People still seem to love the Apple Card, but the shine has worn off for me

Apple Card
(Image credit: Apple)

The Apple Card has been out for quite a few years now. With more and more people picking up the card over the years, you'd think it might fall out of the good graces of the consumers that hold it. That doesn't seem to be the case, however, as Apple Card has once again topped the customer satisfaction charts.

In a press release, J.D. Power announced that "Apple Card has again been named the Best Co-Branded Credit Card for Customer Satisfaction with No Annual Fee in the J.D. Power 2024 U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, marking the fourth consecutive year Apple Card and issuer Goldman Sachs have been awarded a No. 1 ranking in their segment in the U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study."

The J.D. Power U.S. Credit Card Satisfaction Study, according to the company, "measures overall customer satisfaction based on performance across various categories, including Account Management, Customer Service, and New Account Experience."

Apple Card's rewards still aren't great

While customers are super happy with the Apple Card, I can't help but point out that, despite the card being out for years now, the company has done little to improve what you get out of it.

The Apple Card provides users with 1% Daily Cash when they use the physical titanium card, 2% Daily Cash when they pay with Apple Pay, and 3% Daily Cash with purchases at Apple directly. While there are some basic benefits added through Mastercard, that's about it.

There's more to it, of course. However, with so many other credit cards that offer more rewards on the market, it's tough to stay committed to the Apple Card. Personally, I've made the switch to the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card. In addition to offering 3 points per $1 on things like dining and streaming services, it also has tons of other benefits for travel.

It includes a complimentary DashPass membership through DoorDash, a complimentary membership to Instacart+ for grocery delivery, and tons of travel benefits. I just booked a trip to California and the hotels were almost completely paid with the points I had accrued.

Apple Card in Apple Pay with a wallet bling bling make it rain

(Image credit: Christine Romero-Chan / iMore)

When I was using my Apple Card, I'd quickly blow the Daily Cash earned, so adding the friction of having to redeem points has been a way for me to actually accrue enough rewards to actually put them towards something bigger — like having hotels covered for a week in California.

That's not to say that I didn't enjoy the Apple Card. I had a great run with it for the years when I wasn't as fluent in credit card rewards and benefits as I am now. It's a great starter card and one for people who want to keep things super simple. Let's face it — there's nothing easier than cash back.

That said, if you're willing to put in a little more effort, you can quickly realize that there are much more rewarding credit cards out there. After years with the Apple Card, I'm happy with the switch I've made. For everyone else, it seems that they're happy to stick around.

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Joe Wituschek
Contributor

Joe Wituschek is a Contributor at iMore. With over ten years in the technology industry, one of them being at Apple, Joe now covers the company for the website. In addition to covering breaking news, Joe also writes editorials and reviews for a range of products. He fell in love with Apple products when he got an iPod nano for Christmas almost twenty years ago. Despite being considered a "heavy" user, he has always preferred the consumer-focused products like the MacBook Air, iPad mini, and iPhone 13 mini. He will fight to the death to keep a mini iPhone in the lineup. In his free time, Joe enjoys video games, movies, photography, running, and basically everything outdoors.

  • erikbock
    I got the Apple Card very early on and yes I like some of the convenience but I have never really used it for much more than financing my large Apple purchases to get 0% interest. My go to daily card is the Chase SWA Priority card. Between the points that I get from flying SWA for my work trips and and the points I get on the card. I haven't paid for a personal domestic flight for years for my wife and I.
    Reply
  • Just_Me_D
    erikbock said:
    I got the Apple Card very early on and yes I like some of the convenience but I have never really used it for much more than financing my large Apple purchases to get 0% interest. My go to daily card is the Chase SWA Priority card. Between the points that I get from flying SWA for my work trips and and the points I get on the card. I haven't paid for a personal domestic flight for years for my wife and I.

    I didn’t get the Card, but if I had it would have been used precisely for the purpose you mentioned.
    Reply