Apple Card Does the physical titanium Apple Card expire?

[zorinlynx]

I got curious and swiped my physical titanium apple card through a USB card reader, and the magstripe has the same information other credit cards have: My name, the full account number (which I otherwise don't have access to), and... an expiration date.

The expiration date is in 2025, which suggests the physical card might become unusable after that date, at the very least for swipe transactions.

I haven't had to swipe the card to make a purchase since I got it; the few places that don't do Apple Pay support chip transactions. But it raises the question; will Apple have to replace this card in three years? As far as I know there's no way for me to rewrite the stripe, so replacing that expiration date would require a new card.

 

[Phil77354]

The Apple Card has always had an expiration date. You can view it on the iPhone for example - looking at the Apple Card in your Wallet, there is an icon at the upper right that you click and it will give you the 'Virtual Card Number' which shows you the expiration date and security code. It also gives you the ability to request a new card number, and change the security code.

None of this is on the physical card but you bring up an interesting point. They may need to replace the card, or give you the ability to request that.

In my case, I've only used the physical card once - at an Apple Store, since they couldn't take Apple Pay like other stores can!! So the only way to use my Apple Card in the store was to use the physical card. Go figure.

 

[zorinlynx]

Yeah. You'd think point of making the card out of a durable material like titanium would be because it'll last a decade or more. Seeing that 2025 expiration date on the magstripe made me wonder about that.

I've been slowly transferring pretty much everything from my older credit cards to the Apple Card to simplify my finances, so I started carrying the physical card with me for those few times when I can't Apple Pay. Before I'd just use one of my other two cards. It's been working great and I don't want to have to replace it because of an expiration date!

 

[Phil77354]

I guess we'll find out . . mine has a '24 date, so I'll have to let you know!

I also minimize using multiple cards although the majority of my purchases are with a cash-back card has the same 2% back as the Apple Card. Apple Pay was less convenient when wearing a mask, but now that masks are less necessary I will probably use the Apple Pay more often. I agree, it does work great.

You've led me to thinking further about this. It appears to me that there are three different card numbers assigned to each Apple card - one for the physical card, one to transactions done using Apple Pay, and a third number that is stated as a 'virtual card number' for use when you can't use either Apple Pay or the physical card. Interesting. So you can tell how something was paid by noting the last four digits of the card used.

Also, the Apple Card app in the Wallet does give the ability to request a new number, but that changes only the virtual card number.

None of which clarifies your original question but my conclusion is that they will likely need to replace the card, at least until they figure out a way to make the card itself independent of the account information and up-date-able without the need to change the physical card.

 

[glenthompson]

I got my card in 2019 with a 2024 expiration date. My card is showing noticeable wear and the chip occasionally has issues in some readers. Two more years and it will need replacing. I only use the card when I have to preferring to use my watch when possible.

 

[Nudelpalm]

You've led me to thinking further about this. It appears to me that there are three different card numbers assigned to each Apple card - one for the physical card, one to transactions done using Apple Pay, and a third number that is stated as a 'virtual card number' for use when you can't use either Apple Pay or the physical card. Interesting. So you can tell how something was paid by noting the last four digits of the card used.

Also, the Apple Card app in the Wallet does give the ability to request a new number, but that changes only the virtual card number.

None of which clarifies your original question but my conclusion is that they will likely need to replace the card, at least until they figure out a way to make the card itself independent of the account information and up-date-able without the need to change the physical card.

Three card numbers in that instance is actually normal. There’s the real card number, then there’s a digital card number thats created for every wallet you add it to (if you add it to like another iPhone or a Samsung device or a wallet app issued by a bank, you get another digital PAN) and the virtual card gets a separate PAN as well. Every time you add your card to a digital wallet the card number is tokenized and a “new” card number is created to differentiate it from the physical card. If you remove your card from apple wallet and add it again, you will likely get a new tokenized card number.

There are also options to keep the card number and just update the expiration date, I’ve yet to see it happen though since all cards have CVV and expiry date printed on it but, at least theoretically, it should be possible to just update the card with new stuff and continue to use the original card.