Here's why you're only getting 1% cash back with the Apple Card

Posted:
in General Discussion edited October 2020
Now that you've got your Apple Card, you might be wondering why you've only been getting 1% back in Daily Cash. As it turns out, like most cards, there's a set of rules you'll need to follow to get the most cash back.

Apple Daily Cash


If you're looking to get the full 3% cash back from Apple Card purchases, you'll only be able to get that from buying something from Apple directly. Snagging yourself a new $1,299 MacBook Pro will get you just under $40 in Daily Cash, for example. Notably, purchases from both iTunes and the App Store, as well as your subscription to Apple Music, and likely Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade, will also get you 3% Daily Cash.

Gaining cash back from App Store purchases


Using Apple Pay, on your iPhone or Apple Watch for instance, will net you back 2%. Not only is this great incentive for using Apple Pay, which is fast and convenient, it helps to keep your physical Apple Card in pristine condition.

You'll also still get Daily Cash if you use your physical Apple Card, but it will be reduced to 1%, rather than the 2% back you'll get for using Apple Pay. This includes online purchases that require you to enter in your card number. While you're still getting money back, you're getting significantly less back than you would if you were using Apple Pay. As follows, you want to use a different rewards card you own for these purchases, especially if they have a lower interest rate or offer more money for purchases like gas or groceries.

So, if you're planning on upgrading any of your Apple gear, especially larger purchases, it would be beneficial to make the purchase with the Apple Card. You'll be able to get a bit of money back, which is always a bonus when you're already spending that much money.

Otherwise, it's best to try to use your Apple Card exclusively with Apple Pay. Many retail outlets accept Apple Pay, which gives you the most amount of cash back for non-Apple purchases. The Apple Card has many benefits, but it's worth noting that like all credit cards, there are pros and cons to using it.



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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 38
    It wasn't clear to me at first, but you do get 3% on any Apple purchase, even if you don't use Apple Pay. That includes the iPhone Upgrade Payment, even though it is a payment to a Citizens Bank loan.

    Also, you get 2% on any Apple Pay purchase, not just ones made with the iPhone or Apple Watch.
    StrangeDaysforgot usernamelollivernetmage
  • Reply 2 of 38
    You also get 3% cash back if you are in Apple’s iPhone upgrade program and use your Apple Card for your monthly installment payment. 

    You have to manually update the payment method, though, as the ‘Make Default at Apple’ feature doesn’t reach Citizen One’s system. 


    edited September 2019 kgarrStrangeDaysforgot username
  • Reply 3 of 38
    You also get 3% back on an Apple purchase if you use Apple Pay on your watch using the Apple Card on your watch.
  • Reply 4 of 38
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    Not that I disagree with anything the article said, but wasn’t all this obvious? Apple had it all spelled out quite clearly in the marketing/web pages for the card
    randominternetpersonJWSCchemengin1jbdragonforgot usernamesuperklotonlolliverzoetmbnetmagejony0
  • Reply 5 of 38
    FolioFolio Posts: 698member
    In my case, even though I made Applecard the default (and it indeed worked with Etsy transaction) all my iTunes and App Store transactions via ApplePay would default to my Former top card, cheating me of additional cash back. Suffice it to say, I'm still working it out. I deleated my secondary card and now ApplePay itself is gone. I'll figure it out soon. But hope this isn't a common problem.
  • Reply 6 of 38
    Mike WuertheleMike Wuerthele Posts: 6,858administrator
    MplsP said:
    Not that I disagree with anything the article said, but wasn’t all this obvious? Apple had it all spelled out quite clearly in the marketing/web pages for the card
    But yet, we get asked anyway, so here we are.
    muthuk_vanalingamCarnagelolliverjony0
  • Reply 7 of 38
    One interesting thing about all this is that if you want to pay over time with Apple, the only way to do it is still the Barclays Card, which was Apple's default credit cad product before the Apple Card.  Apple's website is still promoting the BarClays product if you want to do 6/12/18 month same as cash for purchases.  You'd think that Apple would have had a feature like this for the Apple Card upon launch but right now, there isn't one.
  • Reply 8 of 38
    You also get 3% cash back if you are in Apple’s iPhone upgrade program and use your Apple Card for your monthly installment payment. 

    You have to manually update the payment method, though, as the ‘Make Default at Apple’ feature doesn’t reach Citizen One’s system. 


    That's great news.  I just switched my card over to ApplePay for the monthly citizen bank loan payment. 
    I'm going to be using the AppleCard for payments that will pay 2 or 3%.  Anything that earns 1% will go on our joint Costco card.  We get 2% for activities like restaurants.
    forgot username
  • Reply 9 of 38
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    MplsP said:
    Not that I disagree with anything the article said, but wasn’t all this obvious? Apple had it all spelled out quite clearly in the marketing/web pages for the card
    But yet, we get asked anyway, so here we are.
    Seriously??? Wow. That’s incredible, and not I a good way. It’s nice of AI to do a public service story like this, but I’m guessing that none of these people have any clue about the fees, rebates and interest rates of any of the other cards they own, then. For that matter, they must have a hard time with the internet, too, since what you wrote is front and center on the Apple Card web page. 
    edited September 2019 chemengin1
  • Reply 10 of 38
    To get the best deals on Apple hardware it’s often best to buy from a 3rd party reseller like B&H. You can save a lot more by doing that than the 3% offered by the card! 
    forgot usernamefreethinkingnetmage
  • Reply 11 of 38
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    alanh said:
    To get the best deals on Apple hardware it’s often best to buy from a 3rd party reseller like B&H. You can save a lot more by doing that than the 3% offered by the card! 
    Well I come from an era when third party resellers were openly hostile to Apple products and tucked them away in the back corners of their stores. When Apple started opening its own stores those same resellers screamed bloody murder about being pushed out. Because of that experience I always buy my Apple products directly from Apple no matter the price difference. Just me.
    Solilolliver
  • Reply 12 of 38
    Jeez! It’s an affinity card. Period.
    What separates it is the convenience of virtual.

    edited September 2019
  • Reply 13 of 38
    lkrupp said:
    alanh said:
    To get the best deals on Apple hardware it’s often best to buy from a 3rd party reseller like B&H. You can save a lot more by doing that than the 3% offered by the card! 
    Well I come from an era when third party resellers were openly hostile to Apple products and tucked them away in the back corners of their stores. When Apple started opening its own stores those same resellers screamed bloody murder about being pushed out. Because of that experience I always buy my Apple products directly from Apple no matter the price difference. Just me.
    I usually do too (although not always, such as getting a spare Airport Express after Apple had discontinued them). 

    I've found that there's more "understanding" if you have a problem and take it back to the Apple Store - and you bought it from Apple.
    StrangeDaysforgot usernamelolliver
  • Reply 14 of 38
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    MplsP said:
    Not that I disagree with anything the article said, but wasn’t all this obvious? Apple had it all spelled out quite clearly in the marketing/web pages for the card
    Are you new to the Internet?

    From my observation not just here at AppleInsider but on any Apple related discussion forum is that many people don't read the Apple marketing pages and really don't read the Goldman Sachs customer agreement (you know, the legal document that defines the cardholder-issuing bank's roles and responsibilities).

    Ideally, people would read all of that stuff before asking questions about the Apple Card, but unfortunately we don't live in that world.

    Sorry about that.

    On the positive side it generates some cheap, low effort pageviews for AppleInsider.
    edited September 2019
  • Reply 15 of 38
    If I can get 5% rebate using my Amazon charge card for Apple products why would I settle for just 3% using the Apple card.  Come on Apple; get with the program.
    chemengin1forgot usernamealphafox
  • Reply 16 of 38
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    lkrupp said:
    alanh said:
    To get the best deals on Apple hardware it’s often best to buy from a 3rd party reseller like B&H. You can save a lot more by doing that than the 3% offered by the card! 
    Well I come from an era when third party resellers were openly hostile to Apple products and tucked them away in the back corners of their stores. When Apple started opening its own stores those same resellers screamed bloody murder about being pushed out. Because of that experience I always buy my Apple products directly from Apple no matter the price difference. Just me.
    The education discount Apple offers on Macs is usually inline with and usually a little less than "discounts" others offer for newly released Macs. Now, if there's no tax for that particular online store because of the state they're in and where they're shipping it, you can save yourself another hefty amount, but you have to wait for them to get it in stock so I usually just apply my education discount to my local Apple Store or Apple's online store to get my needs met and fulfilled right away.
    forgot username
  • Reply 17 of 38
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    FJERINA said:
    If I can get 5% rebate using my Amazon charge card for Apple products why would I settle for just 3% using the Apple card.  Come on Apple; get with the program.
    Why is it so hard for you to understand that you would want to use Amazon and your Amazon card in that instance, if the cash back was the deciding factor?

    You might as well say, "If I can get 4% rebate using my Costco charge card for fuel at Costco why would I settle for just 1-2% using the Apple card.  Come on Apple; get with the program."

    Use the card that works best for where you shop. Why was this not an issue before the Apple Card and now that it exists you and countless others are confused by having multiple cards that you shuffle for various purchase scenarios?
    StrangeDaysnetmage
  • Reply 18 of 38
    MplsP said:
    Not that I disagree with anything the article said, but wasn’t all this obvious? Apple had it all spelled out quite clearly in the marketing/web pages for the card
    Seriously. Apple spells it out very clearly about 40% down this page: https://www.apple.com/apple-card/how-it-works

    I have an Amex card that gives me a bunch of 6% and 3% returns. You have to hunt the full explanation down many links on their site. I wish they had such a simple graphic.
    edited September 2019
  • Reply 19 of 38
    jbdragonjbdragon Posts: 2,305member
    I never buy anything directly from Apple, so I'd never get the 3%. So why bother with the card? On the other hand, my Amazon Card I use all the time. So I get 3% using that. The last big Sale Amazon had, it doubled to 6%. So for me, a better deal. I don't care about a Fancy looking card. my Amazon Card is locked up in my safe anyway. I only use it for Amazon, and they have my card number. I also have 2-Factor turned on like everywhere else.
  • Reply 20 of 38
    FJERINA said:
    If I can get 5% rebate using my Amazon charge card for Apple products why would I settle for just 3% using the Apple card.  Come on Apple; get with the program.
    I prefer to buy direct from Apple, as someone already mentioned if you have an issue it’s easier if it’s all first party. And forget about accessories on Amazon, you have no idea if you’re going to get legit or knockoffs, judging by reviews. So, I’ve never bought Apple gear from Amazon. 

    Also, your 5% doesn’t apply to the app store, itunes, icloud, upgrade program, etc. As usual, use the right card for the right job. Sounds like you like your Amazon card for Amazon purchases. Great. 
    edited September 2019 forgot usernamenetmage
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