It isn't world-changing in the US either, but a lot of people think it is because they aren't familiar with the vast credit card offerings in the US.
Credit card debt is definitely a thing in the US and it's nice that the Apple Card has some visualizations, but they also aren't unique to this card.
- Spending analysis tools: Most large US banks have this on their app or website.
- Cash back: a rather standard feature, and Apple's own rate isn't any better than other alternatives (Citi Double Cash for example). Quite a lot worse if you don't see yourself making most purchases with Apple Pay. Most online purchases will get the paltry 1% rate.
- You can actually get a better discount from Apple.com using other cards, believe it or not. Take the Chase Freedom Unlimited's 1.5% off everything, then add the 2 bonus points using the shopping browser cookie feature on the rewards website, so as long as you buy stuff online you're getting 3.5% off the Apple Store instead of 3%.
- Payment due dates always at the end of the month: Doesn't actually make any sort of a difference, usually due dates only change by a day or two at most.
- Due Date reminders: Email already accomplished this
- Real time fraud protection: Major US Bank cards already do this, usually via SMS or email
- Mapped transactions: I'm pretty sure some other banks do this but I will say it's somewhat helpful/innovative
- The fact that the Apple Card has no numbers or magnetic strip on it is something I consider a disadvantage. Yes, the USA is far behind on going 100% chip and contactless. However, US customers aren't liable for any fraud over $50 and most card issuers make that dollar amount zero.
Edit: I'm noticing that the Apple Card does allow a semi-permanent number to be generated, which does require you to have your phone around to look at it, it seems.
I don't care if someone steals my credit card number. That's not my problem. It's my bank's problem.
Not being able to use a credit card at a particular merchant because their point of sale system only has a card swiper is a problem to me. (Edit: Seems that Apple card has a magnetic strip. But if a merchant has to type in more info than the last 4 digits into their POS system you can't use an Apple Card).
I will say, in the US, the support for chip cards is now at nearly 100% and this year contactless has made major strides.
> The physical Apple Card, of course, has no number. The app displays the last 4 digits of the card number that is on the mag stripe of the card only, you never see the full card number.
So the card has a magstripe, and therefore, is no different than a regular card.
It's just that you now have to confuse your cashiers who are looking for verification info on the card when they're putting it into their point of sale systems.
I've had to tell my bank "it wasn't me" and it was a relatively quick process.
Also, most sketchy things are caught by the usage pattern algorithms before the transaction is even authorized. If I just blatantly emailed my card number to someone in Nigeria and they tried to buy a bunch of stuff there it would never go through in the first place.
Keeping some short numeric digit a secret seems like a rather vain effort to me.
This is separate from my desire for security to increase. Yes, I want security to continually improve. But the lack of client side security in the US doesn't actually impact consumers in a significant way, if you ask me.
Right, after which some combination of the bank and the vendor eat the cost of the fraud. This in turn drives up prices and fees.
Regarding time investment, you are just rolling the dice. Most of the time the transaction will just reverse. Some times you will have to fight it.
Also, the big thing that chips bring is related to duplication. The cards can’t be duplicated and transactions can’t be duplicated. The PIN is just a second factor. This is distinct from US Debit PINs, which are the only “secure” part of that system.
I don't care if someone steals my credit card number. That's not my problem. It's my bank's problem.
This is spot on. I refuse to use or even have a debit card issued for my actual bank account. Almost everything goes through CC's, so worst case, I have at least one layer between "my" money. As a bonus none of my CC's are from my bank, and I have several from different major vendors, so unless a lot of things go wrong at once, I should always have access to at least some amount of credit.
It's also made budgeting and tracking my spend much easier, since I don't want to pay interest on any of these things, and the tools for managing credit cards tend to be better than what I've seen for checking/savings accounts.
Credit card debt is definitely a thing in the US and it's nice that the Apple Card has some visualizations, but they also aren't unique to this card.
- Spending analysis tools: Most large US banks have this on their app or website.
- Cash back: a rather standard feature, and Apple's own rate isn't any better than other alternatives (Citi Double Cash for example). Quite a lot worse if you don't see yourself making most purchases with Apple Pay. Most online purchases will get the paltry 1% rate.
- You can actually get a better discount from Apple.com using other cards, believe it or not. Take the Chase Freedom Unlimited's 1.5% off everything, then add the 2 bonus points using the shopping browser cookie feature on the rewards website, so as long as you buy stuff online you're getting 3.5% off the Apple Store instead of 3%.
- Payment due dates always at the end of the month: Doesn't actually make any sort of a difference, usually due dates only change by a day or two at most.
- Due Date reminders: Email already accomplished this
- Real time fraud protection: Major US Bank cards already do this, usually via SMS or email
- Mapped transactions: I'm pretty sure some other banks do this but I will say it's somewhat helpful/innovative
- The fact that the Apple Card has no numbers or magnetic strip on it is something I consider a disadvantage. Yes, the USA is far behind on going 100% chip and contactless. However, US customers aren't liable for any fraud over $50 and most card issuers make that dollar amount zero.
Edit: I'm noticing that the Apple Card does allow a semi-permanent number to be generated, which does require you to have your phone around to look at it, it seems.
I don't care if someone steals my credit card number. That's not my problem. It's my bank's problem.
Not being able to use a credit card at a particular merchant because their point of sale system only has a card swiper is a problem to me. (Edit: Seems that Apple card has a magnetic strip. But if a merchant has to type in more info than the last 4 digits into their POS system you can't use an Apple Card).
I will say, in the US, the support for chip cards is now at nearly 100% and this year contactless has made major strides.