Apple wants its customers to know that the titanium-plated, sleek white-finished Apple credit card should be treated with top-notch Apple Care.
Those vying for the newly released card are being asked to heed the tech giant’s warning – treat it delicately.
As of Aug. 20, Apple’s support page advises that the card avoid contact with some fabrics, like leather and denim, or else risk permanent discoloration that “will not wash off.”
It also needs TLC when being stored.
Apple instructs users to place the card in a wallet slot “without touching another credit card.”
“If two credit cards are placed in the same slot, your card could become scratched,” according to the Apple Card support page.
As for keys and loose change – enemies of the card.
Apple says the “potentially abrasive objects” could cause damage and shouldn’t be stored together.
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The company goes so far as to suggest cleaning tips for when the card’s white polish gets scuffed from so-called “contaminants.” Apple Card holders should use a “lint-free microfiber cloth,” dampen it “slightly” and “gently wipe” the surface, the company explains. It also includes a list of cleaners that cardholders should not use.
Apple also warns that the functionality of the card — like most credit cards — could be affected if it comes in close proximity with magnets.
Apple’s care instructions are meant to help cardholders maintain and protect the titanium card.
The company is vowing to replace any card that loses its sheen, at no extra charge.
The high-maintenance air of the instructions should not surprise customers of the tech giant.
The cleaning guidelines aren’t all that different from what the company advises for its other products – from iPhones to earbuds – although those items are typically ones that require the care for functionality.
The high-maintenance cleaning instructions for a credit card did not escape notice online.
“Do not look directly at Apple Card,” Alex Stamos, a former top security executive at Yahoo and Facebook, said in a tweet Wednesday. “Do not speak to Apple Card. Do not denigrate Apple Card in Its Holy Presence.”
“Do not put the Apple Card in your wallet. Hang it in a floating glass frame in a dimly lit, year round 70 degree, humidity controlled location,” said another Twitter user. “No flash photography please.”
The new card started rolling out in the U.S. this month, with sign-up invitations going out on Tuesday. Some Twitter users showed off the arrival of their new fresh card in the mail.
It’s yet another link in the chain of Apple products.
The card is designed primarily to be used in tandem with the Wallet app both on iPhones and Apple Watches. Currently, for in-store purchases with Wallet app, the merchant has to have Apple Pay for the transaction to be possible.
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The Apple Card is the company’s way of giving customers a physical option when Apple Pay isn’t available.
“If it works, it’s one more thing that causes you to stay deeply loyal and entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, even if something better comes along,” Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies, told Reuters.
The card is in partnership with Goldman Sachs and Mastercard. Apple hasn’t confirmed any plans for a Canadian version at this point, but there are reports it could be coming next year.
— With files from the Associated Press and Reuters
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