Apple Card ranked highest in the Midsize Credit Card segment of the J.D. Power 2021 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study. The credit card — which is issued by Goldman Sachs — also ranked highest in its segment across all of the surveyed categories, including credit card terms, benefits and services, and rewards.
“We designed Apple Card to help our customers lead healthier financial lives, so it’s incredibly meaningful to see that our customers are valuing this,” said Jennifer Bailey, VP of Apple Pay. “Being recognized as the leader in this category this year is an honor.”
The credit card’s satisfaction score is 864 out of 1000. That’s 47 points higher than the nearest issuer.
Apple Card is going against the trend as customers are generally getting less satisfied with rival cards. The average score in the Midsize Credit Card category declined by 17 points to 796 in the just-released J.D. Power survey.
Apple Card is very Apple
The credit card is made of titanium, and Apple suggests customers use it where its contactless-payment system Apple Pay isn’t accepted.
It integrates with the iPhone Wallet app and tracks purchases and payments in an easy-to-understand interface. The day, location, amount and time of payment are cleanly listed, sans the tiny type and obscure store codes of the usual credit card statement.
Like most such, Apple Card offers cash back — which it calls “Daily Cash” — on purchases. The standard amount is 1% though special promotions increase this. The money goes into the user’s Apple Cash account each day. It can be used to make other purchases or transferred to the user’s bank account.
Why it’s U.S. only
If J.D. Power asked people around the world, they’d find a lot of dissatisfaction that Apple Card isn’t available outside the United States. But availability depends heavily on local laws about credit card interchange fees.
Take the U.K., for example. It severely limits the fees credit cards can charge merchants to make transactions. That means Apple Card would lose money if it offered U.K. users the same 1% back on transactions it does U.S. card holders.
Source: Apple
