How Apple Missed Its Chance to Fix Credit Cards

The ‘Everything Card’ could have been the ‘Everyone Card’

Credit: Michael Short/Getty Images

Apple announced a credit card last month. Credit cards are my jam—they’re unique tools in every company’s arsenal to acquire data, lock in users, and ultimately churn out cash. But despite my affinity for Apple products and most credit cards, the entirety of the Apple Card offering feels stuck in mediocrity. Not because the card itself is bad, but because Apple could have done so much better.

Let’s go through the new features, one by one:

“You can sign up directly on your iPhone”

American Express, Discover, Chase, Bank of America, and Barclay each have mobile-friendly credit card applications on their website, but sure, it’s a new native application on your iPhone.

“You don’t have to wait days to get your card. It’s immediately live in Apple Pay, no plastic or metal needed.”

This is nifty, but also not new. You can get instant card numbers right now with:

• The entire American Express suite of cards (e.g., Amex Platinum)
• The Bank of America co-branded Alaska Airlines card