Apple Card

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Google Bans Apple Card From Advertising Platform

Andrew Orr ·

Google doesn’t want customers to use virtual card numbers, and that includes the one Apple Card uses. An anonymous person writes about their experience.

Last week I received my Apple Card and decided to use it on my Google Ads account for another project. Getting a little bit of daily cash back for my meager ad spend was attractive. Within a couple of hours of updating my payment method my account had become suspended for suspicious payment activity.

I’m writing this to warn anyone else that intended to use the card online that you may experience… difficulties. And if you’re planning on using the Apple Card for anything important, think again.

It makes sense, on the premise that tracking companies like Google would oppose private measures like the Apple Card. I assume other virtual cards like Privacy.com would suffer the same fate.

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Comparing Apple Card's Privacy to Other Credit Cards

Andrew Orr ·

Geoffrey Fowler compared an Amazon credit card with Apple Card to see which one is more private. The knee jerk response is to say Apple, and it’s true that Apple does have more privacy than others. But when it comes to the Apple Card, that privacy only appears under certain circumstances.

Despite a federal privacy law covering cards, I found that six types of businesses could mine and share elements of my purchase, multiplied untold times by other companies they might have passed it to. Credit cards are a spy in your wallet — and it’s time that we add privacy, alongside rewards and rates, to how we evaluate them.

Bottom line: Neither Apple nor Goldman Sachs collects or shares your data. But retailers and card networks like Mastercard can still collect and sell your purchase data.

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And Now For the Downside of the Apple Card

John Martellaro ·

There have been some rave reviews of the Apple Card. But, in the end, it’s a credit card with the usual, attendant downsides. Michael Simon at Macworld brings us back to earth.

While the Apple Card might be filled with the delightful little details that we’ve come to expect from Apple—beautiful spending trackers, an animated digital card that reflects light as if you were holding it, privacy and security at the forefront—at its core, Apple Card is still a credit card backed by a bank that will charge you interest if you don’t pay on time….

With Apple Card, Apple may be selling you something that could end up costing you way more than an iPhone—or a Mac Pro for that matter.

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A Frank and Thorough Assessment of the Apple Card

John Martellaro ·

Raymond Wong at Mashable has put the Apple Card through its paces: application process, convenience, UI, benefits, cash back, APR, payments, security and iPhone lock-in. If you’re on the fence about this new credit card, author Wong has every detail covered.

The Bottom Line: Apple Card is a credit card experience unlike any other, but it’ll tempt you to stick with Apple devices and services.

Good stuff here. Detailed and systematic.

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Does the Apple Card Count as a Mastercard World Elite?

Andrew Orr ·

Redditor u/mdhardeman did some digging into the Apple Card. After running a test transaction they found that the card was listed as a Mastercard World Elite.

The Mastercard World Elite consumer credit cards are significantly more expensive to accept than a plain Mastercard credit card or basic rewards card. In exchange, the theory goes, Mastercard ensures that those cards only make it into the hands of premium consumers who, on average, spend more on many purchases and have a larger amount of disposable income. In exchange, Mastercard demands the higher reimbursement for the card issuers to be able to fund a benefits package that will attract heavy spenders to their World Elite card products.

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Apple Customers Get Weird Email About Apple Card

Andrew Orr ·

Last night, Apple sent the next wave of invitations for Apple Card, but there seems to be a goof in the system. The email said that the early invitation is waiting, but the email address Apple has on file is wrong. You can click a link in the email to supply the correct one.

There are multiple reports on Reddit of people receiving the email who are 100 percent sure they signed up with the correct Apple ID email address…Several users have contacted Apple Support, who are apparently aware of the issue and it has been forwarded to the Apple Card engineering team. Still, it’s worth noting that some users may have also received the email for the right reason – because they didn’t use the email address associated with their Apple account.

I too got the email last night, but since it arrived at an address no longer associated with my Apple ID, my email was probably legitimate in that I didn’t sign up with the correct one.

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Low Credit Score? No Problem, You Could Still Get an Apple Card

Andrew Orr ·

Goldman Sachs is accepting “subprime” applicants for Apple Card, meaning people with a low credit score.

While there is no standard definition for who qualifies as subprime, most fall under a FICO score of 660, and their loans often sour before borrowers with higher credit scores. Ten years ago, big lenders got into trouble when irresponsible loans made to subprime mortgage borrowers defaulted, helping create the worst excesses of the financial crisis.

I think this is great. Apple Card revolves around helping you pay off your credit as soon as possible, and tells you the minimum payment you need for a zero-interest payment. You might still get a high APR, but as long as you don’t carry a balance that won’t affect you. As we head into another school year, Apple Card could be a good choice for college students who may have low credit.