iPhone 13 upgraders who couldn't preorder with Apple Card will still get 3% Daily Cash

AppleInsider

Some Apple Card customers eager to get their hands on the latest iPhone 13 were driven to use an alternative form of payment when preorders went live on Friday due to a now resolved iPhone Upgrade Program problem.

Apple's preorder mechanism hit a snag early this morning when an Apple Card issue prevented iPhone Upgrade Program members from completing their iPhone 13 purchase.

The problem was fixed a few hours after preorders went live, but not before a number of customers resorted to placing the charge on a different credit card, forfeiting Apple Card's 3% Daily Cash benefit. Following complaints posted to various social media platforms, it appears that Apple and Goldman Sachs are making the situation right.

AppleInsider can confirm that Apple and its banking partner will honor Apple Card's cash back incentive for customers who used a different card to bypass the iPhone Upgrade Program snafu.

One reader who contacted Goldman about the lost Daily Cash was initially told that the bank was not able to rectify the situation. In a subsequent exchange, however, Goldman said that any Apple Card holder who was unable to make an iPhone Upgrade Program purchase, and consequently turned to a different card, will be eligible to receive the 3% Daily Cash.

AppleInsider confirmed the statement with a Goldman Sachs Apple Card representative.

Those impacted by the issue will be sent an email containing details on how to obtain the benefit that can run close to $55 for iPhone Upgrade Program payments on a 1TB iPhone 13 Pro Max. While not yet confirmed, Apple Card holders might have to change the credit card on file with Citizens Bank, the financial institution handling loans for the iPhone Upgrade Program.

Apple Card rewards range from 1% to 3% cash back in the form of Daily Cash, funds that are transferred to a cardholder's Apple Cash card on a daily basis. Account holders receive 1% back on all purchases, 2% back when using Apple Pay and 3% back at select retailers including the Apple Store. As noted by Apple, iPhone Upgrade Program monthly payments are eligible for 3% cash back.

Read on AppleInsider

f_kent_d

The same thing happened to me while trying to pre order the iPhone 12 Pro last year. Then somehow they validated one of the charges even though none of the attempts were successful even though the only way for me to purchase the phone was through AT&T’s upgrade program. The charges were finally reversed after about 6 months waiting for Goldman to investigate the situation. They even had to reverse the charge after the waiting period ended before they were finished “Looking into the situation.”

chadbag

Amazing.  I tried, end of July, to use Apple Pay online with Apple Card at a building supply place and it kept getting an error.  I called in to Apple Card and they didn’t see anything.  We kept trying all sorts of things with the Apple Card support on the phone and me trying to check out.  Finally they told me to use the card number with a normal credit card checkout, not Apple Pay (therefore going from 2% to 1%).  The rep said because it was not my fault she would put in a request for me to get the extra 1% I would  have gotten had the Apple Pay worked.  Of course, a manager called me a day later and told me my request was denied.   He offered me a $25 back instead (which was about 1/3 of the 1% — this was a large order of furnishings for my house under construction).  I also used Apple Pay and a Chase card at the same place for another almost $4k of stuff the same night (my Apple Card limit wouldn’t allow everything in one Apple Card transaction as I had some Apple  purchases  spread over 12 months tying up some).  Apple Pay online with Chase worked.  Apple Pay online with Apple Card errored every time — same merchant and same evening.  Yet somehow it wasn’t their fault.   I’ve learned to basically just use Apple Card for Apple purchases. Use reliable cards otherwise.  

edited September 2021

af_hitt

chadbag said:

Amazing.  I tried, end of July, to use Apple Pay online with Apple Card at a building supply place and it kept getting an error.  I called in to Apple Card and they didn’t see anything.  We kept trying all sorts of things with the Apple Card support on the phone and me trying to check out.  Finally they told me to use the card number with a normal credit card checkout, not Apple Pay (therefore going from 2% to 1%).  The rep said because it was not my fault she would put in a request for me to get the extra 1% I would  have gotten had the Apple Pay worked.  Of course, a manager called me a day later and told me my request was denied.   He offered me a $25 back instead (which was about 1/3 of the 1% — this was a large order of furnishings for my house under construction).  I also used Apple Pay and a Chase card at the same place for another almost $4k of stuff the same night (my Apple Card limit wouldn’t allow everything in one Apple Card transaction as I had some Apple  purchases  spread over 12 months tying up some).  Apple Pay online with Chase worked.  Apple Pay online with Apple Card errored every time — same merchant and same evening.  Yet somehow it wasn’t their fault.   I’ve learned to basically just use Apple Card for Apple purchases. Use reliable cards otherwise.  

Yep, this story sounds like more of the norm than an anomaly, from my limited anecdotal evidence at least. I have had similar issues to what you described, and so have others I know. So now I just use our AMEX that gives us 2% back everywhere and our Apple Card for Apple purchases only. I’ve even been a little leary of using it for that, too, since our AMEX provides extended warranty and purchase protection (Apple Card does not), which is worth a lot more to me than the extra 1% of cash back.

strangedays

Apple Card via Apple Pay has been a fail for me at regular NFC tap to pay POS terminals. Almost a dozen vendors, the card won't take... If I select a different bank's card in my Wallet, they work fine. Just the Apple Card doesn’t work. 

I've texted w/ support and they don't know anything, claiming the merchant must not take Apple Card, which I know isn't true since the local merchants don't have reason to do that or even know how to do that.

There seems to be something wrong with how Goldman Sachs routes their authorization attempts.

hmlongco

So... I went to check on Citizens One "manage accounts" website. Hitting "Change Payment Account" gives "We cannot perform this action at this time. Please contact customer service."

I'm not sure Apple has picked the best partner here....

killbillog

“Citizens One” web site is simply atrocious, it’s like stepping back to 2001 and certainly not an “Apple” experience. I wonder if anyone at Apple has bothered to check it out, they spend more time making sure the trash cans at Apple stores look better. 

Honoring those who used another card, good!

What about the delay in shipping for those who came back later after getting the error multiple times and being told that Citizens One would contact you in 24 hours?
 Crickets…

Me, I’m so turned off by the experience I’m not going to complete my order. I wonder how many others have that resentment level? 

hank2.0

Me too. I tried a couple of times to buy an Apple Watch SE (for exercise purposes only) on the Apple site with my Apple card only to be rebuffed every time. When I called the card's (Goldman Sachs) help line I was told flatly that it was an ApplePay issue and not a card issue. Firmly believing that if I called ApplePay they would refer me back to the Goldman Sachs "no-help" line, I went to my local Apple Store instead. I got my AWSE and discovered that my Apple Pay worked ONLY if I chose the installment payment plan. Payment in full is a no-no. It amazes me that I pay a premium price for an Apple product and yet I'm denied the 3% payback. I wonder if by reducing the price with a trade-in may have also triggered this miserly scheme.

davgreg

I am in the upgrade program and did the advance setup where all I had to do was review and purchase via the app on my iPad Pro.

My only complaint is that there is no way to log into the Veterans and Military Store via the Apple Store app which gives a 10% discount. You can do it through the web browser, but not the app.

When you start buying thousand dollar items a 10% discount is nice.

centaur

I only use the Apple Card at Apple for this reason, and the Bank of America card gives me 2.62% or higher everywhere so it beats the Apple Card at most places. 

tape

hmlongco said:

So... I went to check on Citizens One "manage accounts" website. Hitting "Change Payment Account" gives "We cannot perform this action at this time. Please contact customer service."

I'm not sure Apple has picked the best partner here....

do you actually have the new loan in your Citizens One account already? because I don't.

drummerlad

I contacted apple about this issue, (I had the problem, card didn’t work for my upgrade), they said to contact the bank, so I did.  The bank said to contact apple.  How do you think I feel?  It’s ridiculous.  I have not been sent an email letting me know how to rectify.  

tape

Is there any timeline on when these emails might be going out?