Apple Credit Card

Your Apple ID (and its address) are associated when applying, your US ss# is required (or at least the last 4 digits), and a credit check is implemented immediately, tied to your name/address. (In my case the Zip+4 address filled in for me was slightly off and I had to correct it manually.) If you recently left the US and retained your USA address you could probably get an AC (the physical card would then be mailed to that USA address!) but without a US-based Apple ID, without a SS#, and without a US address that would be on file with Experian/TransUnion/Equifax Iā€™d have to say no.

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Can anyone confirm (or not) that Apple/Goldman Sachs uses only Transunion for credit checks?

Like many others, my credit files are frozen at all 3 credit bureaus in order to protect against identity theft. If only Transunion is used for the Apple Card credit checks, I would need to un-freeze my credit only at Transunion.

In episode 338 of the Accidental Tech Podcast, Casey Liss recounted his experience with the Apple Card sign-up process. He was informed his credit check could not be verified due to a ā€œfrozenā€ credit bureau file, and specifically that Transunion was the credit bureau used. In contrast to the usual procedure in which a credit application is denied with no further details provided, this Apple Card denial provided useful details (the specific credit bureau used).

Can anyone else provide more information?

I can confirm they used TransUnion when they checked as part of my application process.

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Same here. My credit score had temporarily fallen from above 800 to 780 ā€” due to opening a new mobile telephone account and another new major credit card account (for a specific purpose). I was also given the middle rate.

It seems to me they have a set structure:

Above 800 FICO = $10,000 @ 12+%

High 700s = $7500 @ $17+ %

Iā€™m not sure how the structure goes down from there ā€” but Iā€™m pretty sure the above two are what they follow ā€” because I usually get a higher limit and lower interest rate when I get a new credit card. My credit score has been in the same range ā€” usually just above 800 ā€” but occasionally falling to the high 700s ā€” for many, many years.

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I got my invite a few minutes ago and was declined. Guess I have to work on my credit score.

Check your score with TransUnion, which does the credit-checking for the Apple Card. Always the possibility that your account has some errorsā€¦

My physical card came in the mail yesterday (got an alert on my iPhone when the FedEx package was signed by my doorman). Opened the package, placed the card by my phone, the phone recognized its proximity and asked me to approve the activation.

Now I just have to root around and locate a bank account & routing number so I have a way to pay for purchases on the card

Thanks! I will check.

Canā€™t believe that I was declined for an Apple Card. I have an 826 credit score, 6 figure retirement income, and only debt is 2 car loans. If I canā€™t get it with that status, how are others getting cards?

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I have a question. Do you have to request the physical card or is that automatic? I donā€™t really need the actual card right now.

You have to request it, its will show during the process of activating the card in your Wallet.

Curious. Do you have a credit freeze in place at any of the credit bureaus, especially TransUnion?

You might want to obtain a free credit report (annualcreditreport.com) to check for unsuspected or erroneous information.

Credit freeze was removed from Transunion. Didnā€™t unfreeze Equifax or Experian.

Peculiar experience so far. It doesnā€™t feel very much like spending real money (though Apple Pay is obviously normal.) If others feel that way, I wonder if the payment delinquency rate could be higher than Apple and GS are expecting. I am thinking about delaying connecting a bank account to pay my balance a bit longer than I should to see what Apple says to me about it.

Today I used my card, through my iPhone, for the first time, at a local market. As easy as normally using Apple Pay, but a second after the transaction completed my lock screen displayed confirmation. And tapping on that notification brought me into the Wallet app, where the transaction, a location map, and the purchase category were displayed. Pretty snazzy.

I havenā€™t read the fine print, but I wonder if Goldman Sachs has the right with delinquencies to withdraw funds from associated user bank accounts, the way PayPal can with sellers according to their agreement. Probably not, but it was a thought that crossed my mind. Another alternative is that theyā€™ll simply bundle delinquent tranches of consumer debt and sell it.

Edit: one thing that could reduce delinquencies is that Apple will alert you when your bill is due. Since itā€™s a simple click to the Wallet app, even those who overstretch their budgets will have an easy time paying the minimum (plus a likely onerous interest rate).

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From the keynote, Iā€™ve been dying to get this card. It was killing me that invites had gone out to others and not me yet. Got my invite earlier this week and so far I am super happy. My old Credit Union Card has 300,000 points that I just canā€™t decide what to do with. Meanwhile, my Apple Cash already has $28 in it (thanks LG Ultrafine). I know itā€™s not the best rewards out there, but I donā€™t like to chase down new cards or play the reward point games - I want something that makes sense that I can carry forever. I am smitten so far.

Not so sure about the structure - my Transunion is 810 but got the $7500/17+% card. I guess I will have to time my Apple purchases carefully lol

20K here - I saw 30K in some cases on reddit. Iā€™m not sure the structure is super cut and dry