How to find your Apple Card number to buy something online
How do you buy something with a credit card that has no numbers printed on it? Fortunately, thanks to the Wallet App, you can get your card number in just a few seconds with no fuss.
The Apple Card comes without a traditional number printed on the front
The Apple Card has long been known to not feature any numbers on it. While a large portion of this choice was likely aesthetic as a card number would ruin that sleek, minimalist luxury feeling, there's also a security angle to omitting a visible number.
The Apple Card has the ability to switch your card number on the fly. This means that you -- not the card issuer -- are the first line of defense against card theft. If ever you feel like someone has the ability to do something nefarious with your card number, you can request a new card number instantly.
Requesting a new card number is always one tap away
That still leaves the question of how you get the card number in the first place. Unsurprisingly, like a lot of services designed by Apple, it's a relatively quick process.
Once you're in the menu, you can scroll down and see your card number and the associated security code. In this menu is also the ability to request a new card number.
After you buy something with your Apple Card, it's important to make sure you know how to pay off your purchases as well.
The Apple Card comes without a traditional number printed on the front
The Apple Card has long been known to not feature any numbers on it. While a large portion of this choice was likely aesthetic as a card number would ruin that sleek, minimalist luxury feeling, there's also a security angle to omitting a visible number.
The Apple Card has the ability to switch your card number on the fly. This means that you -- not the card issuer -- are the first line of defense against card theft. If ever you feel like someone has the ability to do something nefarious with your card number, you can request a new card number instantly.
Requesting a new card number is always one tap away
That still leaves the question of how you get the card number in the first place. Unsurprisingly, like a lot of services designed by Apple, it's a relatively quick process.
- On your iPhone, open the Wallet app.
- Select your Apple Card by tapping on it.
- Tap the additional options menu designated by the three dots in the upper left corner.
- Verify your ID, either via passcode, touchID, or faceID.
- Tap Card Information.
Once you're in the menu, you can scroll down and see your card number and the associated security code. In this menu is also the ability to request a new card number.
After you buy something with your Apple Card, it's important to make sure you know how to pay off your purchases as well.
Comments
Also this little tutorial serves to answer all the panicky questions about buying online that people have been asking since the card was announced. Now they can know in advance without having to figure it out.
Or when you generate one, is that the only one temporarily tied to the account?
For example, you might use the fixed one on Amazon, but any other purchases online gets a temp.
if your away from your home computer and your phone battery dies...
or even your portable mac battery...
the system isn’t without flaws, however. If the true account number is actually stored on the physical card, as the tech crunch article says, it’s still vulnerable to skimming - if a gas pump has a skimmer installed, or if a shady waiter has one in their pocket, they can get access to your card’s data. Also, if you can only have one virtual number at a time, that means you’re still stuck with the hassle of changing the info with all the vendors with whom you have recurring payments. The biggest problem is that the most common source of account compromise/fraud is with online vendors. Since Apple Pay with online merchants is the exception, not the norm (and I’ve had mixed luck with it, even among those who do accept it,) the problem of getting your number hacked will likely not improve significantly.
Of all the times my accounts have been compromised, I’ve never had to pay a dime. Ultimately, the security really benefits GS, not consumers. Indirectly, it is possible that lower institution costs could translate to lower interest rates, etc, so we’ll see.
https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/28/how-apple-card-works/
You can see end of the physical card number and your device-specific Apple Card number in the Wallet app. If you delete a credit card from Apple Pay and set it up again you should see that ephemeral number change.
You can even have a single account with multiple physical card numbers for different users on an account, but this is not something that the is currently offered by GS's Apple Card.
They say “trust but verify” ... my default is distrust.
Experian: “The IRTC report also stated that the number of credit card numbers exposed in 2017 totaled 14.2 million, up 88% over 2016.”
Generating a new credit card number on the fly, might be the #1 advantage of Apple Card.
I agree online credit card risk is the main risk, which is why virtual credit card numbers is so great. Unfortunately, I’m not sure Amazon will ever accept Apple Pay, unless at some point there is a consumer lawsuit.
I usually avoid other online retailers when possible. Traveling/booking a hotel would be my #2 concern online, I’d use a virtual cc number every time. In 2018 “Marriott Hacking Exposes Data of Up to 500 Million Guests” was news... I question their competency in keeping anything secure. My default to distrust has paid off so far... no accounts compromised.
Of course, this, the RFID chip in the envelope, and all those other little bonuses exist in each and every card that has ever existed… at least that's what people who say the Apple Card offers zero advantages are saying /s.