Apple Credit Card review: Ideal for iPhone and Mac aficionados

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The Apple Card * The information for the Apple Card has been collected independently by Blueprint. The card details on this page have not been reviewed or provided by the card issuer. charges no annual or foreign transaction fees and offers decent rewards and seamless integration with your other Apple products.

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About the Apple Card

It might not be the fabled apple from the Garden of Eden, but the Apple Card is still pretty tempting if you want a credit card that easily integrates with your iPhone and other gadgets from the tech giant. The Apple Card charges no fees, and if you’re approved, will be instantly available to use in your Apple Wallet. You can also request a sleek, physical card made of titanium.

The card is issued by Goldman Sachs and operates on the Mastercard payment network. 

However, those who are less interested in integration with the Apple ecosystem and more interested in maximizing rewards may prefer to leave the Apple Card untouched on the tree. There are competing cards on the market that offer more rewarding cash-back programs. 

Apple Card basics

• Annual fee: $0.
• Welcome bonus: None.
• Rewards: 3% back on Apple and participating partners, 2% when using Apple Pay and 1% on all other purchases.
• APR: 15.99% to 26.99% variable APR on purchases.
• Other perks and benefits: Pay for eligible Apple purchases interest-free over time when checking out with Apple Card monthly installments; financial management tools; no foreign transaction fees.
• Does the issuer offer a preapproval tool? Yes.
• Recommended credit score: Fair to excellent.

Apple Card details

Apple Card rewards

Cardholders earn 3% back on Apple and participating partners, 2% when using Apple Pay and 1% on all other purchases. 

To earn the highest rewards rate, you must use Apple Pay and shop at a qualifying merchant. Some noteworthy merchants include the following:

• Ace Hardware.
• Duane Reade.
• Exxon.
• Mobil.
• Nike.
• Panera Bread.
• T-Mobile.
• Uber and UberEats.
• Walgreens.

There is no welcome offer with the Apple Card.

Rewards come in the form of Daily Cash, deposited daily to your Apple Cash card in the Wallet app. You can then use it just like you would any other balance in your Apple Wallet, including for purchases in stores or online, to send to a friend or just withdraw it to your bank account. You can also redeem your rewards for statement credit to your Apple Card balance.

In April 2023, Apple and Goldman Sachs added another way to use rewards earned on the Apple Card — as automatic deposits to a high-yield savings account. With a 4.15% APY as of the time of writing, this savings account offers an attractive opportunity to earn interest on your nest egg.

There’s no minimum balance requirement or minimum deposit to open the account. You must hold an Apple Card to be eligible for the savings account. In addition to depositing your credit card rewards, you can move funds over from an external bank account that you’ve linked.

Annual percentage yields (APYs) and account details are accurate as of April 18, 2023.

Apple Card rewards potential

Using government data and other publicly available information, we estimate that a household in the U.S. that would be in the market for this card has an annual income of $84,352 and $25,087 in expenses they are likely to be able to charge to a credit card. Of that $25,087 of credit card spending, we estimate half — $12,543.50 — might be purchases one could make via Apple Pay.

Here’s what such a cardholder could earn in cash back over a year using the Apple Card:

• $1,000 in spending on Apple purchases x 3% back = $30.
• $12,543.50 on purchases made with Apple Pay x 2% back = $250.87.
• $11,543.50 on other purchases x 1% back = $115.44.

For a grand total of $396.31 in rewards annually.

Note that this doesn’t factor in the elevated rewards rate you earn when using Apple Pay to shop with certain merchants. For example, if a significant part of your spending is with merchants such as Panera Bread, T-Mobile, Uber and Walgreens, you could earn more than our estimate.

Apple Card APR

The Apple Card charges a 15.99% to 26.99% variable APR on purchases.

Apple Card pros

• Works with your Apple Wallet: The cash back you earn with the Apple Card is deposited daily to your Apple Cash card in the Wallet app, and from there, you can send it to friends through Apple Pay or redeem it to a bank account for cold, hard cash.
• Doesn’t charge any fees: The Apple Card charges no annual fee and no foreign transaction fees, and on top of that, no late fees or over-the-limit fees either.
• Financial management features: There’s a handy feature on your Apple Card account that lets you see how much interest you’ll pay based on how much you pay monthly toward your balance. Plus, you can add a joint co-owner to the card and share the account equally with them. You can also add up to four other “participants” (ages 13 and older), which is useful if you want this card to be your family’s daily driver and help teach your teenagers about personal finance.

Apple Card cons

• Apple Pay required for medial rewards: If you want to earn the medial rewards rate, you have to use Apple Pay. But not all businesses accept Apple Pay, and if you pay with your physical titanium card, you won’t earn as much in rewards back.
• No welcome bonus or 0% intro APR: If you’re hoping to earn a big welcome bonus after hitting a spending target, or avoid interest during an intro period, look elsewhere.
• You have to request the physical card: There’s no denying the titanium Apple Card, which comes sans numbers — unlike pretty much every other credit card out there — is stylish. But you get just the digital card by default and have to request the physical one.

How the Apple Card compares to other rewards cards

Apple Card vs. Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card

Want to earn cash back on everything, not just some purchases? Then you’ll want to consider a card like the Wells Fargo Active Cash, which earns an unlimited 2% cash rewards on purchases. Plus, there’s a $200 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first three months of account opening.

The no-annual-fee card also comes with low intro APR periods. Cardholders get a 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, then a 20.24%, 25.24%, or 29.99% variable APR applies thereafter. Balance transfers made within 120 days qualify for the intro rate and fee of 3%. After that a fee of up to 5%, with a minimum of $5 applies.

Apple Card vs. Bilt World Elite Mastercard®

Renters seeking a travel credit card that charges no annual fee should look to the Bilt Rewards Mastercard. Unlike most credit cards, it earns rewards on rent payments and also lets you transfer those points at a 1:1 rate to popular airline and hotel loyalty programs. The card provides several options for renters to avoid the transaction fee landlords typically charge if you pay rent by credit card.

The Bilt Card earns rewards at the following rates: 

• 1 point per $1 on rent payments without a transaction fee (on up to 100,000 points each year).
• 2 points per $1 on travel (when booked through the Bilt Travel Portal or directly with an airline, hotel, car rental or cruise company).
• 3 points per $1 on dining.
• 1 point per $1 on other purchases.

You have to make at least five transactions with your card per month to earn these rewards, otherwise you’ll just earn a flat 250 points that billing cycle.

Examples of Bilt’s transfer partners include American Airlines, United Airlines and World of Hyatt. There are no foreign currency conversion fees with this card.

Apple Card vs. Citi Custom Cash® Card

If you spend heavily on one particular category and would like to earn a better rewards rate than 2% or 3% back, consider the Citi Custom Cash. It earns 5% cash back on purchases in a top eligible spend category each billing cycle, up to the first $500 spent each month and 1% cash back on all other purchases. Plus, an additional 4% cash back on hotels, car rentals, and attractions booked on the Citi Travel℠ portal through 6/30/25.

Spending categories eligible for the elevated rewards rate include the following:

• Restaurants.
• Gas stations.
• Grocery stores.
• Select travel.
• Select transit.
• Select streaming services.
• Drugstores.
• Home improvement stores.
• Fitness clubs.
• Live entertainment.

Purchases after you hit the $500 cap, plus those not in your top monthly spending category, earn the lower rewards rate.

You can also earn a welcome bonus of $200 cash back, in the form of 20,000 ThankYou® points, after spending $1,500 on purchases in the first six months of account opening.

Finally, the no-annual-fee card offers low intro APRs: 0% intro APR for the first 15 months on purchases and from the date of the first transfer for balance transfers within the first four months. After that, the variable APR will be 19.24% to 29.24%. There is a balance transfer fee of 5% of each balance transfer with a $5 minimum.

Should you get the Apple Card?

If you’re an Apple loyalist who already uses Apple Pay and the Apple Wallet on a regular basis, the Apple Card will fit well with your lifestyle. On the other hand, if you’re solely concerned with maximizing your cash back, you’re probably better off with a flat-rate 2% credit card.

Also, if you’re someone who prefers paying the old-fashioned way with your credit card rather than using a digital wallet, the Apple Card with its digital-first features won’t be to your taste.

Apple Card summary

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

What is the credit limit on the Apple Card?

If you’re approved for the Apple Card, the issuer will set your credit limit based on factors including your income and ability to repay charges made to the card. No two cardholders’ situations will be the same — some cardholders have posted online about receiving a low credit limit, such as $250, while others have reported much higher credit limits, such as $15,000.

Can the Apple Card help build credit fast?

Building credit takes time with any credit card simply because of how the process works. Most issuers report your balance and payment details to the three major consumer credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Reporting typically happens on a monthly basis.

However, the Apple Card does have some features that can help you in your credit-building journey. For one thing, you can check for approval before actually submitting your application. Since most credit card applications involve a hard inquiry on your credit report, and a hard inquiry will drop your credit score by a few points, being able to check for approval with a soft pull allows you to avoid damaging your score only to see that your application has been denied. 

But note if you’re approved and choose to accept the Apple Card, a hard inquiry happens then. 

In addition, the Apple Card offers financial management tools, such as the ability to estimate how much interest you’ll pay based on the payment amount you choose to make.

While the amount of interest you pay doesn’t directly impact your credit score, how high or low your balance is compared to your credit limit does affect your score — in official terms, this is known as utilization. It’s best to keep your utilization low by regularly paying your card in full.

What credit score do I need to get the Apple Card?

While no credit score can guarantee you’ll be approved, those with a FICO score over 600 which is considered fair, are most likely to get approved.

Editor’s note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:

• What’s in your wallet? Apple wants you to add an Apple Card credit card, coming in summer
• Will Apple Pay be safer than credit cards?