Whenever Apple launches a product, there’s hype, there’s buzz and there’s rumour of revolution, disruption and innovation afoot. And there’s no doubt about it, the new Apple credit card, made of actual Titanium looks pretty cool. Maybe, brag worthy even. With new 3X earning categories it’s taking things further, but not without a catch or two…
It’s hard to imagine a better looking card to pull out of your wallet, but that’s exactly where the identity crisis with this new Apple credit card begins. If you do choose to pay with your Titanium plated metal credit card, you’re already using the card incorrectly. All the best 2X or 3X cash back bonuses categories are for Apple Pay purchases on your phone, not your card, with the exception of Apple purchases. Here are the details on the new 3X bonus categories, and how to make sure you take advantage.
Apple Credit Card New 3X Merchants – Apple Pay Only
The Apple Credit Card offers 2x cash back on all Apple Pay purchases, 1x on all purchases using the actual card, and 3x at Apple. But now, the tech giant is upping the “Daily Cash” rewards game with increased card benefits, bringing 3X points on all Uber Eats and Uber purchases. Apple notes that more 3X merchants are to come, as well, and with no annual fee, 3X is a great earn rate.
But there’s one catch: these purchases must be made using Apple Pay, not your clinking metal credit card. Instead of entering your card details, you specifically choose Apple Pay to earn your 3X at Uber, and Uber Eats. This certainly isn’t a deal breaker, but it’s important to note, since you’d be earning 1X instead of 3X cash back!
Why Is The Apple Card 3X Only For Apple Pay?
Why is Apple only offering the best rewards on Apple Pay purchases? It’s mostly focused on speed and security. Apple Pay uses a special card number, so even if someone is able to obtain your data, it’s not your actual card number. Further, there’s significant time savings in tapping a phone versus pulling out a wallet – and merchants want to make as many sales per hour as possible!
Big Improvements, But There Are Better Cards
Apple’s Daily Cash, the name for their cash back rewards program, works much like the Capital One rewards program where points are earned daily, and can be used on that basis rather than having to wait until the end of the month. This is a nice way to feel instant benefit and gratification since you can see your rewards stack up by the minute, rather than the month, and a great benefit of this Apple credit card.
Make no mistake though, there are better cash back cards out there, which also don’t have any annual fees – at least for now. The Citi Double Cash earns 2X on everything when you pay your bills, regardless of whether you want to pay with your phone, or the actual card in your wallet. With that said, this is quite a positive twist in the Apple Card story, and as mobile payment takes the place of traditional card, a card with quite a few 3X categories and no annual fee could eventually become best in class, or at least closer…
