Apple Clarifies That Missed Apple Card Payments Don't Affect Apple ID

Designer Dustin Curtis yesterday shared a story about an unusual series of events that led to him missing an Apple Card payment and Apple then opting to freeze his Apple ID, leading to fears that missing an ‌Apple Card‌ payment could cause Apple to lock an ‌Apple ID‌.

apple card feature2
In a statement provided today to 9to5Mac, Apple said that's not the case and clarified what had happened in Curtis' specific situation.

We apologize for any confusion or inconvenience we may have caused for this customer. The issue in question involved a restriction on the customer's Apple ID that disabled App Store and iTunes purchases and subscription services, excluding iCloud. Apple provided an instant credit for the purchase of a new MacBook Pro, and as part of that agreement, the customer was to return their current unit to us. No matter what payment method was used, the ability to transact on the associated Apple ID was disabled because Apple could not collect funds. This is entirely unrelated to Apple Card.

‌Apple Card‌ and the ‌Apple ID‌ are not linked in a way that would allow the ‌Apple ID‌ to be disabled in the event of a missed payment, and there was a trade-in issue that led to Curtis' problem. He purchased an M1 Mac and at that time, opted to trade-in an older Mac, getting an instant discount.

Curtis says that Apple did not send him the trade-in box for his older Mac and he forgot about it, so he essentially got the trade-in discount without providing the Mac back to Apple. He overlooked several emails from Apple and investigated only when his ‌Apple ID‌ became locked.

The ‌Apple Card‌ was involved because Curtis made the purchase with an ‌Apple Card‌, but when Apple went to charge Curtis for the full amount of the ‌M1‌ Mac, it could not get payment, leading to the ‌Apple ID‌ freeze.

Apple will freeze an ‌Apple ID‌ for a trade-in that goes south. In this case, Curtis received a discount on his ‌M1‌ Mac without sending in his older Mac, and because Apple was unable to collect the full payment for the ‌M1‌ Mac, the ‌Apple ID‌ was restricted until Curtis paid in full.

Customers who have an ‌Apple Card‌ and miss a payment do not need to worry about having their Apple IDs frozen in the same manner.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
iOS 26 Feature

Everything New in iOS 26 Beta 3

Monday July 7, 2025 1:20 pm PDT by
Apple is continuing to refine and update iOS 26, and beta three features smaller changes than we saw in beta 2, plus further tweaks to the Liquid Glass design. Apple is gearing up for the next phase of beta testing, and the company has promised that a public beta is set to come out in July. Transparency In some apps like Apple Music, Podcasts, and the App Store, Apple has toned down the...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple account card feature

Apple Account Card Expanding to More Countries

Tuesday July 8, 2025 7:34 pm PDT by
Apple is expanding the ability to add an Apple Account Card to the Wallet app to more countries, according to backend Apple Pay changes. With iOS 15.5, Apple updated the Wallet app to allow users to add an Apple Account Card, which displays the Apple credit balance associated with an Apple ID. If you receive an Apple gift card, for example, it is added to an Apple Account that is also...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iphone 16 pro models 1

Here's How the iPhone 17 Pro Max Will Compare to the iPhone 17 Pro

Saturday July 5, 2025 1:00 pm PDT by
Apple should unveil the iPhone 17 series in September, and there might be one bigger difference between the Pro and Pro Max models this year. As always, the Pro Max model will be larger than the Pro model:iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3-inch display iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9-inch displayGiven the Pro Max is physically larger than the Pro, it has more internal space, allowing for a larger battery and...
imac video apple feature

Apple Launching These 15+ Products Later This Year

Sunday July 6, 2025 8:05 am PDT by
The calendar has turned to July, meaning that 2025 is now more than half over. And while the summer months are often quiet for Apple, the company still has more than a dozen products coming later this year, according to rumors. Below, we have outlined at least 15 new Apple products that are expected to launch later this year, along with key rumored features for each. iPhone 17 Series iPho...

Top Rated Comments

Syk Avatar
57 months ago
Who forgets to to send in a trade in item or not follow up on why the return box hasn't shown up?
Then ignores the emails from Apple:rolleyes:
Score: 50 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Freida Avatar
57 months ago
Sure, he "forgot" and he "overlooked" the emails. Classic sign of "lets see if it goes unnoticed" approach.

I'm sure he overlooked emails but he didn't overlook his ID blocked :D :D :D
Score: 37 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
57 months ago

Depends on whether the failure to receive the shipping box was Apple's fault or the carrier's fault, e.g. whether Apple failed to detect a delivery exception, whether Apple failed to request the delivery, etc. It could be at least partially Apple's fault, but not necessarily.
Even if the box never showed, Curtis could have and should have still taken action. According to the article, he neglected to do anything at all until he got slapped in the face with a big wake up sign.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Apple_Robert Avatar
57 months ago
Translation = Negligent customer and not Apple's fault.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BWhaler Avatar
57 months ago
Sounds like Curtis owes Apple an apology. And I’d bet anything they sent the box. Apple is run by one of the best operations leaders that has ever existed.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
farewelwilliams Avatar
57 months ago
as usual, twitter overreacts and spreads false information for their 15 minutes of fame.
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)