Apple Card got its first group of public test users today. A limited number of customers who signed up on Apple's website to be notified about the release of Apple Card are now able to apply for the card in their Wallet app as well as order a physical Apple Card (via TechCrunch).
Sign-up invites for Apple Card Preview are going out to a random selection of people who signed up to be notified about Apple Card. Apple hasn't disclosed exactly how many people are part of its preview rollout, but a full rollout of Apple Card is expected later this month.
The Apple Card signup process on iPhone asks for your address, birthday, income level, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. This information is sent to Goldman Sachs, which approves or declines the application in less than a minute. Once the card is approved it shows up immediately in the Wallet app.
TechCrunch's Matthew Panzarino, who has been using Apple Card for a few days, called the card's app interface "multiples better to use than most card apps," thanks to spending categories and clear transaction names (including logos in some cases).
The card on the screen has a clever mechanism that gives you a sort of live heat map of your spending categories. The color of the card will shift and blend according to the kinds of things you buy. Spend a lot at restaurants and the card will take on an orange hue. Shop for entertainment related items and the card shifts into a mix of orange and pink. It's a clever take on the chart based spending category features many other credit cards have built into their websites.
The Verge's Nilay Patel also received a physical titanium card early and had this to say about it.
"I got to hold the card itself and it is very nice, although it is fairly thick and felt a little bit heavier than the typical metal credit card. You can use the card without your phone nearby like any other card, but it doesn’t support contactless payments — Apple obviously wants you to use your phone or watch for that."
Apple Card is limited to the United States at the current time, but may expand to additional countries in the near future. Apple is already in talks with European regulators, and has trademarked Apple Card in Europe, Hong Kong, and Canada.
Apple Card is a no fee credit card. There are no annual fees, international fees, fees for making a late payment, or fees for exceeding your credit limit, which means there are no penalty rates for missing a payment.
As part of its Apple Card Preview, Apple has also shared a series of videos via its YouTube channel explaining how to set up and use Apple Card on iPhone.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said last Tuesday that the Apple Card will launch in August, so the full rollout could be coming any day now. Goldman Sachs last week made its Customer Agreement available providing more detail on the Apple Card. For questions about how everything will work, make sure to check out our Apple Card guide.