We decided to indulge in a spot of marketing imagination and dare to pose a question that few are even thinking about. Has the time come for Apple to launch its own credit card?
iCard is a hypothetical product dreamed up by the team at Credit Card Compare back in 2012... turns out in 2024 we weren't crazy.
The features and benefits of Apple's iCard.
Credit Card Compare
Since the invention of the credit card, the speed of change has been glacial, and the market has largely stagnated. The core credit card product offered by one bank is, at best, only marginally different to that of any other bank. There are undoubtedly important points of differentiation (interest rates, fees, rewards programs, insurance, etc.), but all in all, over the decades, change has been evolutionary, not revolutionary. Something has to happen. And it may be happening now.
With the widespread adoption of smartphones and contactless payments, Wall Street’s incumbents are facing a barrage of disruption to their business from Silicon Valley. Banks aren’t renowned for being particularly imaginative, except for packaging up leveraged debt and selling it as a security. The ‘big end of town’ needs to iterate. The problem is, how?
If Apple Made a Credit Card...
Beyond Comparison.
Payments will never be the same. It’s the most amazing credit card yet. It’s not just better. It’s incredible. iCard is the biggest thing to happen to personal finance since online banking. Deep integration with iOS and OS X makes managing your money easier than ever. And the numbers add up too.
Passbook integration.
Makes it easier than ever to pay.
iCard seamlessly integrates with Passbook so you can effortlessly swipe and pay using your iPhone. Payments have never been faster, or easier. Just imagine this being integrated with your frequent flyer credit cards...
Siri.
Your personal finance assistant.
Ask what your balance is. Get a copy of your statement. Request a credit limit increase. Send a message to customer care. Make a payment. Siri makes it easy to manage iCard.
Notification Center.
See what’s happening. Now.
Track everything with iCard and Notification Center on iOS and OS X. Real-time alerts when payments are received and notification when payments are due.
Find My iCard.
If you lose your iCard, help is just a click away.
First there was Find My iPhone. Now there is Find My iCard. As your iCard will go just about everywhere you go, you might lose it anywhere. But with Find My iCard, it won’t be lost for long. And if you really have lost it, you can remote wipe it.
AppleCare+
Award-winning service. Free for iCard.
Access to Apple experts who can solve your problem over the phone or at an Apple Retail Store. It’s like having your own team of specialists.
Ready for business.
Flexible, affordable financing.
iCard is perfect for business. Categorise spending and help prepare your tax returns. Export data in Numbers, XLSX, CSV, XML, or QDF formats. Integrates with popular accounting tools including QuickBooks, Freshbooks, Xero and Sage.
Paperless.
It’s never been so green.
The paperless office is one step closer. Paper statements and letters are a thing of the past with iCard. It’s just another way we are trying to reduce our impact on the environment.
One more thing.
The numbers.
0% for 24 months on balance transfers with no fee. 0% for 6 months on purchases. No annual fee. Sign up for iCard and get $100 off your next purchase at the Apple Online Store and Apple Retail Stores or a $100 iTunes voucher.
The iCard infographic
