This article comes from the public number Apple Express (ID: appleinc2012), author Xiaoguang, Ai Faner authorized release.
After waiting for a few months, Apple’s credit card Apple Card finally officially opened for US users yesterday.
This physical and electronic credit card combined with the iOS ecosystem has attracted a lot of attention at the spring conference. Apple also found some users to conduct internal testing before the official launch, this article from the foreign author @ChanceHMiller, when the Apple Card officially launched, he wrote this to get started.
Credit Card Application Process
The Apple Card is now open to testers. I am one of the testers invited to try it out. Here are some of the experiences I have after applying for such a card.
The Apple Card is in the early stages of launching to users, and the pace of the launch is also mild and slow. This afternoon, I received an email from Apple that titled “Starting today, please collect your Apple Card.”
This e-mail from Apple writes that users who join the test today can “use it in advance” before the card is officially launched. They said: You will be the first to get an Apple Card. A new type of credit card created by Apple, not a bank. Starting today, we will invite you to use it in advance, and you will experience the Apple Card better than others. You can help us prepare for its public offering.
Once invited, you can click Apply directly in the iPhone Wallet App. Most of your information is pre-filled based on your Apple ID. For me, I only need to enter my birth date and the last four digits of my social security number. Other information such as address, phone number, and name are pre-filled based on my Apple ID information. However, I have to enter my annual income.
▲The address of the address and other information can be read directly from the Apple ID, in fact, do not need to fill out
After entering all the details, you will see the Apple Card User Terms. After clicking Agree, your application will be submitted to Goldman Sachs for approval. (Sina Digital Note: Although the promotion is “a new type of credit card created by Apple, not a bank,” it is actually behind the bank)
After the e-card is approved, the user can apply for the Titanium-made Apple Card, which Apple says will be completed within 6-8 business days.
In other words, the Apple Card electronic version will first come to the user (this experience is also mainly electronic version), which exists in the “wallet” of the iOS system, can be used for online payment, or in the physical store. Use Apple Pay to swipe your card. The activation process also follows the principle of easy-to-use Apple products. Once the user clicks the consent, the Apple Card can be activated on the mobile phone within 30 seconds instead of calling to activate anything.
About the approval amount
Apple provides a clear interface to tell you about your current credit limit, interest rates and charges. Users can also view detailed card information, terms, and more. Of course, the user can choose to accept or reject the card after the application is completed.
Because of the internal test phase. The Apple Card is only open to a small number of users, so it’s hard to say what the range of credits approved by Goldman Sachs is. They are based on the report of TransUnion, a US credit bureau.
Apple Card rates range from 12.99% to 23.99%. As the Fed cut interest rates recently, the benchmark interest rate is slightly lower than the numbers mentioned by Apple and Goldman Sachs during the initial publicity.
▲The information is filled out and you get a credit card of $4,000
I received a $4,000 credit line and a maximum interest rate of 23.99%. The interest rate makes me a bit surprised, but as long as you don’t have a debt, this is not a problem.
As more and more people with different credit backgrounds apply for Apple Cards, we may see more information on credit card approval rates and interest rates.
“Wallet” is the core competency of Apple Card
▲The card in the “wallet” will change color depending on the type of consumption
Apple Card is closely linked to the iOS “wallet” app, and your consumption management is responsible for this application. After all, it’s an iOS system-level app, so you don’t have to open a bank app view like any other credit card.
The Apple Card’s virtual card design is also a bit creative, and its color will vary depending on the type of money you spend. For example, I used this card recently at Starbucks and the App Store, so it appears pink + orange.
As for the payment function, the Apple Card can check the credit card limit, statement balance or any other amount. It will also display details of the interest charges associated with each payment option. You can also arrange an automatic transfer to match the payday and make timely repayments (Sina Wei Note, paying a credit card bill is the American habit).
Click on the three points in the upper right corner of the Apple Card interface in your wallet to quickly contact customer service staff via Apple Business Chat, web or phone. You can also manage your own planned payments here.
You can also check your credit card details here, such as the card number, expiration date and security code. If you feel that your card number may be leaked, you can ask for a new card number.
About the association between the Apple Card and the Wallet App, my favorite thing is that the transaction list is very concise. Many credit card companies use a complex merchant code to display the consumption status (if it feels that there is a problem with the consumption of the account, it will be difficult), and the application on iOS will directly display the business name, and even display the time and place of the transaction by map. .
▲The current auditing experience on the iPad is not as good as the iPhone
But currently, the “wallet” is only available on the iPhone, not on the iPad. If you want to view it on your iPad, all Apple Card details are placed in the “Wallet and Apple Pay” section. The experience is not as good as the iPhone. I don’t know if there will be a “wallet” app on the iPad.
About consumer cashback
A number of credit cards issued by many banks in the United States can return a certain percentage of cash according to the amount of consumption. The return rate of Apple Card is not the highest, but its integration is the best experience so far.
Get 3% rebate on Apple products, 2% rebate on Apple Pay products, and 1% rebate on physical card purchases. In the list of transactions in the wallet app, you can clearly see how much money is returned for each transaction.
This means that any purchases made through Apple Pay, including programs such as Apple TV, app store and iTunes content purchases, Apple Care, Apple Music, and in-app subscriptions, receive a 3% rebate. It even includes content services such as Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade that have not yet been officially launched. So if you pay for Apple’s hardware or services, Apple Card is definitely the best channel (equivalent to a 97% discount).
In addition, since the Apple Card belongs to the MasterCard Credit Union, MasterCard’s related offers are also available.
Apple Card’s cashback is settled daily. At the end of each day, you will receive a cash reward from Apple Pay, which can be used for spending or for transfer to another bank account. The “return daily” is much better than other credit card companies, and the interface is more intuitive.
Apple Card does not charge any fees, including overseas transaction fees, annual fees, balance transfer fees, etc. For many people, this is an advantage. Many credit card rebates are higher than Apple Cards, but they charge a very high annual fee. Relatively speaking, Apple has to be more transparent, and there is no trick to make users dizzy.
The physical Apple Card does not have a card number, so you must go to the wallet app to view the details of this card. For sites that do not accept Apple Pay’s online payment method, the card number is automatically added to Safari to complete the transaction.
Summary
The Apple Card is an interesting choice in the highly competitive consumer finance arena. Many offers are unique to Apple users, and credit cards are tightly integrated on the iOS system, with few competitors competing. This is the so-called ecological advantage.
Of course, in some cases, Apple Card’s consumer-friendly features, such as daily cashbacks, clear transaction lists, and simple billing features, may also allow other credit cards to learn quickly.
As time goes by, I will continue to go deep into the Apple Card, especially the physical card is not yet available. In addition, after the Apple Card is officially launched, we should also be able to learn more about this credit card approval rate and so on.