Thousands of Apple Retail Workers Now Testing Apple Card Ahead of Summer Launch

[vipergts2207]

If anyone can name a card that beats this card’s incentive, please state the card and the incentive structure and how it beats the Apple Card. I look forward to evidence backing up people’s ridiculous anti-Apple sentiment.

Easy, Citi Double Cash gives 2% on all purchases, not just ones through Apple Pay. Of course it doesn’t give 3% on Apple purchases, but almost everyone would still come out ahead getting 2% on all purchases compared to the different percentage tiers of the Apple card. Every dollar of purchase you don’t make through Apple Pay is a dollar that must be spent on an Apple product purchase just to break even with the Citi DC. I run about $23k/yr through my credit cards. If even 90% of my purchases were made through Apple Pay, which is pretty unrealistic, I’d have to buy $2300 in Apple products to break even with a Citi DC. The only time I spend that much or more on Apple products in a year is when I buy a new MBP and that’s only like every 4 years or so. Realistically most people might make half of their purchases with Apple Pay if they’re diligent about it.

And of course if like most people you have more than one credit card, you could do substantially better. I get 6% back on groceries and 3% on gas year round. With other cards I get 5% on various categories through the year. I’m not shy about adding new cards to my arsenal to maximize rewards (currently have four cards), but this offers me basically nothing.

 

[BGPL]

Meh... the Amazon 5% card can't be beat.

 

[TeamPixel]

how much 'testing' can be done on retail wages?

You would be surprise what they pay us
[doublepost=1560981041][/doublepost]

I wonder when it will come to Canada

In 2050

 

[thadoggfather]

You would be surprise what they pay us
[doublepost=1560981041][/doublepost]
In 2050

I think some Genius Bar geniuses can actually make decent coin and management. Not sure about the rest

 

[gaximus]

Come to think it, it's the one Apple product he can't make thinner. Credit cards have to be a standard thickness to work in the stripe readers.

He's already made it thinner by removing the card numbers.

 

[TeamPixel]

I think some Genius Bar geniuses can actually make decent coin and management. Not sure about the rest

I make 27.50 he if that helps

 

[Elian_Gonzalez]

Thirteen to 24 percent!?!

 

[Stryder541]

Just realized that I won’t be able to double dip on Apple Gift Card discounts from eBay, Best Buy, etc. I don’t think they’ll consider them Apple purchases

 

[mattopotamus]

Thirteen to 24 percent!?!

Which is pretty standard across the industry.
[doublepost=1560982066][/doublepost]

Easy, Citi Double Cash gives 2% on all purchases, not just ones through Apple Pay. Of course it doesn’t give 3% on Apple purchases, but almost everyone would still come out ahead getting 2% on all purchases compared to the different percentage tiers of the Apple card. Every dollar of purchase you don’t make through Apple Pay is a dollar that must be spent on an Apple product purchase just to break even with the Citi DC. I run about $23k/yr through my credit cards. If even 90% of my purchases were made through Apple Pay, which is pretty unrealistic, I’d have to buy $2300 in Apple products to break even with a Citi DC. The only time I spend that much or more on Apple products in a year is when I buy a new MBP and that’s only like every 4 years or so. Realistically most people might make half of their purchases with Apple Pay if they’re diligent about it.

And of course if like most people you have more than one credit card, you could do substantially better. I get 6% back on groceries and 3% on gas year round. With other cards I get 5% on various categories through the year. I’m not shy about adding new cards to my arsenal to maximize rewards (currently have four cards), but this offers me basically nothing.

This isn’t for the person who actually uses credit cards for the rewards and utilizes spend categories. This is for the every day joe that wants a metal card.

With that said, I have been tracking my Apple Pay purchases, and nearly everywhere I spend, outside of bills, I could use Apple Pay. The daily deposit is also a nice touch. I’m an Amex guy though and use their cards across categories.

 

[tmiw]

Hopefully someone will run this through Cardpeek so we can take a look at the CVM list to see if it offers Primary PIN transactions vs signature. Now that would actually be something interesting to have in the US where so few banks offer PIN primary cards.

My guess is no, especially since the main point of this card is to encourage Apple Pay use (which is accepted far more commonly outside the US than within it).

 

[ocnitsa]

The Jony/Apple/thin device jokes were sort of funny the first 10 times we heard them, but not so much now that we are going on 10 million rehashed versions of the same tired old joke.

That's why I didn't want to post that Jony is sure to put a notch on that thing.

 

[zorinlynx]

My guess is no, especially since the main point of this card is to encourage Apple Pay use (which is accepted far more commonly outside the US than within it).

It may also drive Apple Pay *acceptance*. More cash back will cause people to ask businesses why they don't accept Apple Pay. Right now most people don't care about it and aren't asking about it.

 

[BF1M]

Will an authorized user get a physical card?

 

[circatee]

Seriously that interest rate is rather high. It is wasn't for that, I would apply for one...

 

[cardfan]

Easy, Citi Double Cash gives 2% on all purchases, not just ones through Apple Pay. Of course it doesn’t give 3% on Apple purchases, but almost everyone would still come out ahead getting 2% on all purchases compared to the different percentage tiers of the Apple card. Every dollar of purchase you don’t make through Apple Pay is a dollar that must be spent on an Apple product purchase just to break even with the Citi DC. I run about $23k/yr through my credit cards. If even 90% of my purchases were made through Apple Pay, which is pretty unrealistic, I’d have to buy $2300 in Apple products to break even with a Citi DC. The only time I spend that much or more on Apple products in a year is when I buy a new MBP and that’s only like every 4 years or so. Realistically most people might make half of their purchases with Apple Pay if they’re diligent about it.

And of course if like most people you have more than one credit card, you could do substantially better. I get 6% back on groceries and 3% on gas year round. With other cards I get 5% on various categories through the year. I’m not shy about adding new cards to my arsenal to maximize rewards (currently have four cards), but this offers me basically nothing.

Yep. But this or others being much better than Apple Card has been discussed. Apple is banking on its brand and marketing plus some unique features. The clueless don’t know better.

I’m surprised there’s no rewards via iTunes given how you can get gift cards on discount so often.

As it is Apple Pay still isn’t worth the hassle. It’ll take more than this card.

 

[tmiw]

It may also drive Apple Pay *acceptance*. More cash back will cause people to ask businesses why they don't accept Apple Pay. Right now most people don't care about it and aren't asking about it.

Maybe. There's already the Altitude Reserve card from US Bank that gives 3% for all mobile wallet transactions, but it also has a $400 annual fee. At least more people will be willing to apply for a card without an AF than one that does have one.

(FWIW, I read something a while back that said that US Bank's particular card is seeing more mobile wallet transactions than on the others it offers.)

 

[vipergts2207]

Which is pretty standard across the industry.
[doublepost=1560982066][/doublepost]

This isn’t for the person who actually uses credit cards for the rewards and utilizes spend categories. This is for the every day joe that wants a metal card.

With that said, I have been tracking my Apple Pay purchases, and nearly everywhere I spend, outside of bills, I could use Apple Pay. The daily deposit is also a nice touch. I’m an Amex guy though and use their cards across categories.

Average joe doesn’t make the proportion of Apple Pay transactions needed, nor enough Apple product purchases to make this card better than a Citi Double Cash card. Even at a 100% Apple Pay transaction rate, which is unrealistic and even quite near impossible for most, the only benefit is an additional 1% cash back on Apple products.

It’s also probably outperformed by an Amex Blue Cash Preferred as well. Most people’s biggest expenditure every month is probably on groceries followed by gas, and you can get a whopping 6% and 3% on those respectively with that card. If you don’t buy many groceries and eat out a lot, then probably not though. Just my wife and I spend about $800/month on groceries (including alcohol). Don’t get me wrong, this Apple card isn’t a bad card and is decent, but someone asked for others to name a better card regarding incentives and here are two, that for the vast, vast majority, would get better returns with.

 

[centauratlas]

Jony is going to have to make that card thinner. Does he have any staff left to help him with this epic challenge?

Once it is razor thin, it will have to include warnings about not slicing anything off.

 

[Khedron]

right, my citibank app is just like it. except not at all.

The Revolut app is like what Apple showed, except it also seamlessly works in every currency without charges

 

[centauratlas]

Easy, Citi Double Cash gives 2% on all purchases, not just ones through Apple Pay. Of course it doesn’t give 3% on Apple purchases, but almost everyone would still come out ahead getting 2% on all purchases compared to the different percentage tiers of the Apple card. Every dollar of purchase you don’t make through Apple Pay is a dollar that must be spent on an Apple product purchase just to break even with the Citi DC. I run about $23k/yr through my credit cards. If even 90% of my purchases were made through Apple Pay, which is pretty unrealistic, I’d have to buy $2300 in Apple products to break even with a Citi DC. The only time I spend that much or more on Apple products in a year is when I buy a new MBP and that’s only like every 4 years or so. Realistically most people might make half of their purchases with Apple Pay if they’re diligent about it.

And of course if like most people you have more than one credit card, you could do substantially better. I get 6% back on groceries and 3% on gas year round. With other cards I get 5% on various categories through the year. I’m not shy about adding new cards to my arsenal to maximize rewards (currently have four cards), but this offers me basically nothing.

Exactly. I'd get the Apple Card for use on anything Apple. That 3% beats the 2.625% that the Bank of America preferred rewards pays on everything, which goes to 3% on travel and food etc. (I used to use the Citi Double Cash for everything, but the Apple Card and the B of A card are beating it now).

Of course everyone should pay the balance off each month or you'll lose far more than the cash bank on interest.

 

[Khedron]

If anyone can name a card that beats this card’s incentive, please state the card and the incentive structure and how it beats the Apple Card. I look forward to evidence backing up people’s ridiculous anti-Apple sentiment.

How about you start by stating an equivalent card that's got worse terms?
[doublepost=1560986318][/doublepost]

Seriously that interest rate is rather high. It is wasn't for that, I would apply for one...

Anyone who uses Apple products and isn't giving Tim 30% of their gross income is basically stealing. The interest rate has to get some of those losses back.

 

[cuencap]

Seriously that interest rate is rather high. It is wasn't for that, I would apply for one...

If you’re even contemplating the APR for a credit card, you shouldn’t be using one.

 

[Ant2369]

Think about all the family/friends of Apple employees that ask them to use their discount. Think about the employee putting all of those purchases on the Apple Card, getting instant cash back and having their friend/family just transfer them the cash.

Now does the Apple Card seem worth it for Apple employees?

Idk why some of you love to find ways to hate on LITERALLY everything Lol it’s nuts. Let people enjoy things.

Yes yes yes!!!! It’s mind blowing the amount of hate on an Apple forum

 

[robjulo]

The card for those that cannot think for themselves.

 

[circatee]

If you’re even contemplating the APR for a credit card, you shouldn’t be using one.

Oh...