Apple Card invitation problem leading to bogus international application emails

AppleInsider · August 14, 2019 11:38AM

In what appears to be a database problem, Apple is not just sending emails to iCloud accounts saying that the user needs to update with an iCloud email address, but customers outside the US are erroneously being asked to apply as well.

Since Monday, Apple has been sending out a batch of emails, telling customers that all that Apple needs is an Apple ID -- with the email sent to an iCloud address associated with an Apple ID. This is having a side-effect -- Apple ID account holders in countries outside the US are getting the emails as well.

So far, AppleInsider has been forwarded emails from Apple ID holders in Canada, England, France, Ireland, and Spain, all saying that Apple needs a valid Apple ID to proceed.

There is nothing on Apple's pages for the Apple Card suggesting that there is an international rollout at this time. Sources inside Apple corporate not authorized to speak on behalf of the company that AppleInsider contacted this morning confirmed that invites should only be going out to Apple ID holders that reside in the US.

Additionally, Apple Support is aware of the situation. Customers who are calling for information about the invitation email are being told that the engineering team is working on the problem.

So, in short, if you are getting these emails and don't live in the US, the application will fail when you try to apply.

It's not clear how long it will take for the Apple Card to launch outside the US. Apple has filed for trademarks on the name "Apple Card" across Europe and Hong Kong. Apple has also confirmed that the Apple Card will roll out to other countries at some point.

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beowulfschmidt · August 14, 2019 11:48AM

Yet another indicator of Apple's total incompetence. Everyone responsible for this debacle should be terminated! And Apple fined gazillions of dollars for getting all these international folks' hopes up!

/s

decoderring · August 14, 2019 11:59AM

I wonder if (part of) the issue stems from situations like mine: I’m an American living in Canada and have switched back and forth between accessing the Apple Store in both countries in the past.

Technically, though I reside in Canada, I should be eligible to apply as I meet all the criteria to do so. Perhaps Apple’s system doesn’t quite know how to parse potential applicants in similar situations.

badmonk · August 14, 2019 12:06PM

My invite for Apple Card came yesterday and the application process for the card in the Wallet app was a snap. I have noticed that I am getting a MFT of credit card applications this last week, I think competitors are running scared about the 🍏 card.

Lenz · August 14, 2019 12:07PM

I am in the UK and also got the Applecard invitation email this morning. So hopes dashed again! Apple promised the roll out of the Apple Pay Cash to the UK what, over two years ago and so far nothing, zip, nada. Increasingly they appear to be a US only focused company so disappointing for someone who has been an Apple user since the beginning. A promise to roll out an Applecard to the UK later - means little now.

decoderring · August 14, 2019 12:14PM

Lenz said:

I am in the UK and also got the Applecard invitation email this morning. So hopes dashed again! Apple promised the roll out of the Apple Pay Cash to the UK what, over two years ago and so far nothing, zip, nada. Increasingly they appear to be a US only focused company so disappointing for someone who has been an Apple user since the beginning. A promise to roll out an Applecard to the UK later - means little now.

I hear ya. Same for Apple users in Canada...

Mike Wuerthele · August 14, 2019 12:21PM

Lenz said:

I am in the UK and also got the Applecard invitation email this morning. So hopes dashed again! Apple promised the roll out of the Apple Pay Cash to the UK what, over two years ago and so far nothing, zip, nada. Increasingly they appear to be a US only focused company so disappointing for someone who has been an Apple user since the beginning. A promise to roll out an Applecard to the UK later - means little now.

International regulation holdups & differences are generally why Apple says feature X or Y hasn't rolled out beyond the US.

jaredbcook · August 14, 2019 12:28PM

I also received an email basically saying "Thanks for your interest, but the email address you provided isn't associated with an Apple ID. Please try again with the address you use for iCloud." It included instructions on how to figure out what email address that is. But the email address they sent that message to is the one I use for iCloud / my Apple ID.

thadgarrison · August 14, 2019 12:57PM

I’m in the US and was sent an invite to the email associated with my Apple ID asking me to provide the email associated with my Apple ID on Apple’s “Notify Me” page. The whole thing was nonsensical and still did not result in an application.

macgui · August 14, 2019 1:03PM

I got an email yesterday saying 'your invite is waiting' and to go to apple and click the "Notify me' button and provide my Apple ID. It also said my invite may take up to 48 hours to arrive. Yes, I'm a little tingly.

macgui · August 14, 2019 1:11PM

decoderring said:
Technically, though I reside in Canada, I should be eligible to apply as I meet all the criteria to do so.

I.don't.think.that.you.do, you know, living in CANADA, technically. I do not think that word means what you think it means. (Nothing against our Canadian friends, eh?) You may be able to make Apple think you're eligible, but that's not quite the same as being eligible. But let us know if you sneak through security.

TheBuccaneerGentleman · August 14, 2019 1:13PM

Its not so much as your physical location as its your citizenship/address. I am a US citizen who works abroad. I got the email to apply and was approved in less than 3 minutes. I have a US SSN and address but I'm physically in Israel right now.

DAalseth · August 14, 2019 1:15PM

PHISHING ALERT!!! PHISHING ALERT!!! PHISHING ALERT!!!

larryjw · August 14, 2019 1:16PM

thadgarrison said:

I’m in the US and was sent an invite to the email associated with my Apple ID asking me to provide the email associated with my Apple ID on Apple’s “Notify Me” page. The whole thing was nonsensical and still did not result in an application.

I got the same message. But the message also said one might have to wait up to 48 hours to receive the invite for the new Apple ID.

Now, with this bug from Apple sending the invites to users in other countries, I expect the wait be a bit longer.

I'm not in a hurry though, since Apple Card doesn't seem to fit into how I need to do business -- no transaction downloads into Quicken or even a CVS file. I can't image me doing hand-entry of Apple Card transactions myself.

eightzero · August 14, 2019 1:46PM

I got an email invite the same day my titanium card arrived. The packaging on the card was nearly as impressive as the card itself. Beautiful. Makes me sort of sad I will never use it.

MplsP · August 14, 2019 2:10PM

"It's not clear how long it will take for the Apple Card to launch outside the US."

Finance laws and regulations are very different from country to country, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's quite some time. If I were Apple, I'd stick to the U.S., make sure things are going well and issues are addressed, then start to look at the international rollout. It may well be that regulations mandate changes to the benefits, too. Does it say anywhere in the application or fine print whether you have to be a U.S. Citizen?

This seems like a decent flub on Apple's part. It's not the end of the world and doesn't really compromise anything, just makes them look incompetent. I do wonder if some of the issues have to do with people's account settings and usage making it unclear where they actually reside.

eightzero · August 14, 2019 3:04PM

We may actually look back at this time as an important point in Apple's corporate evolution. Financial services are hugely lucrative, and while Apple is certainly always going to be a tech company, it has the established user base and deployed devices to implement such things. It will be interesting to watch. Gotta say this is a bit more interesting that the latest iPhone iteration. Ho hum.

I rather expect big things from this card. As another opined, the amount of unsolicited offers for credit cards seems to be rising. Not sure I ascribe to the notion Apple Card is initiating a credit card war, but competition is now here. Apple Card's features and benefits really aren't all that competitive, but it is a start on a very popular, convenient, and widely deployed user base. I don't ever expect to get those "convenience checks" from Apple Card (how many kids these days know what a "check" is?) but I'll bet I will get offers in the future associated with using the card.

robin huber · August 14, 2019 3:26PM

jaredbcook said:

I also received an email basically saying "Thanks for your interest, but the email address you provided isn't associated with an Apple ID. Please try again with the address you use for iCloud." It included instructions on how to figure out what email address that is. But the email address they sent that message to is the one I use for iCloud / my Apple ID.

I am expecting to get this too. Problem is, when I got my Apple ID years ago I was told I couldn’t use my Apple email address as my username. But I could use a different email address for it. So I used my AOL one. I stopped using AOL years ago, but am still stuck with it as part of my Apple ID. When they ask for th e email address associated with my Apple ID I am always thinking that if I give them my Apple email they’ll reject it as not matching the AOL one.

Soli · August 14, 2019 3:27PM

MplsP said:

Does it say anywhere in the application or fine print whether you have to be a U.S. Citizen?

I doubt it since you don't need to be a US Citizen to get any other credit card.

mac_dog · August 14, 2019 4:38PM

beowulfschmidt said:

Yet another indicator of Apple's total incompetence. Everyone responsible for this debacle should be terminated! And Apple fined gazillions of dollars for getting all these international folks' hopes up!

/s

Yes. Sarcasm.

However, it clearly speaks to the decline of standards to which Apple previously aspired. I think they could have—should have—done more testing.

I think there are too many egos at Apple. I suspect when Steve Jobs was around, his was the ONLY ego allowed in the room.

anantksundaram · August 14, 2019 5:05PM

badmonk said:

My invite for Apple Card came yesterday and the application process for the card in the Wallet app was a snap. I have noticed that I am getting a MFT of credit card applications this last week, I think competitors are running scared about the 🍏 card.

Funny... I did raise an eyebrow a couple of days ago when, for the first time ever, I got a "thank you" note from some SVP of client-something-or-the-other at Amex, thanking me for the three decades of membership with them...

Apple Card invitation problem leading to bogus international application emails

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