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The Almighty Buck Apple Technology

Apple Advises Owners of Its New Credit Card To Keep It Away From Leather, Denim (bbc.co.uk) 153

AmiMoJo shares a report from the BBC: Apple has advised owners of its new credit card to keep it away from leather and denim. Keeping the card in a leather wallet or in the pocket of a pair of jeans could cause "permanent discolouration." The Apple Card is a relatively plain matte white credit card made of titanium, which was designed to stand out against other credit cards. But people have poked fun at the company after reading that the card could be so easily damaged. Apple has published a guide advising customers how to "safely store and carry" their Apple Card. The guide warns that storing the card with other credit cards can scratch and damage it. Here's how Apple recommends you safely store and carry your titanium Apple Card:
- Store your titanium Apple Card in a wallet, pocket, or bag made of soft materials.
- Place your card in a slot in your wallet or billfold without touching another credit card. If two credit cards are placed in the same slot your card could become scratched.
- Don't place or store your titanium Apple Card card near magnets. If your card is placed close to a magnetic latch on a purse or bag, the magnetic strip can become demagnetized.
- Don't place your titanium Apple Card in a pocket or bag that contains loose change, keys, or other potentially abrasive objects.
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Apple Advises Owners of Its New Credit Card To Keep It Away From Leather, Denim

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  • by SuperKendall ( 25149 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @05:56PM (#59114156)

    Advising people to keep a credit card away from leather especially seems pretty crazy to me when so many wallets are leather...

    As for mine, I plan to put it in a wallet with other cards al let the chips fall where they may. It seems like a personally tarnished card could be a mark of distinction. :-)

    Will be interesting to see what it's like compared to other metal cards.

    • by Jamu ( 852752 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @05:58PM (#59114170)

      Advising people to keep a credit card away from leather especially seems pretty crazy to me when so many wallets are leather...

      That's where the $999 Apple wallet comes in...

    • It seems like a personally tarnished card could be a mark of distinction. :-)

      To go along with your phone with the cracked screen.

    • Re: (Score:3, Interesting)

      by jeepies ( 3654153 )

      First I've heard of it. Why exactly would someone want an Apple branded Mastercard?

      • by Joce640k ( 829181 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:29PM (#59114270) Homepage

        Hard to believe it's 2019 and you've never met an Apple fanboi.

      • I'd assume that you apply for Apple Credit to buy some pricey item, and you are actually getting a credit card with your purchase already on it, along with enough rope to hang yourself. Apple has had credit cards since I was working in computer stores since at least 1984. A ton of people bought those original Macs on them, and it never stopped. Some crazy interest rate too. I'm sure they made bank on them.

      • by nine-times ( 778537 ) <nine.times@gmail.com> on Thursday August 22, 2019 @07:00PM (#59114350) Homepage

        It's basically designed to be a virtual credit card, stored in Apple Wallet and used with Apple Pay. There's some Mint-like reporting right in Apple Wallet that tells you where your money is going, you have immediate access when the card is approved, and support via texting right in the app. They're trying to be all modern and convenient, though you could argue about whether they're succeeding. The way they present it is, the physical card is more there for if you need it in a situation where Apple Pay isn't accepted.

        Also, the cash-back deal is pretty good if you actually use Apple Pay.

        I'm not arguing that you should get it. If none of that is appealing to you, then it's probably not worth getting. I'm just telling you why someone might want the Apple-branded card, aside from some kind of brand-loyalty or cool-factor.

        • Cash back is great for Discover cards too. Oh wait, not everyone accepts Discover? Sounds just like Apple cards then.

    • by DigitAl56K ( 805623 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:47PM (#59114322)

      1) Apple launches card wants more attention/customers
      2) Apple design defects get lots of attention/press
      3) Suddenly way more people are hearing that Apple has launched a card
      4) Apple announces fix after press attention*1
      5) Someone makes a boatload from selling accessories (e.g. card protectors)*2

      *1 presumably.
      *2 such is Apple life

      • 6. Apple shows courage by removing the chip from the next version of the card.

      • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

        Some phones have a drop sensor now. It's mostly for the ones with pop-up cameras so they can retract when free-fall is sensed.

        I'd like to see that expanded with airbags.

    • Never buy Version 1 of anything.

    • by Ol Olsoc ( 1175323 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @08:00PM (#59114502)

      Advising people to keep a credit card away from leather especially seems pretty crazy to me when so many wallets are leather...

      As for mine, I plan to put it in a wallet with other cards al let the chips fall where they may. It seems like a personally tarnished card could be a mark of distinction. :-)

      Will be interesting to see what it's like compared to other metal cards.

      I can't imagine why they would paint a titanium card in the first place. Raw metal would be my choice.

    • Advising people to keep a credit card away from leather especially seems pretty crazy to me when so many wallets are leather...

      From the company that brought you a phone that only works right if you hold it a certain way, we now have...

    • That's because the Apple credit card is intended to be a fashionable statement, and not a utilitarian product like a simple credit card. If Apple really didn't think this through, then they're far too used to having uncritical customers who will buy any old shit they sell.

    • by DarkOx ( 621550 )

      What is absurd about this card is that anyone with money to burn on Apple products is interested in the first place. Yes it has some nice features around managing multiple numbers etc and maybe even privacy. However its only 2% cash back which for someone with decent credit is not awful but not especially generous even on a no-fee card! Here is the better part though! You only get 1% back UNLESS you use Apple Pay to do the transaction! That is horse shit it terms of rewards.

      Most of the people in the econo

  • HAHAHAHA...Oh...You were serious! LOLOLOLOLOLOL
  • by fluffernutter ( 1411889 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:02PM (#59114182)
    You weren't storing it right!
    • by weilawei ( 897823 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:20PM (#59114252)

      Came here for this.

      Seriously Apple: your target market is the "doesn't want to have to know how to hold it" crowd. Instructions like this just make a mockery of your brand.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      This is going to happen. Someone will take their stained card to an Apple Store for replacement, and the "genius" will tell them that their wallet isn't compatible and they were storing it wrong.

    • Where have I heard that before... Something about an antenna maybe?

      You weren't holding it right!

  • I wonder if this was known before launch, or if it is a case of we didn't test it with real world users?

    • by Cmdln Daco ( 1183119 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:06PM (#59114206)

      It sounds similar to that Apple Speaker they put out that marrs a wood surface if you place it on one.

    • by Joce640k ( 829181 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:33PM (#59114288) Homepage

      I wonder if this was known before launch

      Of course it was, but Apple wants you to know that this card is different and special, not like all those others.

      It's just another example of Apple courage.

      • Reminds me of a book I read where a guy was so special that he had business cards made out of thin rock slices. You could not store it in a flexible container like a wallet because it would break, and you would not get another one.

    • by v1 ( 525388 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @07:26PM (#59114404) Homepage Journal

      The card isn't intended for "regular use" like your other credit cards. It's more of a reminder of what your number is if you need to make a purchase somewhere that doesn't support Apple Pay. The rest of the time it's intended to be left alone one of the rear pouches in your wallet.

      But the whole reason for the problem is Apple and it's customers are big on looks. Look at the acid-etched cases on their laptops - lord that scratches easily and is impossible to buff out, and most owners will flip out if you scratch the finish when servicing it. For many Apple customers (call them "fan-boys" if you must), cosmetics are important. Apple probably got some early feedback from users that were upset their cards got scuffed or scratched.

      Thing is, Apple doesn't want to have to replace these cards left right and center every time they get scratched, because these cards probably aren't cheap to make. So they're just laying out the "proper care" of the product, so when you (inevitably) scratch the card, you have no grounds to claim a defect to get a replacement. "You were TOLD not to do that, and you did it anyway, and what we told you would happen DID happen, so it's not our problem to fix."

      It's got nothing to do with how people will use the card, it's just covering Apple against repairs/returns.

      And I'm not surprised in the slightest. Titanium is strong, not hard. That means you can't bend the card easily, but it's easy to scratch

      • Maybe it depends on how it's alloyed or something but my titanium glasses are easy to bend but don't seem very susceptible to scratching.

      • > It's more of a reminder of what your number is if you need to make a purchase somewhere that doesn't support Apple Pay.

        Is it, now? The card doesn't have the number printed on it:

        https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/1... [cnbc.com]

        I guess you just pull ideas out of your ass and claim it as truth, huh?

    • by jrumney ( 197329 )

      Or they did test it, and saw it as an opportunity for marketing an Apple wallet and Apple trousers.

  • by theskipper ( 461997 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:04PM (#59114200)

    How many oldtimers immediately thought of this:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]

  • by dryriver ( 1010635 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:07PM (#59114208)
    You had to sign the back with a STYLUS, even though Messiah Steve has told these stupid credit card companies many times that STYLUSES are EVIL and BAD DESIGN. Besides, there are many everyday situations where a conventional credit can get damaged, such as when an M1 Abrams tank rolls over your wallet, or a German V2 rocket hits your jeans in the right spot. As for Denim and Leather, they bloody damage EVERYTHING you put in them, including YOU! So do the starving poor of the developing world a favor and get yourself AT LEAST ONE Apple Card!
  • Of course. (Score:5, Interesting)

    by Areyoukiddingme ( 1289470 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:08PM (#59114212)

    Don't think for a moment this wasn't intentional on Apple's part. It's not like it's hard to test card materials and finishes. They knew this was a problem. They know it will be translated in the heads of Apple cultists as, "My Apple card is special. I have to give it special treatment, so it's obviously special and unique and thinks different. And that makes it better."

    The fact that it's literally objectively worse than any normal card will never occur to most Apple fanboys.

    • +5 Insightful.

    • Truth

    • I don't know that it's worse than any normal card. They're just saying, don't rub it against materials that tend to transfer color because it might discolor it. Don't scratch it up or it might get scratched up.

      Other cards can also get discolored and scratched up. It's just that, mostly, people don't care what their credit cards look like. Apple seems to be anticipating, probably correctly, that there will be Apple Card users that'll freak out because of a little cosmetic damage to their snazzy white cr

  • by TWX ( 665546 )

    No leather, no denim? What are we supposed to make our wallets out of? The only wallet I've ever had that wasn't leather was this canvas velcro thing that I had as a twelve year old, and it was garbage. The whole point of a wallet is to safely and securely stow things that are daily-carried. That means the wallet needs to handle daily carry while still offering protection to what's stored inside of it.

    Additionally it is unrealistic to expect any card in a wallet to have its own slot. I just counted, an

    • >>> What are we supposed to make our wallets out of? Silk baby, Silk!
    • Isn't everybody working at Apple a vegan to save the planet?

      I know, that's as ridiculous as a matte white credit card that needs its own cashmere purse.

    • Re: Really? (Score:5, Interesting)

      by Mspangler ( 770054 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:29PM (#59114272)

      My wallet is nylon.

      But, is it really titanium? The least green metal in existence?

      I mean boil ilmenite in sulfuric acid until the iron dissolves out.

      Filter, dry, and heat to red heat, then add chlorine gas to make TiCl4.

      Condense that out of the exhaust, gather it up, and place into a reaction vessel with either sodium or calcium metal. Light it off, when the vessel stops bouncing, you have titanium sponge with salt. When it cools down, wash out the salt, and melt the titanium in a vacuum furnace to get a metal.

      The good news is when you need a new number, given how hot titanium burns, disposing of the old card will be very entertaining.

      Note, class D fire extinguishers do not work on titanium. Your choices are vacuum, carbon monoxide, and argon or helium.

      • Re: Really? (Score:5, Informative)

        by sexconker ( 1179573 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:47PM (#59114324)

        I had to destroy a metal card recently. I don't know if it was titanium or some sort of steel, but it was a pain in the fucking ass. I had to use a dremel type tool to destroy the mag strip, the stupid chip, and grind away all identifying info. I scattered so much fucking dust and whatever around. The next time I have to do it, I'll be using a respirator.

        • I had to destroy a metal card recently. I don't know if it was titanium or some sort of steel, but it was a pain in the fucking ass. I had to use a dremel type tool to destroy the mag strip, the stupid chip, and grind away all identifying info. I scattered so much fucking dust and whatever around. The next time I have to do it, I'll be using a respirator.

          It's almost as though we shouldn't have a metal card ...

      • Re: Really? (Score:4, Informative)

        by sootman ( 158191 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @10:08PM (#59114778) Homepage Journal

        > The good news is when you need a new number...
         
        ... the good news is you won't need to worry, because there is no number printed, engraved, or displayed in any way on the card itself. It's only stored electronically, and you can generate new numbers with the app as needed.

        The physical Apple Card, of course, has no number. The app displays the last 4 digits of the card number that is on the mag stripe of the card only, you never see the full card number.

        Instead, Apple provides a virtual card number and virtual confirmation code (CVV) for the card in the app. You can use this for non-Apple Pay purchases online or over the phone. This number is semi-permanent, meaning that you can keep using it as long as you want.

        But you can hit a button to regenerate the PAN (primary account number), providing you with a new credit card number at any time. This is great for situations where you are forced to tell someone your credit card number but do not necessarily completely trust the recipient.

        https://techcrunch.com/2019/03/28/how-apple-card-works/

  • Comment removed based on user account deletion
  • by BlacKSacrificE ( 1089327 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:12PM (#59114222)

    If we could rig a generator to Steve Jobs' corpse, our energy crisis would be over.

    • by AmiMoJo ( 196126 )

      There were plenty of worse fuck-ups under Jobs. The iPhone 4 antenna problems, the origin of his "holding it wrong" non-quote (he actually said "just avoid holding it that way"). Apple Maps, bad enough to actually murder the user if they followed its instructions. Too much thermal paste on CPUs, 6 bit LCDs, bad power boards.

      I think Apple's dedication to secrecy is what screws them. They can't properly test stuff because they can't allow details of it to leak.

  • by Dracos ( 107777 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @06:15PM (#59114234)

    This adage never works the other way around, yet Apple continually attempts to emphasize their brand vanity over product usability.

  • I haven't used a nylon wallet since 1989. I really like my BMF leather wallet (yeah, like Samuel L. Jackson's).

  • by epine ( 68316 )

    How to clean your titanium Apple Card [apple.com]

    Some fabrics, in addition to silicon-based personal lubricants, might cause permanent discoloration that will not wash off.

    The Truth About Cats & Dogs [youtube.com]

    Abby Barnes: How long did this tongue bath last?

    Caller: About three hours.

    Abby Barnes: Okay, this is a good time to talk about limits: you can love your pets, but just don't ... LOVE your pets.

  • I have been using Tyvek Sleeves for my cards since 1998. Got them as part of a swag bag in a banking technology conference, tried them, saw they were good, and never looked back.

    I live in Venezuela, and replacing a card here has always been a pain in the neck, more so nowadays. And I guess is the same in other developing countries.

    So, if you have an apple card (or are thinking on getting one), and are concerned about it's apperance, get some Tyvek sleeves in amazon, and get done with it.

    • I have been using Tyvek Sleeves for my cards since 1998. Got them as part of a swag bag in a banking technology conference, tried them, saw they were good, and never looked back.

      I live in Venezuela, and replacing a card here has always been a pain in the neck, more so nowadays. And I guess is the same in other developing countries.

      Venezuela is a beautiful country. I have been there and absolutely loved it and the people I met there. I hope that you and your family are safe and have all that they need during this tumultuous time.

      So, if you have an apple card (or are thinking on getting one), and are concerned about it's apperance, get some Tyvek sleeves in amazon, and get done with it.

      Just a quick correction of your English (which is quite good): You should say "get some tyvek slevs from Amazon and be done with with" or something to that effect.

      • by Cederic ( 9623 )

        You should say "get some tyvek slevs from Amazon and be done with with"

        I suggest disregarding this guidance.

  • Many if not most wallets are leather. Many if not most Apple fanbois-and-gals probably wear denim. They want you to handle their f-ing credit card according to special Apple rules. What is wrong with this company?

    This is right up there with "You're holding it wrong" in the corporate arrogance-and-cluelessness department. Apple: never admit a design flaw - blame the customer. Unbelievable.

    • There is a difference between "blaming the customer" and "making unreasonable demands of the customer to accomodate a silly design decision."

      Nonetheless it's another stupid move by Apple.
  • by magusxxx ( 751600 ) <magusxxx_2000 AT yahoo DOT com> on Thursday August 22, 2019 @07:02PM (#59114354)

    Guess no one will be carrying that at the next Folsom Street Fair.

  • by hdyoung ( 5182939 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @07:20PM (#59114392)
    I know that Titanium is cool and all, but it's really a bad material for a credit card. It's got a very high strength:weight ratio, but it's actually quite soft and its strength:volume ratio isn't nearly as good. Any undergraduate metallurgist worth their salt could have told them that.

    Now a really high grade of stainless steel? That would make a strong credit card. The card itself would outlast the life of the embedded chip. Heh... and the life of the holder as well.
  • Nothing else...kind of like their other products LOL
  • by divide overflow ( 599608 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @07:50PM (#59114458)
    Owing to its hypersensitivity to perceived damage I propose we rename the new white titanium Apple card...Snowflake.
  • by divide overflow ( 599608 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @08:09PM (#59114534)
    You want cool?

    Carbon fiber composite.

    It's way cooler than Titanium. Am I right?
  • Apple Fanbois deserve everything Apple throws at them. Next thing you know they'll send an Apple technician to your home to show you how to properly use the iDildo on your girlfriend. 24/7 Service. Nothing but the best from Apple!
  • Also, if you should tarnish your Apple card with leather or denim, you can only have it serviced at an "authorized" Apple card repair and cleaning center. Care and cleaning is covered under Apple standard warranty for 90 days, Apple Care+ for Apple Card is also available for two years and can be purchased for $99.99. Apple card can not be used to purchase corded headphone.

  • Fuck you Apple, seriously.

  • by viperidaenz ( 2515578 ) on Thursday August 22, 2019 @10:35PM (#59114822)

    What happens if you actually insert the card in a terminal?

  • They've made their card an instant loser. I don't want to think about such things for an instant. I doubt anyone does. Steve Jobs would not have accepted this for a second and he would have had choice words for the people who came up with it and probably fired them from what I've read about him. I can just see Jobs throwing this card in someone's face and saying, "What's this S***!!??"
  • by nospam007 ( 722110 ) * on Friday August 23, 2019 @02:01AM (#59115172)

    "stand out against other credit cards"

    I put my cc inside the back of my phone silicone cover so that I just have to swipe the phone to pay, meaning I never have to take it out for somebody to look at it.
    Am I the only lazy sob doing that?

    Is this strictly for people wanting to show their black, gold, platinum, titan cards around because of reduced self-worth feelings?

  • In a nutshell: Make a product that fits the users, don't make the user fit the product.

    Most people use leather wallets, and wear denim clothes. Leather wallets being especially true as you move up the income ladder (a large part of Apple's market).

    Making a credit card that can be damaged / discoloured by a wallet credit card is the antithesis of good design, yet people will swear that it is great design just because it came from Apple.

  • Another "You are using it wrong" moment sponsored by Apple.
  • by sad_ ( 7868 )

    Apple wallets for storing your card correctly
    (Not compatible with other cards).

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