I know which forms of payment are the most private (cash, Monero, voucher), but is Apple Pay better than most others if you know and okay with your threat model?

Stored for at least 5 years, analyzed and shared with 100s of companies–no it’s not better for my threat model. Did you see my offer or the message before it? It should clear things up. If it doesn’t, just say where you got confused. Also, what’s the problem with buying vouchers with a credit card or apply pay if your sole goal is not connecting yourself with the VPN?