New American Express Users Can Add Card Instantly to Apple Pay After Being Approved - MacRumors
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New American Express Users Can Add Card Instantly to Apple Pay After Being Approved

American Express today launched a new Instant Card Number Apple Pay feature that's designed to allow new Amex users to add their cards to ‌Apple Pay‌ immediately after approval, without the need to wait for the physical card.

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This will allow customers who have been approved for a card to begin using it on compatible devices right away while the physical card is shipped from American Express.

The card can be added right to Apple Wallet on iPhone and Apple Watch and can be used in apps, on the web, and in stores where ‌Apple Pay‌ is accepted. The feature is available to American Express Card Members from AmericanExpress.com when approved for a new U.S. Consumer Card.

American Express says that new customers will be able to use the benefits of an American Express Membership, such as earning rewards on purchases, as soon as card approval happens with no need to wait.

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Top Rated Comments

Apple Freak Avatar
76 months ago

Because waiting a few days longer to begin drowning in debt is just not acceptable.
Not everyone gets a credit card to go into debt. If one is responsible and pays the statement balance every month credit cards can be a great way to earn rewards toward free stuff.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Robert.Walter Avatar
76 months ago

Not everyone gets a credit card to go into debt. If one is responsible and pays the statement balance every month credit cards can be a great way to earn rewards toward free stuff.
It goes far beyond that too. If you use the hell out of your cards and pay in time, you get the perks as you’ve described. In addition this will increase your fico score. Having a couple cards you use and pay off on time is a big plus there. The tertiary effect is that a high fico score can lower your loan rates, insurance premiums and act as a proxy referral when looking for a job.

Using credit cards is a very smart thing if one isn’t very dumb about how they use them.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
4jasontv Avatar
76 months ago

I need another credit card like I need a.....


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Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Lozza013 Avatar
76 months ago
Wish I could get an AMEX card but unfortunately I don’t qualify for one at this point in time.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago
Finally, Chase was doing this for a while.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
76 months ago

Baked-in in the US maybe, just not in Europe, for the clear reasoning I explained: it's effectively just a bogus markup selling technique, paid for by shops charging higher than necessary prices to cover higher interchange fees over there. So yes US users may as well take the offering, we generally don't bother as they're limited to mostly crap over here.

A gimmick that effectively contributes to many financially uneducated to get into debt; hence curtailed here.
Debit card use has always been more common than credit cards in Europe, though, even before the EU capped interchange. It's more of a difference in culture/value system than anything else.

However, that's not to say that the networks can necessarily justify what they're asking for now. In fact, some concesssions might very well be a good idea, though I'm not sure any cost savings on the merchant side would end up getting passed to consumers. For instance, debit card interchange is capped for most debit cards here (plus the rules were changed to allow minimums and surcharging on credit cards), yet there was little to no decrease in prices--not to mention that the latter still aren't common practice ~10 years later.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)