Apple’s flashy new credit card is now available (to some)

Apple’s first credit card is here.

The company is now opening up applications for its credit card to the public as part of a “preview.” Beginning today, a subset of people — the company isn’t saying how exactly many — who signed up for updates on Apple’s website will receive invitations allowing them to apply for the card. The company plans to make the card more widely available over the next few weeks. 

If having an iPhone or AirPods is considered a status symbol, then the titanium Apple Card will be the ultimate way to signal that you’re a (literal) card-carrying Apple fan. 

But as cool as the silvery white titanium card looks, Apple’s credit card is really meant to be an iPhone-centric experience. Everything from the application process to billing is handled in the Wallet app, and the card’s “Daily Cash” rewards program incentivizes you to use your iPhone for Apple Pay purchases rather than the physical card. 

Even so, the flashy titanium card will likely be a big draw. The idea of a cool-looking credit card as a kind of status symbol feels hopelessly outdated in 2019, and yet credit card companies keep churning out “premium” cards.

On its part, Apple isn’t necessarily marketing Apple Card as a flashy status symbol, but the company has included a few touches to really remind you that even the physical card is, actually, still an Apple product. The card itself arrives in packaging that has an NFC chip embedded inside, so activating your card is more like setting up a new pair of AirPods than calling your bank. A tap from your iPhone on the package activates the card, no unsightly stickers required.

And the back of the card is equally minimalist, with logos for MasterCard and Goldman Sachs (the bank that Apple worked with on the card) but little else. The credit card number and expiration date are stored in the Wallet app, which has some added antifraud benefits besides just making the card look cool.

Apple execs have also repeatedly emphasized that the Apple Card is meant to be as consumer-friendly as possible. There are no fees associated with the card, even if you miss a payment, and the Wallet app will encourage you to make payments in order to avoid accruing extra interest. 

So it’s easy to see how a lack of fees and easy-to-understand graphs and charts would be especially appealing to younger Apple fans, who may not be as adept at navigating the fine print of credit card agreements (though the Apple Card comes with a few unusual rules of its own). 

Whether it actually makes sense for you will depend on a bunch of different factors, such as how often you plan on using Apple Pay, what you want to get out of a rewards program — and if you’re comfortable with the idea of giving Apple a permanent, titanium-filled slot in your wallet.