Three years after its launch, the Apple Card credit card is still not "out" of the US

This month marks three years since the launch of the Apple Card in the U.S. The Apple Credit Card was first introduced to a limited number of customers on August 6, 2019, and expanded to all eligible U.S. residents two weeks later.

However, for iPhone users living in other countries, the Apple Card has never been available. That's because the Apple Card has not yet been introduced outside the US.

According to the Canadian Bankers Association, one country where the Apple Card would be particularly relevant would be Canada. As of January 2021, the iPhone has over 50% market share and 76.2 million Visa and Mastercard cards in circulation. The standard 2% cash back on Apple Card purchases via Apple Pay and 3% cash back at participating merchants is more competitive with other Canadian credit cards, but Apple Card rewards may vary by country/region.

During his 2019 trip to Germany, Apple CEO Tim Cook said Apple is willing to offer credit cards in other countries, but noted that banks and regulations vary around the world. Last year, the Apple Card trademark was approved in Canada, but Apple has yet to announce any plans to expand the card service internationally.

Launched in partnership with investment bank Goldman Sachs and Mastercard, Apple Card is fully manageable via the Wallet app on iPhone or Apple Watch, with key features including colour-coded spending summaries, cash back for daily payments, interest - a free funding option for new Apple products - and no fees other than interest charges on overdue balances. No fees. A physical Apple Card is also available for shops that do not accept contactless payments.