The Apple Card is a relatively new credit card issued by Goldman Sachs in partnership with Apple. As with any credit card, using the Apple Card can impact your credit score. Here is an in-depth look at how the Apple Card specifically may affect your credit score and key actions you can take to ensure changes are positive.
How Apple Card Impacts Credit Score
There are a few key ways that using the Apple Card can affect your credit score:
- Credit inquiries – Applying for the Apple Card requires a hard credit check, which causes a small, temporary drop in your score. This is standard with any new credit application.
- Credit utilization – High balances on the Apple Card increase your overall credit utilization, lowering your score. Keeping balances low preserves score.
- On-time payments – Responsibly making minimum payments on time builds positive payment history, gradually improving your score.
- Credit mix – The Apple Card adds an installment loan to your credit mix, which diversifies credit types on your reports. This can bolster scores.
So in summary, applying causes a short-term drop from the hard inquiry, but responsible ongoing use of the card builds positive history and can ultimately boost your score over time.
Best Practices for Improving Apple Card Credit Score Impact
To ensure the Apple Card has a positive influence on your credit score over time:
- Make payments on or before the due dates to avoid late fees and payment reporting. Set up autopay as well.
- Try to keep your credit utilization below 30%, since higher balances negatively impact scores.
- Use the Apple Card periodically to show active accounts, but minimize additional hard credit checks from other new applications, especially within a couple years. Space out applications.
- Monitor your credit with free reports to catch any reporting issues early. Reports do not affect scores but show payment data.
Sticking to these best practices allows your ongoing positive payment history with the Apple Card to improve your credit score gradually.
Apple Card Benefits and Considerations for Credit Scores
Some key advantages of the Apple Card relating to credit scores:
- No fees – No annual, foreign transaction, or late fees supports responsible use.
- Soft check for CLIs – Credit limit increase applications only require a soft pull, not hurting your score.
- Payment flexibility – Option to pay over 24 months for large purchases prevents spikes in utilization.
However, a few things to keep in mind:
- High APR – Interest rates range from ~13-24% based on creditworthiness, higher than average cards. Higher balances incur more interest costs over time.
- Goldman Sachs – Since Goldman Sachs issues the card, you must open an account with them in addition to Apple. This causes an additional hard credit check during application.
Overall though, the Apple Card offers a quality credit building tool combined with Apple???s innovative brand, payments technology, security, and integration. Monitoring your payments and utilization will let your positive history enhance your scores over time.
Key Takeaways
- The Apple Card can help build your credit history through on-time payments. But high balances relative to limits will negatively impact scores.
- Best practices include keeping utilization below 30%, spacing out credit applications, monitoring your credit reports, and setting up autopay for your statement balance each month.
- While the hard check from applying causes a small temporary score drop, responsible ongoing use results in a credit mix and payment history that improves scores.
- Advantages relating to credit are no fees and soft checks for credit line increases. Just be mindful of the high APR and additional hard check from Goldman Sachs during application.
Conclusion
In the short term, expect the hard credit check when applying for Apple Card to result in a minor drop in your credit score. But over the long run, using the card responsibly by keeping balances and utilization low while making timely monthly payments will positively impact your score. Avoid late fees and monitor your credit with your free reports. Stick to credit best practices and enjoy access to Apple’s innovative payments technology through the Apple Card.
FAQs
Does applying for an Apple Card hurt your credit?
Yes, applying requires a hard credit check which causes a small temporary drop in your scores. But ongoing responsible use builds positive history to offset the initial drop over time.
How long does the hard inquiry from Apple Card application hurt your credit score?
The Apple Card application hard pull can negatively impact your credit score for 12-24 months, with the most significant impact within the first year. Over this period the effect diminishes and is offset by positive payment history.
How long after being approved for Apple Card does it take to show up on credit report?
The Apple Card usually appears on your credit report one billing cycle after approval, so within 30 days in most cases. The initial statement balance also gets reported.
Does the Apple Card report to all three credit bureaus?
Yes, Goldman Sachs reports your Apple Card account status and payment information to all three major credit bureaus – Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
Can using the Apple Card help build your credit?
Yes, by making on-time monthly payments you establish positive payment history on your credit reports. Over time this can counterbalance old late payments and build your scores.
Does the Apple Card offer a credit limit increase?
Apple Card does allow credit line increase requests after 61 days of account opening. Requests require a soft pull only and do not hurt your credit. Higher limits can lower utilization.
What credit utilization does Apple Card consider good?
Apple Card wants to see you maintain a credit utilization below 30%, equal to $3,000 on a $10,000 limit or $300 on $1,000. Above 30% can quickly lower your score.
What Apple Card benefits help your credit score?
No annual, foreign transaction, or late fees support keeping account in good standing. Soft check CLIs raise your limit to decrease utilization. 24 month financing prevents spikes from large purchases.
Does becoming an authorized user on someone???s Apple Card affect your credit?
Yes, being added as an authorized user shows the entire card payment history on your reports. Timely payments help scores; late payments hurt. Utilization is also factored in from the shared limit.
If your Apple Card gets declined will it hurt your credit?
No, having a credit card issuer decline a purchase will not negatively impact your credit scores. It indicates your limit needs monitoring and has no direct effect. Unless it causes late payments.
Can disputing a charge on your Apple Card hurt your credit?
Disputed transactions themselves do not directly hurt your credit. However, ensuring disputes are fully resolved promptly prevents associated reporting issues or late fees which can lower your scores.
How long do Apple Card late payments stay on your credit report?
Negative information like late payments may remain on your Apple Card credit reports for up to 7 years in most cases. This will make scores gradually recover over time as positive history continues.
Do Apple Card interest charges count towards your minimum payment?
Yes, any interest accrued from unpaid statement balances will be included in the minimum amount due for your next billing cycle. Minimum payments on the Apple Card must fully cover interest first.
If you pay off your Apple Card balance will it help your credit?
Yes, paying off entire statement balances avoids interest while keeping your credit utilization at 0% each month. This maximizes positive impact to your credit scores over time as you build payment history.
How long after opening your Apple Card should you wait before applying for another credit card?
Ideally you want to wait at least 6 months between new credit card applications. This allows your credit scores to recover from hard pulls and prevents additional drops in the short term.
Will paying my Apple Card late cancel my iPhone upgrade program loan?
No, late payments on your Apple Card will not directly result in cancellation of an existing iPhone Upgrade Program loan. But late fees can result and your credit reports/scores will show negatives.
Can Authorized Users on your Apple Card improve their credit?
Yes. As an Authorized User they can build positive history reflected on credit reports by keeping utilization low and making on-time monthly payments. This helps offset other negatives and builds credit over time.
If my Apple Card gets closed will it hurt my credit?
Yes, credit accounts closed by the issuer often indicate serious delinquencies. Besides losing available credit, closed accounts fall off reports after 10 years, along with their ages contributing to length of credit history ratios.