Thread by @WIRED

Ever since Apple slipped a digital wallet onto your iPhone, the company has been vying for control of your financial life. It just took that vision one step further, making the Apple Card available to a handful of users. Want one? Here's how it works: 1/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

On its face, the Apple Card looks a lot like Apple Pay. It lives inside the Apple Wallet and functions as contactless payment system: Open the app, tap your iPhone to the payment terminal, and you’re done. 2/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

You can request a physical card—made of titanium, of course—but Apple has made the perks of digital much preferable. The iPhone version offers twice as much cash back for completed transactions than ones made by swiping the physical card. 3/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

Don't let the shiny titanium fool you. This isn’t JUST a bid to replace your credit card. It's part of Apple’s master plan to replace your physical wallet with technological solutions that live inside its hardware and software ecosystem. 4/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

Apple has already introduced:
✅Digital transit cards
✅Digital tickets

The company even wants to one day replace your driver’s license and passport with a digital ID that lives inside your iPhone. 5/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

With the Apple Card, all your spending gets organized into a pretty interface...but don't expect better points or perks than most other credit cards. 6/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

After all, the Apple Card is still just a credit card—and not one with eye-popping benefits. But it might get you used to pulling out your iPhone instead of your wallet, which is exactly what Apple wants. Read more: 7/ wired.trib.al/pqkqx13

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