1) It's about time someone stepped up to offer a financial incentive to using Apple Pay.
2) That card looks great and I'm glad there is no signature on it. I never understood why that was ever a thing, like some minimum wage retail employee can gauge whether my sig was forged or wether I was just lazy in signing.
I've never signed any card in years. I've been asked for my driver's license three of four times by a few intelligent souls in all that time
That card looks great and I'm glad there is no signature on it. I never understood why that was ever a thing, like some minimum wage retail employee can gauge whether my sig was forged or wether I was just lazy in signing.
Wow! You put the D in DBag. Sounds like someone is overcompensating for some shortcomings....
Funny to watch people get so excited about something as mundane as a credit card. Up next, the Apple shoelace! I use my costco card at costco and my 2% back citi MC everywhere else. I don't really care if I miss out on an extra 1% back on a $30 purchase. That extra $0.30 won't make a difference in my life. Outside the iPhone (and less so the Mac), Apple is turning into a company I care less and less about. But, I did make a lot of money on their stock
Listen companies evolve and they change. IBM don’t make meat slicers anymore do they? I suspect until technology catches up with designers’ vision the first iPhone experience won’t be repeated anytime soon. Hope I’m wrong about intriguing new hardware but this service side of Apple is quite exciting. Let’s hope both aspects of this great company comes together in ways we can definitely enjoy.
On the service side, apple is just playing catch up to the rest of the industry.
Like who? Google, who just shuttered their video offerings?
And when is the rest of the industry going to catch up with Apple's boss hardware business? Amazon got a new phone coming out anytime soon? What hardware does Netflix have? Ohh I see, only Apple has to be a master of everything to people like you. Other companies get to be one-trick ponies.
Like netflix, hulu, disney, directv now, HBO go, comcast, and so on.
Apple's hardware is top notch for the most part. It and software integration is what is does extremely well. Coming out with a credit card and yet another streaming service is nothing new.
What a great event and an amazing card. An Apple card that has been desired for years and yet exceeding all expectations of anything discussed. So, of course, people are complaining about it.
1) It's about time someone stepped up to offer a financial incentive to using Apple Pay.
2) That card looks great and I'm glad there is no signature on it. I never understood why that was ever a thing, like some minimum wage retail employee can gauge whether my sig was forged or wether I was just lazy in signing.
I've never signed any card in years. I've been asked for my driver's license three of four times by a few intelligent souls in all that time
I'll definitely get one of these.
I haven't signed cards in countless years unless I've been effectively forced to because someone says they can't accept the card without me first signing it… which I've then signed right in front of them. #Security
There seems to be an inverse relationship to the cost of the product to the requirement for verifying an identity. Maybe it's because stolen cards are most often used for mundane purchases. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
What the heck are you talking about? I didn't "scam" anyone. Stop changing the narrative to suit your agenda. I have a perfect credit score of 850. That 0% financing was offered only to folks with the best credit. Folks with low credit don't qualify because obviously, if they are more a credit risk than they have to pay more for the privilege of financing. In addition, that 0% was only for vehicles of the prior model year. It has nothing to do with your fabricated "poor selling" vehicles. My car is one on the best sellers for Ford so give it a rest.
That 0% deal is not rare. Stop making shit up if you don't know. This was offered to anyone that qualified, meaning responsible people. If you really believe paying $50K for a car in cash is better than a 0% loan allowing you to keep your money working for you, then maybe you are the one that got swayed by those late night infomercials and got suckered into one.
Zero % car financing is rare as obviously they make no money on loaning you money. Show me a manufacturer offering 0% currently. They probably just wanted to get rid of that car that's been on their lot all year (it was costing them money as they probably took a loan out to buy it). The only way you get a perfect credit score is by borrowing a lot of money, after all it is called a "credit" score. I assume once your home mortgage is paid off, you'll remortgage it and invest that money in the stock market. After all the mortgage rate is 4.5% and the market returns 10%. But, you know you won't do that. You're forgetting about risk.
I'll continue to be a multimillionaire that never goes into debt, and you can continue to do whatever it is you do.
And my house (in San Francisco) is paid off. No mortgage and financially, doing just fine.
By your arrogance, wouldn't surprise me if your "multimillionaire" status includes your parents' money, assuming you're even remotely telling the truth. Based on your prior posts, It's most likely the latter.
None of those I'm remotely interested in. I'd rather get a much larger cash back than 0% interest.
No, I'm a self made millionaire, I've gotten no inheritance or gifts. I've had a good income, and made sound investment decisions. Believe me or don't believe me, I really don't give a shit. And, I'm being arrogant by saying I don't go into debt?
Why haven't you remortgaged your house at 4.5% and invest that money at 10% in the market? Think of how much money you'll make!
My question involves that card itself. Apple said that it was for when in an establishment that didn’t (yet) accept Apple Pay. But, with nothing on the card other than the chip, we’re (see, I already committed to getting this) going to have a problem for all of those places that are tardy enough to have not yet gotten chip readers. And despite the deadline having passed last year, I think, I still encounter places, mostly small, that can’t use a chip card.
well, still carrying other cards would be wise for a time.
The promo video clearly shows a mag strip on the back, so I think we’ll be okay.
2% on everything. That's sweet! The best I've seen elsewhere is 1.5%. Of course other cards have special deals for specific things -- like Discover it paying 5% on groceries till the end of the month. But, 2% across the board is tempting.
It’s ONLY 2% using NFC payments. It’s 1% for everything thing else which it the majority of your purchases.
It’s easy to get a card that at least 2% and others have more. There are better cards with better rewards.
Not for me.... I don't shop at stores that don't take Apple Pay -- I even go to Sheetz so I can use ApplePay at the pump. So, except for repetitive things like my T-Mobile bill, it's well over 90% ApplePay.
There are cards that pay more than 2% for special deals, but I haven't seen any that pay it across the board like this one.
There are many cards that gives flat 2%. Citi Double Cash or Fidelity rewards are just an examples of 2% regardless of online/nfc etc .
Funny to watch people get so excited about something as mundane as a credit card. Up next, the Apple shoelace! I use my costco card at costco and my 2% back citi MC everywhere else. I don't really care if I miss out on an extra 1% back on a $30 purchase. That extra $0.30 won't make a difference in my life. Outside the iPhone (and less so the Mac), Apple is turning into a company I care less and less about. But, I did make a lot of money on their stock
Listen companies evolve and they change. IBM don’t make meat slicers anymore do they? I suspect until technology catches up with designers’ vision the first iPhone experience won’t be repeated anytime soon. Hope I’m wrong about intriguing new hardware but this service side of Apple is quite exciting. Let’s hope both aspects of this great company comes together in ways we can definitely enjoy.
On the service side, apple is just playing catch up to the rest of the industry.
You're really a pathetic, sad troll. Just like every other industry, Apple is getting into this one to meaningfully improve it, and disrupt common and anti-consumer practises that have been around for decades. A credit card is comparable to a fucking shoelace? Also, Apple is playing "catch-up"? I love this ridiculous meme. Because if Apple is not always offering the sum of every SINGLE service offered by every single company past and current, then they're "playing catch up", right? What an idiotic, short-sighted, irrational, insane mentality. The scope of products and services Apple provides is absolutely massive, especially in terms of the execution and user base. If they come in with a SUPERIOR product (as they almost always do), then they can "catch up" all they want. It's irrelevant. Apple has never been the one to shit out products out the door as fast as they can to be "first", and they never will be. It's telling that that's all you want to focus on.
Funny how Apple is one of the most loved and successful companies on the planet, even in a state of perpetually "catching up" as you claim.
Oh, and caring less and less about a company that is always expanding their portfolio of services and products, and improving them, is some kind of strange anachronism and paradox. And that's on you, not on Apple. Obviously there's nothing they can fucking do that would make you "care" more, cause you're a troll.
I get it, disagree with me and you are a troll. The only anti-consumer practices the credit card industry has is when you don't pay your bill, and Apple's card won't be any different. Try not making payments for a while and see what happens. The credit card industry is matured and dull, any changes are incremental at best.
Apple is at its best when it take a lousy product and reinvents it (iPod) and or invents a whole new paradigm (Mac, iPhone). Who cares about a fucking credit card.
How many people do you know that own a HomePod vs an Alexa or a google home device? Apple playing catch up again.
I don't care if Apple doesn't come out with something new and innovative every year, but when it does, it needs to set the bar, not just squeak in under it.
Apple the most disruptive corporate force in entrenched business practices. They shook the Computer Industry to its core and changed the way people interacted with computers. They did this by changing the basic philosophy and premise of computing. They personalized it. Game Changer. They did it with music, how it was distributed, how it was carried, how it was consumed. Game Changer. Now they are bring that same disruptive force to the financial industry. Credit Cards have been pretty pedestrian for decades. They have been entirely industry (financial industry driven) as a result the ways they have tried to interact with their consumers have been more and more driven by their self interest with little concern for the consumer experience. AppleCard... Game Changer.
Does it break the mold for rewards? Nope. Does it break the mold for cost? Nope. Does it break the mold for all things reward driven Credit Card? Nope. It just thinks different and delivers a better consumer experience in delivering it. Apple just Apple-ized Consumer Credit. 10 years from now we will all look back and say "of course making it easier for Credit Approval should be this easy. Of course all of the things that AppleCard just delivered to consumer finance should have been implemented." Except Chase, Bank of America, Well Fargo, and a myriad of other Financial Industry Titans could have done it but didn't. They had to have the foundation of their business model moved beneath them by Apple.
Troll away with, how "Meh, my card does all that already. Big Deal! Why are Apple fanbois such tewls?", indifference. DOS command line users used to LOVE how easy it was to do things too. Now we all just do things differently. We all just do things differently, more intuitively, and simply, since Apple decided to innovate the processes.
If you think the Apple Card is a game changer, you've set a very low bar.
And your indifference to the shift will be looked at as part of the problem that Apple just solved for an industry it didn't NEED to be involved in. Apple doesn't make moves and involve itself in things if it doesn't feel like it can make a significant (read profitable) change in a significant way. This big dog doesn't get off the porch unless there is a need. You staring at the enormity of the dog and saying " psssshhht! I've seen bigger dogs" Misses the point a little. You pulling the curtain back and pointing to the Great Wizard, 5 minutes into the movie, misses the point a bit. It's all Meh bro, life isn't that complicated. Your indifference and nonchalantness isn't all that earth shattering, in fact Microsoft and IBM used to say "they only represent less than 3% of all computer users..." too. How is that indifference working out for them?
So Apple is now a martyr for saving the credit card industry? My credit card is a next to nothing part of my life. I charge things on it, pay it off when due and don't think twice about it. This is not what made Apple great.
LOL You sir are not the average consumer. Congrats on WINNING! Apple isn't a martyr. They won't die because of this. They will however, usher in a changed ecosystem that never existed before. They will usher in a new and easier way for the "average consumer" to interact with their finances. Bro clearly this isn't a big deal to you. However, your incredible money skillz aren't who this is for. This is for the average user. This is for the masses. This just took your "I'm winning at life cuz I can finance..." and made it easier for the average user to win. GAME CHANGER. Your once venerable DOS Command Line user skillz have just been fossilized. Welcome to irrelevance.
So it's for people who buy stuff they don't need, with money they don't have to impress people they don't like (to quote Dave Ramsey). In other words, imbeciles.
The worst kind of imbecile is one who does not understand the opportunity cost of using one’s capital.
When someone says “I never take on debt,” they simply have no clue how they could have invested their capital to earn a higher rate of return, and therefore how, by avoiding debt, they’re incurring an opportunity cost.
I recommend some Econ 101.
And you're forgetting about risk. Why doesn't everyone remortgage their paid off house and invest the money? I recommend some high school econ.
Too bad that the autarkic barter economy doesn't exist in your primitive financial world...
My financial world may be primitive, but it's gained me several million dollars and I sleep like a baby at night. I don't worry about margin calls, or not being able to pay my debts. To me that's worth a lot.
It's 2% for only payment made through Apple Pay/NFC, else it is 1%. Which means online purchase would be 1% as well. Why would someone take this over Citi Double Cash or Fidelity Rewards , which have flat 2% regardless?
Apple the most disruptive corporate force in entrenched business practices. They shook the Computer Industry to its core and changed the way people interacted with computers. They did this by changing the basic philosophy and premise of computing. They personalized it. Game Changer. They did it with music, how it was distributed, how it was carried, how it was consumed. Game Changer. Now they are bring that same disruptive force to the financial industry. Credit Cards have been pretty pedestrian for decades. They have been entirely industry (financial industry driven) as a result the ways they have tried to interact with their consumers have been more and more driven by their self interest with little concern for the consumer experience. AppleCard... Game Changer.
Does it break the mold for rewards? Nope. Does it break the mold for cost? Nope. Does it break the mold for all things reward driven Credit Card? Nope. It just thinks different and delivers a better consumer experience in delivering it. Apple just Apple-ized Consumer Credit. 10 years from now we will all look back and say "of course making it easier for Credit Approval should be this easy. Of course all of the things that AppleCard just delivered to consumer finance should have been implemented." Except Chase, Bank of America, Well Fargo, and a myriad of other Financial Industry Titans could have done it but didn't. They had to have the foundation of their business model moved beneath them by Apple.
Troll away with, how "Meh, my card does all that already. Big Deal! Why are Apple fanbois such tewls?", indifference. DOS command line users used to LOVE how easy it was to do things too. Now we all just do things differently. We all just do things differently, more intuitively, and simply, since Apple decided to innovate the processes.
If you think the Apple Card is a game changer, you've set a very low bar.
And your indifference to the shift will be looked at as part of the problem that Apple just solved for an industry it didn't NEED to be involved in. Apple doesn't make moves and involve itself in things if it doesn't feel like it can make a significant (read profitable) change in a significant way. This big dog doesn't get off the porch unless there is a need. You staring at the enormity of the dog and saying " psssshhht! I've seen bigger dogs" Misses the point a little. You pulling the curtain back and pointing to the Great Wizard, 5 minutes into the movie, misses the point a bit. It's all Meh bro, life isn't that complicated. Your indifference and nonchalantness isn't all that earth shattering, in fact Microsoft and IBM used to say "they only represent less than 3% of all computer users..." too. How is that indifference working out for them?
So Apple is now a martyr for saving the credit card industry? My credit card is a next to nothing part of my life. I charge things on it, pay it off when due and don't think twice about it. This is not what made Apple great.
LOL You sir are not the average consumer. Congrats on WINNING! Apple isn't a martyr. They won't die because of this. They will however, usher in a changed ecosystem that never existed before. They will usher in a new and easier way for the "average consumer" to interact with their finances. Bro clearly this isn't a big deal to you. However, your incredible money skillz aren't who this is for. This is for the average user. This is for the masses. This just took your "I'm winning at life cuz I can finance..." and made it easier for the average user to win. GAME CHANGER. Your once venerable DOS Command Line user skillz have just been fossilized. Welcome to irrelevance.
So it's for people who buy stuff they don't need, with money they don't have to impress people they don't like (to quote Dave Ramsey). In other words, imbeciles.
Look at you still WINNING at life. Congrats. Now you're kinda becoming needy for reinforcement in your, over 9000 finance skillzzz. You do realize that you don't speak for the average consumer. In fact by your own admissions you represent .001% of the population who are anti-credit by refusing to utilize it when it's available. You realize your troll is losing steam by marginalizing yourself into irrelevance? DOS command line usage used to be a badge of honor for early computer users too.
You sure love that dos line. I've never used dos in my life, btw. So, I'm wrong for not going into debt when going into debt is available to me? What has this world come to? I'm glad I'm not like the average consumer as the average consumer is an imbecile.
You've been so involved in your troll that you missed the premise of my original post you took pains to quote. You seem to be struggling with dissecting my original post. The "DOS Line" I love so much is an exact analogy for your "I'm winning at life, Meh, AppleCard is no big deal, this all seems much ado about nothing..." All of those clueless world class winners didn't understand the average computer user, just as you don't understand the average consumer credit user. GOOD NEWS THOUGH, Apple does understand, and they just unveiled a monumental foundational game changing product to the average consumer credit user. Glad you're still winning at life, Congrats, again bro. You should maybe seek some professional help for your incessant need for positive reinforcement of your actions. Don't you receive enough positive reinforcement from the action of being so amazing in and of itself? What is the basis of your need to belittle and trivialize the average consumer?
LOL. You must have won a lot of participation trophies growing up. It's a stupid fucking credit card, virtually no different than any other credit card.
From what I glean from the comments, the American credit card landscape is a heck of a lot more competitive than the Canadian one. Because 2% on everything for a no annual fee card is actually pretty good for what you can get here.
There's one option that's 1.75% if you have a salary over 80K, another that's 1.25% on everything, and several that are 2% on three categories and 0.5% to 1% on everything else. With some cards at 4% on one niche.
But one card that does 2% on everything, with no annual fee? That would be very competitive here...Too bad it's US only for the start.
Standard isn’t always best when many cards have better rewards than 2%. Also, my standard purchases are extremely low compared to other categories. There’s practically nowhere that I purchase things that I can’t get at least 3% back and up to 5% on most things.
Depends on how one defines "best", doesn't it? The Amazon Prime Store Card, for example, gives you 5% back... with a 28.24% annual APR.
Apple committed to a low (albeit unspecified) APR, with no fees, no late charges, and no penalties. Not to mention the not-so-minor fact that you get your rewards back daily as Apple Cash. Not at the end of the month, not when you redeem them. Daily.
Then there's the secure unique randomized card number per transaction. No number or signature to steal on the physical card. No tracking of purchases. No sales of transaction data.
I don't know about you, but there's a ton of value in privacy and security.
Fees and APRs don’t matter if you pay your balance in full.
You realize that being able to pay off your cards every month isn’t the norm, right?
If you think the “norm” is being stupid then we have a problem. By the way I learned this the hardway and have drastically changed my use of a credit card. At this point I try to keep all card purchases beyond an emergency at a level easily payable every month. The average person can literally save themselves hundreds of dollars a year by doing so.
Frankly it wouldnt hurt for our educational system teach students why being conservative in your use of money is so important.
Whether you believe it's stupid or not is completely irrelevant. Most people cannot pay off their cc every single month, and use it to get by when they need to. It's not even a matter of intelligence, I assure you.
Maybe you shouldn't buy what you can't afford then. And, I doubt it's most people.
You're free to doubt whatever you like. I worked for Capital One corporate for years and will believe and share what I experienced. Again, it's not about your ivory tower morality judgements from on high. It's about the reality of the economy -- the once booming middle-class is being eradicated, and the segments that are growing are low-income, and the very-high income. ie, the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. The middle-class and the promise of the American dream of my parents and grand-parents age where a single-earner need only show up and work hard to get that house and two cars is long gone.
Bingo! The elitist and judgemental comments being posted, i.e. "Maybe you shouldn't buy what you can't afford then" is sad and only serves to illustrate how out of touch and/or ignorant some people can be.
I agree that for several decades the middle class has been eroding, and as a result many more people are living paycheck to paycheck. I am fairly certain that the majority of Apple Insider readers, including 6502, Wizard69, and sirlance99, do not have to struggle with living paycheck to paycheck.
Because of this, they probably don't understand how difficult it can be for those living paycheck to paycheck to avoid using a credit card to pay for major, unexpected expenses such as car repairs, emergency dental work, replacing a major appliance that suddenly died, etc. And since they are living paycheck to paycheck, they can't just pay off the credit card balance in 30 days. Instead, it takes them months to pay it off, all the while paying interest, and all the while praying that another major, unexpected expense does not occur before they can pay off their credit card balance. Unfortunately for some, another significant unexpected expense occurs and pushes them deeper into credit card debt.
So yeah, for those people no annual fee and a low APR matters a lot.
Stop playing the victim. You must be a millennial. Woe is me, woe is me. I moved to CA for a job with a few thousand in my bank account, and worked hard to where I'll likely never have to worry about money again considering my very modest lifestyle. But, guess what, when I had no money I didn't buy shit I couldn't afford, never ate out, never got starbucks, drove a shit car (still do), lived in a shit apartment and on and on. I watched youtube on how to fix my own car or anything else that broke. But, I never went in credit card debt. Time to grow up.
I love this 6502 number guy. His tolling is driving one of the best new services to come from Apple today. Thanks for the attention bud.
From what I glean from the comments, the American credit card landscape is a heck of a lot more competitive than the Canadian one. Because 2% on everything for a no annual fee card is actually pretty good for what you can get here.
There's one option that's 1.75% if you have a salary over 80K, another that's 1.25% on everything, and several that are 2% on three categories and 0.5% to 1% on everything else. With some cards at 4% on one niche.
But one card that does 2% on everything, with no annual fee? That would be very competitive here...Too bad it's US only for the start.
Checkout Citi Double Cash or Fidelity Rewards which gives 2% on everything from so many years. Apple 2% is only for payments made through Apple Pay, else it is 1%, so no it is not 2% flat like Citi Double Cash or Fidelity rewards.
Very cool card, great secure service and seems a fair in terms of all its "no costs" option. I love it but I really, really want to earn frequent flyer miles with my credit card. Frequent flyer miles that I can transfer to any airline or at least the main airlines. With that option, I am all in with AppleCard and to be able to say good bye to Australia banks credit card would be so great to help prize apart their colluding grip on Australia consumers!!
Australian banks, like Westpac and Nab continue to solely focus on their shareholders than they do costumers and this is surely going to back fire as other services come in that are better value, safer more secure and ultimately act to service the user than to line the pockets of their shareholders with complete disregards to what their customers actually want. Bring it on Apple... with frequent flyer points of course.
2% on everything. That's sweet! The best I've seen elsewhere is 1.5%. Of course other cards have special deals for specific things -- like Discover it paying 5% on groceries till the end of the month. But, 2% across the board is tempting.
Like anything tech, a user has to balance their needs and come to a value judgment on things. I use rewards cards extensively, and last year, collected in cash more than $1000 in rewards. I am very lucky, and consider myself fortunate to no longer pay interest. There were many years that I did, and my goal in life is to get it all back in rewards.
I have several cards that offer rotating categories, and again, I feel fortunate to have access to such credit. The most common point of sale transaction I have is the grocery store, and I already have a reliable master card that offers 2% there; and Discover usually offers 5% there one quarter per year. This Apple Card is very attractive, and I will find a use for it, but it won't replace my other cards. YMMV.
What a great event and an amazing card. An Apple card that has been desired for years and yet exceeding all expectations of anything discussed. So, of course, people are complaining about it.
1) It's about time someone stepped up to offer a financial incentive to using Apple Pay.
2) That card looks great and I'm glad there is no signature on it. I never understood why that was ever a thing, like some minimum wage retail employee can gauge whether my sig was forged or wether I was just lazy in signing.
I've never signed any card in years. I've been asked for my driver's license three of four times by a few intelligent souls in all that time
I'll definitely get one of these.
I haven't signed cards in countless years unless I've been effectively forced to because someone says they can't accept the card without me first signing it… which I've then signed right in front of them. #Security
There seems to be an inverse relationship to the cost of the product to the requirement for verifying an identity. Maybe it's because stolen cards are most often used for mundane purchases. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Explain me why would you take this Apple card which gives 2% only with Apply Pay and 1% on everything else compared to getting Citi Double Cash or Fidelity rewards which gives 2% flat on everything and then adding it to Apple Wallet for all Apple Pay payments as well? Those cards are available for many many years.
Comments
I'll definitely get one of these.
Apple's hardware is top notch for the most part. It and software integration is what is does extremely well. Coming out with a credit card and yet another streaming service is nothing new.
I haven't signed cards in countless years unless I've been effectively forced to because someone says they can't accept the card without me first signing it… which I've then signed right in front of them. #Security
There seems to be an inverse relationship to the cost of the product to the requirement for verifying an identity. Maybe it's because stolen cards are most often used for mundane purchases. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
No, I'm a self made millionaire, I've gotten no inheritance or gifts. I've had a good income, and made sound investment decisions. Believe me or don't believe me, I really don't give a shit. And, I'm being arrogant by saying I don't go into debt?
Why haven't you remortgaged your house at 4.5% and invest that money at 10% in the market? Think of how much money you'll make!
Citi Double Cash or Fidelity rewards are just an examples of 2% regardless of online/nfc etc .
Apple is at its best when it take a lousy product and reinvents it (iPod) and or invents a whole new paradigm (Mac, iPhone). Who cares about a fucking credit card.
How many people do you know that own a HomePod vs an Alexa or a google home device? Apple playing catch up again.
I don't care if Apple doesn't come out with something new and innovative every year, but when it does, it needs to set the bar, not just squeak in under it.
I noticed that MasterCard not Visa and GS, not a typical national bank is being used here. Kind of an odd choice. Wish JPM was a partner instead.
Which means online purchase would be 1% as well.
Why would someone take this over Citi Double Cash or Fidelity Rewards , which have flat 2% regardless?
Apple 2% is only for payments made through Apple Pay, else it is 1%, so no it is not 2% flat like Citi Double Cash or Fidelity rewards.
I have several cards that offer rotating categories, and again, I feel fortunate to have access to such credit. The most common point of sale transaction I have is the grocery store, and I already have a reliable master card that offers 2% there; and Discover usually offers 5% there one quarter per year. This Apple Card is very attractive, and I will find a use for it, but it won't replace my other cards. YMMV.
Those cards are available for many many years.