pretty weak security and people seem to use it just fine, the rare pickpocketing notwithstanding.
From an UX point of view, using something at your fingertips to wave is more natural and it's also clear you are paying for something. Contorting your wrist so the Watch is close to the POS seems almost painful in some situations. Maybe waving the phone close to the POS would be better, but you have to reach for your phone the same way you reach for your card so it's a draw.
In Australia we have supported contactless cards for close to a decade.
The security issue isn't a big deal since (a) payments are limited to small amounts e.g. < $100 and (b) banks will indemnify you against credit card theft.
But the US doesn't seem to have discovered pin numbers.
And judging by other posts for this story, you haven't discovered contactless payments either. They were available long before Apple Pay.