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At its core, the Apple Card is a cash-back credit card. The no-annual-fee card offers the following rewards:
- Via Apple Pay: 3% cash back (in the form of Daily Cash) on all purchases made directly with Apple, including Apple stores, the App Store and for other Apple services; 3% at selected merchants and through selected apps; and 2% back on all other purchases made through Apple Pay.
- Via the physical card: 1% back on all purchases.
There's no massive sign-up bonus or 0% intro APR offer, but the Apple Card's potential 2% cash-back rate on many purchases equals what you'll find on some of the best flat-rate cards available — assuming you can use Apple Pay liberally.
Here's how the card compares with some of those best-in-class options.
Citi Double Cash® Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards: 2% cash back on all spending; 1% when you make the purchase and another 1% when you pay your bill.
Sign-up bonus: Earn $200 cash back after you spend $1,500 on purchases in the first 6 months of account opening. This bonus offer will be fulfilled as 20,000 ThankYou® Points, which can be redeemed for $200 cash back.
APR: 0% intro APR on balance transfers for 18 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.24%-28.49% Variable APR.
How it compares with the Apple Card: When it comes to flat-rate cash-back cards, the Citi Double Cash® Card remains one of the best. Use it anywhere and earn the same high rewards rate back on everything — no Apple Pay point-of-sale required. Plus, you'll get an intro APR promotion.
Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card
Annual fee: $95.
Rewards: 2 miles back on every purchase.
Sign-up bonus: LIMITED-TIME OFFER: Enjoy $300 to use on hotel and vacation rental bookings through Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening – that’s more than $1,000 in travel value.
APR: The ongoing APR is 19.49%-28.49% Variable APR.
How it compares with the Apple Card: On the plus side, the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card earns a high flat rate back on every purchase — no Apple Pay use needed — not to mention a large sign-up bonus. On the downside, you'll have to pay to carry the card, and if you don't travel much, a cash-back card like the Apple Card will be a more flexible option.
Chase Freedom Flex®
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 5% cash back on up to $1,500 in combined quarterly spending on bonus categories that rotate every three months (activation required).
- 5% on travel purchased through Chase.
- 3% on dining at restaurants and purchases at drugstores.
- 1% on all other purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn a $200 Bonus after you spend $500 on purchases in your first 3 months from account opening.
APR: 0% intro APR on Purchases and Balance Transfers for 15 months, and then the ongoing APR of 18.24%-27.74% Variable APR.
How it compares with the Apple Card: If you don't mind keeping track of rotating bonus categories and a few permanent bonus categories, the Chase Freedom Flex® can potentially be more lucrative than the Apple Card, and — again — it doesn't require you to use Apple Pay to earn bonus rates. But a card like this requires more maintenance than a typical flat-rate cash-back card, and unlike the Apple Card, you'll face quarterly spending caps.
PayPal Cashback Mastercard®
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 3% cash back on purchases via PayPal.
- 1.5% back on all other purchases.
How it compares with the Apple Card: The PayPal Cashback Mastercard® earns just 1.5% back on most purchases, with the notable exception of purchases made directly through PayPal, which will earn 3% back. You must redeem your rewards into a PayPal account, but that's free to set up and you can transfer your earnings at no additional cost from PayPal directly into your bank account. As with the Apple Card, there's no intro APR period, although the Apple Card does offer interest-free financing on select Apple purchases.
Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards: 2% cash back on all eligible purchases.
Sign-up bonus: Earn a $100 cash rewards bonus after spending $500 in purchases in the first 3 months.
APR: 0% intro APR for 12 months from account opening on purchases and qualifying balance transfers, and then the ongoing APR of 18.49%, 24.49%, or 28.49% Variable APR.
How it compares with the Apple Card: The Wells Fargo Active Cash® Card offers a simpler approach to earning a solid rate on all purchases. You don’t have to keep track of rewards categories or merchants with this card, or use it through a specific digital wallet to get the best rewards rate. Redemption options are also more varied than what the Apple Card offers, including statement credit, a deposit into an eligible Wells Fargo account, gift cards, purchases and other options. New cardholders may also qualify for the card’s welcome bonus and intro APR offer.
Venmo Credit Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 3% cash back in your top spending category for the month (from one of eight possible categories).
- 2% back in your second-place spending category for the month (from one of the remaining seven possible categories).
- 1% back on all other purchases, including any purchase that doesn’t fall into one of the possible bonus spending categories.
Sign-up bonus: None.
APR: The ongoing APR is 19.49%-31.49% Variable.
How it compares with the Apple Card: The Venmo Credit Card can be used instantly after approval (as can the Apple Card). It earns elevated rewards automatically in two top spending categories from a list of eight options that are broader than those offered by the Apple Card. The categories include groceries, bills and utilities, health and beauty, gas, entertainment, dining and nightlife, transportation and travel. Rewards on the Venmo Credit Card can also be redeemed easily to your Venmo balance after your statement closes. The Venmo Credit Card facilitates some peer-to-peer payments with its QR code on the front of the card. Users can scan it to find your profile and send or request money. Although the Apple Card doesn't have this kind of option, it earns Apple Cash, which can be transferred to others via the Wallet app.
🤓Nerdy Tip
Sending money via Venmo is different from using a Venmo Credit Card to pay a friend. If you choose the latter method, you'll owe the typical 3% fee that credit cards charge for these kinds of transactions. Samsung Galaxy Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards:
- 5% back on in-store and online purchases made directly from Samsung in the U.S.
- 3% back on purchases made with Samsung Wallet.
- 2% back on streaming services like Netflix, Spotify and Disney+.
- 1% back on everything else (including purchases made with the physical card).
APR: Variable.
How it compares with the Apple Card: The Samsung Galaxy card and the Apple Card have several features in common. Both offer a pre-qualification process and instant use after approval, although the Apple Card goes further and shows you the terms of your offer — including the APR and credit limit — before you officially submit your application. (The Samsung card does not show those details beforehand.) Both cards offer bonus rewards on purchases made through a specific digital wallet, but the Samsung Galaxy card wins on this count, and on reward rates generally: Not only does it feature a 5% category, but its 3% rate applies to any purchase made with the Samsung Wallet, not just at a handful of merchants. It also offers a bonus rate on streaming services. The Apple Card can't match those features. On the other hand, though, the Samsung Galaxy card doesn’t offer interest-free financing options on eligible purchases like the Apple Card does.
Other potential alternatives
Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card
Annual fee: $0.
Rewards: 2% cash back on all purchases.
How it compares with the Apple Card: The Fidelity® Rewards Visa Signature® Card earns 2% cash back on everything you buy, including non-Apple Pay purchases. There are several redemption options — but if you want the highest value for your rewards, you must deposit them into an eligible Fidelity account, such as a brokerage account, retirement account, 529 college savings plan or HSA.
