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Same issue here.. pre-order was in the system but kept getting denied with my Apple Card. Then I was told my application for a loan was denied (even though it was already pre-approved).. then I tried with my regular Visa card and it still failed. I gave up. I'll just keep using my iPhone 12.. I'm over it.
It really makes me wonder what the point of pre-approval was.

I had the same problem as you.
 
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Steve Jobs had the best engineering mind. Tom Cooke was a finance guy at heart. Suprised he could not pull off a simple task to allow customers this morning to use their Apple Card
 
One more data point -

I had the same frustrations with Apple Card and IUP. After three or four failed attempts to get the Apple Store to accept the Apple Card as payment (ridiculous), I just paid for a phone outright. I’m lucky I was able to afford that. I won’t be using the IUP going forward because it sucked big time. Operations should have been able to anticipate the demand and it was a complete failure.

Oh, and I got the email from Apple apologizing for their snafu. They invited me to complete my order through the IUP. I went through some of the motions because I was curious about delivery date. Mid October! I will cancel the IUP and return current phone when the new one arrives.
Wow. Now I’m even more glad that I opted out of iUP. It’s just a little too messy. I started doing Apple Card monthly payments last year with the 12PM and I haven’t looked back. Would rather not rely on Citizens Bank and their system.
 
USBank Cash+ 5%
Discover (through Paypal) 5%

Serves the people using apple card, the only card that can get away with zero sign up bonus.
I was curious about the USBank Cash+ program so I looked into it. It’s the typical restrictive detail-laden cash back offer. From their website: “You'll earn 5% cash back on your first $2,000 in combined eligible purchases in your chosen 5% categories and unlimited cash back in your 2% category. All other eligible net purchases earn 1% cash back. You can redeem your cash back anytime online in our Rewards Center. You can receive it in the form of a deposit in your U.S. Bank account, a statement credit or a U.S. Bank Rewards Card.”

Apple Card does not require you to choose categories quarterly, does not require you to go to a “rewards center” that has its own stipulations, gives you cash back daily that you can apply to your credit card payment instantly and daily if you so wish, and is far more elegant in its simplicity. Not to mention, Apple Card is essentially baked into iOS with a dead simple interface and has tools designed to help curb the credit card beast. I know because it’s done precisely that for me.

I really did want to like the USBank+ program but it’s typical of all the other cash back programs. I’m not a spokesperson for Goldman Sachs or Apple, just someone who is always on the lookout for a better savings opportunity. I do thank you for pointing me towards this program, though.
 
Wow. Now I’m even more glad that I opted out of iUP. It’s just a little too messy. I started doing Apple Card monthly payments last year with the 12PM and I haven’t looked back. Would rather not rely on Citizens Bank and their system.
Yeah, so I’ve been wondering what the advantages of IUP compared to the Apple Card Monthly Payments option…. Seems like there isn’t any?
 
Yeah, so I’ve been wondering what the advantages of IUP compared to the Apple Card Monthly Payments option…. Seems like there isn’t any?
I think one of the main differences was how easy it is to upgrade / trade in the old phone, but honestly… Upgrading with ACMP seems to make more sense for me personally.

Much easier to manage the payments and easier to pay it off if needed with AC. I’m gonna get $800 for my 12PM from Apple and also cancel my AC+w/T&L which will be like $130. Getting back $930 a year into owning my 128GB 12PM. 🤷🏾‍♂️
 
Apple STILL won’t process my preapproved preorder. Looks like the problem is confirmed: using Apple Card to process the iPhone Upgrade Program transaction.

That it’s now a known problem actually makes it worse, in my opinion. Fix it! At this point, I’m sufficiently grumpy that I’m going to refuse any alternative solution—you’ll get my purchase when you make your damn system work.
 
Apple STILL won’t process my preapproved preorder. Looks like the problem is confirmed: using Apple Card to process the iPhone Upgrade Program transaction.

That it’s now a known problem actually makes it worse, in my opinion. Fix it! At this point, I’m sufficiently grumpy that I’m going to refuse any alternative solution—you’ll get my purchase when you make your damn system work.
I'm still having trouble too. Are you getting the error "you weren't approved for this offer"?
 
This is absolutely asinine.

I‘m still having issues here: I just spend 2 hours of my life on the phone with apple support on a screen share trying a hundred things. I was asked to purchase songs on iTunes to prove my card works (no refund…), I was asked to sign out of my iPhone and sign back in, losing half of my settings (I have two apple accounts that I use on my phone…. Because apple cant merge them)..

Their solution? Call Goldman Sachs and do the same friggin Work around; “use another card”.

What a stupid mess.

“Sir did you want to purchase with another card?”
”No, lady, honsetly I’m not sure I want to purchase another apple product again after this cluster”
 
This is absolutely asinine.

I‘m still having issues here: I just spend 2 hours of my life on the phone with apple support on a screen share trying a hundred things. I was asked to purchase songs on iTunes to prove my card works (no refund…), I was asked to sign out of my iPhone and sign back in, losing half of my settings (I have two apple accounts that I use on my phone…. Because apple cant merge them)..

Their solution? Call Goldman Sachs and do the same friggin Work around; “use another card”.

What a stupid mess.

“Sir did you want to purchase with another card?”
”No, lady, honsetly I’m not sure I want to purchase another apple product again after this cluster”
Oh helllll no! How are you STILL having issues?! That’s crazy.

Are you on the iPhone Upgrade Program?

I’m not and was able to order at 8:03am EST. I feel for you though. SUPER frustrating.
 
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I think Apple is trying to resolve this issue. My estimated delivery moved up. Maybe they are prioritizing upgrade programs? I had the same payment issue with the Apple Card. The order is currently on my Amex I might just keep it there, 3% or $25 of savings the Apple Card provides over the course of a year for a $1300 phone wasn’t worth the headache imo.
Anyways I would keep an eye on your order hopefully others get updated based on model availability for earlier delivery.
 
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My problem is really different: I was able to use my AppleCard without a problem but when I looked at my Apple wallet this afternoon, it showed a $105.87 charge made at a UPS Store in Ohio on Thursday. Problem: I live in New Jersey and the Apple Card has resided in my safe from day One, 2+ years ago.

When I did the on-line chat with Apple / Goldman-Sachs, they viewed my account and said that Apple had put a “pre-charge” on my account for the $105.87 and it was not a UPS Store in Ohio. They suggested I remove the AppleCard from my Apple Wallet and then reinstall the card. When the card was reinstalled it still showed the charge as being made from a UPS Store in Ohio. The Goldman Sachs agent assured me that on their end the charge showed as the Apple pre-order hold.

At this point I think the Goldman-Sachs to Apple Card Customer interface is hosed but I did keep the chat thread as proof of the transaction challenge.

Anyone else with this issue?
 
This is what I ended up doing also, although Citizens One still doesn't show the new loan. May not until I actually get the phone. Not that worried about it now. Really had me pissed off at 8 EDT this morning. I chose to do an in store pickup, though because it said I could have it next Friday instead of shipping being as late as mid October.
I received an email from Citizens One yesterday with the new loan number and added it to my account so now it shows the current and new. Today I can actually update the payment information for it so I just did. Check your email.
 
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Yeah, so I’ve been wondering what the advantages of IUP compared to the Apple Card Monthly Payments option…. Seems like there isn’t any?
IUP does allow me to upgrade to a new phone after 12 months of payments, just have to send the old one back after I get the new one, or keep it if I want to continue to pay it off like I did one time as my wife had wanted the old phone. The kicker is I have to buy AppleCare, but I often do anyways. Up until this release, the IUP process had been super smooth. I still wound up with the phone I wanted for release day but it was definitely more of a chore this time.

I actually don't know much about the ACMP as I've been on IUP since that program started. What are the benefits of ACMP? I'll check on the Apple site.

EDIT: ACMP appears to be a 0% interest payment plan. It doesn't have anything to do with phone trade-ins which is a program outside of ACMP. Combine the two together and perhaps you have the IUP (minus AppleCare).
 
GOOD NEWS!!!!!

i tried to order two iPhones 13 pro max at 5am on 9/17, but had trouble with the Apple Card even though I was pre-approved two days before. I decided to forget about getting the new iPhones even though I was in the iPhone Upgrade program.

I looked into details on getting out of the iPhone Update program and getting back in and I decided it was not worth it. I would be paying another year of payments to Citizens One and even though I would own my iPhone 12 Pro Max, it would be already one year old next September and I would have to worry about how to trade it in.

So then I ordered the two iPhones again around 11am PDT on 9/17 in about 10 seconds with no problems and saw my earliest delivery time as October 18.

I just checked the Apple Store for my orders and my two iPhones will arrive on SEPTEMBER 24TH. WOW!!!

THANK YOU APPLE.

I think Apple went back through the orders and saw my multiple attempts to buy the iPhones around 5am and changed my orders to be delivered on September 24th instead of October 18.
 
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This happened to me. Best part was this is the response from Apple support.

View attachment 1834163

Finally got through to Apple Card/Goldman phone support and they said there was no record of a failed/declined transaction. They didn’t confirm but certainly sounded like this has been all they’ve been dealing with all morning.

Check my post above for good news in case you ordered the phones later in the day.
 
Had this happen to me as well, tried 4-5 times - didn’t want to lose my reserved spot so ended up using my other card and it worked
You misunderstood what happened to me. At 5am I tried for a whole hour even trying another card with no success. Six hours later, I tried with the AppleCard again and was successful but my order was going to come at the earliest on October 18.

Unbeknown to me, Apple changed my shipping date. They must have checked and saw my futile attempts at 5am and changed my arrival date to September 24.
 
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GOOD NEWS!!!!!
Thanks! Your post gives me hope. Apple seems to care about getting it right.

I have been waiting for Citizens One to update me. Citizens One denied my pre-approved purchase for some reason. They said they would manually review my approval. Citizens One support wasn't committed to solving the problem within the phone call but said they'd work on it within 1-3 business days.

But based on your post, I've also called Apple again today. The Apple support person was more committed to solving the problem within the phone call but couldn't help. Apple support said Citizens One had some kind of system problem on Friday and I should call Apple back if Citizens One can't figure it out.
 
Received an email from Apple to try purchasing again Friday evening and order finally went through. Delivery date still wayyyyy out in October. It’s so awesome to be punished for being a loyal customer.
 
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Received an email from Apple to try purchasing again Friday evening and order finally went through. Delivery date still wayyyyy out in October. It’s so awesome to be punished for being a loyal customer.
Read my posts above. You might be in for a surprise soon.
 
Thanks! Your post gives me hope. Apple seems to care about getting it right.

I have been waiting for Citizens One to update me. Citizens One denied my pre-approved purchase for some reason. They said they would manually review my approval. Citizens One support wasn't committed to solving the problem within the phone call but said they'd work on it within 1-3 business days.

But based on your post, I've also called Apple again today. The Apple support person was more committed to solving the problem within the phone call but couldn't help. Apple support said Citizens One had some kind of system problem on Friday and I should call Apple back if Citizens One can't figure it out.
Welcome to the new Apple - when there is a glitch, blame the customer first and then blame an unrelated service. Citizens One has nothing to do with the selection of the payment method. The issue is squarely on Apple, Goldman Sachs, or both. The simple, right thing to do would be for Apple, Goldman Sachs, or both, to accept responsibility, apologize, and do what they can to rectify it. Their insistence on absolute secrecy and silence on non-product glitches is just goofy.
 
Welcome to the new Apple - when there is a glitch, blame the customer first and then blame an unrelated service. Citizens One has nothing to do with the selection of the payment method. The issue is squarely on Apple, Goldman Sachs, or both. The simple, right thing to do would be for Apple, Goldman Sachs, or both, to accept responsibility, apologize, and do what they can to rectify it. Their insistence on absolute secrecy and silence on non-product glitches is just goofy.
Sorry but Apple is trying to fix the problem. Check my posts above.
 
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