SALT LAKE CITY — I set out on a sunny summer day, smartphone in hand, in hopes of getting out of the dark about a new way to pay.

Bank of Utah was happy to guide me through setting up my first Apple Pay account. Bank vice presidents Liz Warner and Brian Stevens patiently gave this not-so-tech-savvy reporter a few pointers.

"You just hold your phone up to the mechanism at the store, it pops up your card, you put your finger on it for verification and that's it, done,that quick," said Warner.

Bank of Utah says about 15 percent of iPhone 6 customers have tried Apple Pay, and the bank's average user is about 40 years old. Time for me to join the ranks of the 40-somethings trying this new technology.

How to set up an account

Setting up my Apple Pay account took about 20 minutes. Here's how to do it.

1. Activate your fingerprint security feature on your iPhone 6. You'll hold your finger to the button during the transaction. (I chose my thumbprint because I was told it makes the phone easy to hold in one hand while paying.)

2. Open the Passbook App and follow the prompts.

3. Snap a picture of your bank card for the system to process.

4. Before you go shopping, make sure your bank has verified your card. (Once I'd set everything up, it took seconds for me to receive verification on my phone.)

5. Don't hesitate to call or go into your bank and ask for help.

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"Do you accept Apple Pay?" "Nope."

Because this technology is relatively new, it was tricky to find retailers that accept it as a form of payment.

For example, at one strip mall in Holladay, four stores didn't take Apple Pay — but one did.

Wal-Mart, Target and Home Depot employees said the store didn't, neither did 7-Eleven, RiteAid, Wendy's or Taco Bell.

I didn't starve. Although the cashier had to ask a co-worker, it turned out McDonald's accepted it and I was able to use it at the drive-thru.

At Fashion Place Mall in Murray, 53 stores did not accept it; 11 stores did. At four shops, employees weren't sure if they could or hadn't heard of Apple Pay.

This didn't surprise Stevens. "As time moves on it'll become part of everyone's routine," he predicted.

He explained that on the retail side, the upgrades are pricey, which is holding some stores back. But he added that it's expected the number of outlets that accept it will outpace 1 million by the end of summer.

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Success at the pump and beyond

In no danger of running out of gas, I decided to test my luck at the pumps.

At a Maverik Country Store in South Salt Lake, I spotted the emblem that indicates Apple Pay is accepted.

No need to unlock my phone. I pressed my thumb to the button, tapped the phone on the store's payment device and felt my phone vibrate. However my payment didn't go through that time. I tried three times until finally my payment was accepted. I gassed up the car and the phone indicated how much I'd spent. Mission accomplished.

It took practice, but once I figured out how the system works, it became a breeze.

I found several stores that take Apple Pay, including Smith's and Dan's Food Stores, Walgreens, Chevron, Subway, Sprouts, Whole Foods and more.

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Will it keep my money safe?

The system is set up to pass along what Stevens called a "tokenized" number. In other words, when you tap your phone for payment, it doesn't transmit your name or bank card information.

Stevens said this will make it tougher for hackers who infiltrate retailer databases "so they couldn't make a replacement card and go out and spend all your money."

He reminded me that if my phone gets stolen, it's locked and it can't be used to make a payment without my thumbprint.

Out of the dark ages

"I learned a lot and I don't feel like I'm in the dark ages any more, so thank you."

Those were my parting words to Stevens. After my day-long shopping spree, I had returned to Bank of Utah to close out my temporary account.

The bottom line: I'm not ready to completely ditch my old-fashioned wallet for Apple Pay simply because not enough retailers accept it yet. But for a quick errand, or a trip to a grocery store that accepts it, count me in.

Contributing: Torin Koos, Caroline Peterson

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