Another 12 months have gone by without Apple expanding Apple Card availability outside the US, over three years after the service first launched in August 2019.
Apple Card, created in partnership with investment banking company Goldman Sachs, allows users to track spending and help manage bills within the Wallet app on iOS – completely fee-free, and with lower interest rates compared to traditional banks.
Users can make purchases using their Apple Card with Apple Pay on their iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac, or with the optional titanium Apple Card banking card, which features no printed card number or security code, making it the world’s most secure credit card.
Since its launch, Apple has kept Apple Card exclusive to customers in the US, although at one point there were rumors that an international expansion was on the table after Apple acquired Credit Kudos, a UK open banking startup earlier this year, suggesting the service could arrive in the UK, as well as the iPhone maker receiving trademark approval for the name Apple Card in Canada in 2021, although nothing ever came of the two developments.
Image: Apple
The credit card industry works differently in the US than the rest of the world. The fees companies charge to merchants whenever they take a card payment are relatively low elsewhere compared to the US, making it hard for Apple to offer the same Apple Card perks that it does in the US, such as Daily Cash cash back.
With there being no expansion to the availability of Apple Card over the past three years, it seems like at least for now, Apple is happy with having the service limited to users in the United States. There is no word from Apple on if an international expansion is planned, but many users are hoping that the New Year sees the iPhone maker expand the availability of the service beyond Apple’s home country.
