Lineup of Apple products
Kaitlyn Lundy, Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Unsplash.com.
Apple has taken the world by storm creating innovations consumers didn’t know they needed but now can’t live without. The company itself is worth about $5 billion due to its success of the iMac, iPhone, Apple TV, Apple Watch, Apple Pay, etc. This summer, Apple is expanding Apple Pay by introducing a credit card.
Apple recently released a video disclosing that they will be coming out with Apple Card this summer. The company chose to partner up with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard to produce this credit card.
Convenience is key. Apple Pay enabled users to pay directly from their iPhone or Apple Watch. Now, Apple Card does the same thing, with the added bonus of providing the features that come with possessing a credit card.
Consumers can apply for the card through the Wallet app and must be approved in order to use it. Apple has not yet disclosed the criteria for approval, but credit score will likely be a factor.
This card is convenient for consumers who already purchase a multitude of Apple products. It is available exclusively through Apple Pay, but there are many establishments that do not have this payment method. With this in mind, the company produced a physical card for users to have.
The Apple Card will have no visible numbers on either side of the card and is made of titanium. Apple prides itself on ensuring the security of its customers through facial recognition, touch identification and pass codes and Apple Card will be no different.
The help center is able to be reached through text message. Spending habits can be tracked directly within the Wallet app and can be viewed in the form of colorful graphs. Maps is also incorporated so that consumers can recognize purchases that don’t appear to be super familiar.
In addition, there are no fees coinciding with Apple Card. Instead of fees, Apple will be increasing interest charges when payments are late. With the increased use of interest charges, the Wallet app also tracks payment methods encouraging consumers to lower them over time.
One of the stipulations of the card is that the software is subject to change, but consumers are expectant of that based on experience with other Apple products.
Daily Cash, the cash-back reward system, can be received in exchange for every purchase made with Apple Card. Three percent can be gained from purchases directly connected to Apple. Apple Pay purchases earn consumers two percent back and one percent is gained from purchases made with the physical card. This cash is pooled directly in Apple Pay for consumers to use right away.
The slogan surrounding the product is “A new kind of credit card. Created by Apple, not a bank.” In comparison to competitors, the reward system through Apple Pay is above average and the “no fees” rule is a something consumers don’t normally see. However, consumers raving about Apple should be apt to read the fine print before trying out this new credit card to make sure it’s the right card for their spending lifestyle.
Apple also released that they will be coming out with Apple Arcade, Apple TV+ and Apple News+. In May, Apple TV will come out with an app giving users access to a multitude of channels across all Apple streaming services. Apple TV+ will come out in the fall and will be a new subscription service housing popular creators such as J.J. Abrams, Reese Witherspoon and Oprah Winfrey.
Also coming in the fall is Apple Arcade, in which users can subscribe within the App Store and play games without ads, across several streaming services, even offline. Apple News+ is available now within the Apple News App giving a broader library within the already existing Apple News.
There are big things coming with Apple, in which they are reaching several different audiences and platforms.
