Apple Card: Activating the physical card is a breeze
Must-see offer
The digital version of my Apple Card is still entirely orange. But, today, I received my physical Apple Card. The titanium card is entirely white and will stay that way, regardless of what I purchase. I knew it was arriving because the Wallet app on my iPhone had sent me alerts, letting me know when it shipped via FedEx, and it even let me know that it was getting close to delivery.
Must read: Apple Card: My first day with Apple's new credit card
There's an Apple logo (because of course there is), my name, and a chip on the front of the card. On the back, the Goldman Sachs and MasterCard logos are all you'll find. Even the magnetic stripe is different, hugging the bottom of the card.
It's very minimal, and I can only imagine there will be a lengthy conversation each time I hand it to a clerk at a checkout stand. There's a distinct metal sound when you place it on a counter, too.
If nothing else, by using a metal card, Apple is getting plenty of free advertising each time the card is used.
Instead of calling customer support and going through an automated system to activate my new card, the envelope the card arrived in has a spot near the bottom that says: "Wake iPhone and hold here." So, I did. Here's what happened:
And, a few seconds later, this happened:
Tapping Continue opened the Wallet app and showed me my Apple Card account.
If you use an iPhone XR, iPhone XS, or iPhone XS Max, you can use the same activation method I did. Otherwise, you'll need to open the Wallet app and activate the card. Either way, you don't have to deal with an automated call-in system.
For those keeping track at home, I've used my Apple Card (via Apple Pay) to a tune of $58 and have just under $1 in Daily Cash. I'll try not to spend it all in one place.