Apple introduces Apple Card: Daily Cash, no fees
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Apple has announced a brand new service: Apple Card. Starting this summer in the US, users will be able to sign up for a real Apple credit card that’s going to reside within the Wallet app. Requesting a virtual Apple Card living in your iPhone will be very easy, as you’ll be able to do it straight from your device. Issuing a new Apple Card shouldn’t take more than a few minutes. Once issued, your Apple Card should be right there in your Wallet app.
What’s even cooler is that users will also be able to request a physical credit card, which will be made of titanium and have the user’s name laser-etched. No card numbers, CVV, or expiration dates will be printed on the card, making it that much more secure.
Apple is creating Apple Card in partnership with Goldman Sachs. As it’ll be using the Mastercard payment network, the card will be accepted worldwide. Card support is going to be handled by Apple directly in a delightful new way: through Apple Messages. Just text Apple with your questions or requests, and the company will respond right there, in Messages. Apple Card will be available this summer in the US. Unfortunately, the company isn’t revealing any details regarding a future international rollout of the service.
Daily Cash
With Card, Apple is introducing a welcome new take on the cash back program. It’s called Daily Cash for a reason: you’ll be receiving your cash back amount daily, and you’ll be free to spend it again through Apple Pay, put it towards your Apple Card balance, or send it to family or friends through Apple Messages.
Customers will be receiving Daily Cash to the tune of 2% on all of their Apple Card payments outside of Apple’s ecosystem. When it comes to Apple’s own stores, like Apple Stores, iTunes or the App Store, the Daily Cash amount will be 3%. And for purchases made using the physical Apple Card, the Daily Cash amount will be 1% of the purchase value.
Apple helping you have a better financial culture
Apple is building a number of new features around Apple Card, designed to help you have a better understanding of your spending. For starters, it’ll help you track your purchases more easily by using machine learning and Apple Maps in order to ‘translate’ the names of merchants in your purchases log. You are probably familiar with how merchant names often appear fairly cryptic when you view then through your bank’s web portal or mobile app; with Apple Card, Apple will make sure to have them all clearly labeled so that you’ll immediately know which transaction was made with whom.
Color coding will also help with the organization of your transactions: products from distinct categories such as Food and Drinks or Shopping and Entertainment will be assigned a different color so that you can immediately find the ones you’re looking for. This, in tandem with the new weekly and monthly spending summaries, Apple hopes will give you a better vantage point over your overall expenditures.
What’s more, Apple Card will include a tool to help users pay less interest by making their options more transparent. It’ll be suggesting a range of payment options and a handy calculator that estimates the interest cost on different amounts, so that each users can pick the option that suits their budget the best.
Physical Apple credit card made of titanium
Apple knows that for customers to fully embrace its payment service, it needs to be universally accepted. So, to let you deal with those merchants that don’t support Apple Pay yet, the company is creating a real, physical credit card with the signature Apple minimalist design. The company hasn’t released some of the technicalities, such as if it’s going to charge you for issuing such a card, but at least we know how it’s going to look like.
No card numbers, expiration dates, or CVV numbers will be present on the card, making for an extremely clean look, with only the Apple logo and the holder’s name laser-etched onto the titanium piece. Your card’s numbers are, of course, still available: you’ll just have to look them up in the Wallet app on your iPhone.
Thy physical Apple Card seems like a very appropriate product for international users, where Apple Pay support is still widely lacking, but the company seemingly has no immediate plans to launch Apple Card in markets other than the US at this time.
Questions & Answers
Q.Which payment network will Apple Card use, and where will it be accepted?
Which payment network will Apple Card use, and where will it be accepted?
A.
Apple Card will use the Mastercard payment network. This means the card will be accepted globally, ensuring broad usability for customers. The article confirms its worldwide acceptance for transactions.
Q.What is the daily cash back rate for purchases made using the physical Apple Card?
What is the daily cash back rate for purchases made using the physical Apple Card?
A.
For purchases made using the physical Apple Card, customers will receive a Daily Cash amount of 1% of the purchase value. This is a lower rate compared to other types of payments.
Q.How will Apple help users understand their spending and manage interest payments with the new card?
How will Apple help users understand their spending and manage interest payments with the new card?
A.
Apple will use machine learning and Apple Maps to clarify merchant names in transaction logs. It will also offer colour-coded categories, weekly/monthly spending summaries, and a tool with a calculator to estimate interest costs on different payment options.
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