The Apple Card launched with great fanfare by the company and now the beautiful titanium cards are now in the hands of the new customers. However, early users have had the card for a while now and they have noticed that this simple titanium card does not wear well. So, Apple is instructing users on how to care for the credit card.
Apple Instructs How to Care for the Titanium Apple Card
While Chase has given instructions in the past for how to dispose of their metal cards (send them back to Chase for proper disposal), this is the first time a company has had to issue instructions on how to keep a credit card looking fresh and clean. Yes, that’s right – Apple is again telling customers that they are holding/storing one of their products wrong. 🙂
Worst on the mag strip and edges. But everywhere on the card that looks “dirty” cannot be rubbed off, it’s from the white that has already come offhttps://t.co/vBEXXNA77S
— zed (@zed1291) August 21, 2019
Apple’s History of Not Creating Products with Strong Wear Control
I used to work in test engineering for a defense contractor and our products were created to survive the harshest environments and our tests were designed to stress the units out to the max to make sure they would work in any situation. While our unit cost was way more than a consumer would ever pay for an electronic device, I really feel like Apple should hire more test engineers and not focus as much on some of the aesthetics. See, this is not the first time that an Apple product has not worn well.
The current iPad Pro in space gray color gets a discoloration from the Apple Pencil, the black/gray colored iPhones (various models starting with iPhone 5) had color issues, some of the laptops have had coloring problems – just to name a few. This shows that Apple can make beautiful products but they don’t really put these products through certain testing to see how the design and color holds up over time (remember the iPhone 6 models that would bend?).
The Apple Card Needs Special Care Instructions
And that brings us to the brand new Apple Card. Made out of titanium, it has the simplistic Apple look but really should never be used. I say that because it only gives 1% cash back while using the card through Apple Pay gives 2%. Now, it turns out, there may be another reason to not carry the actual titanium card.
Users are finding that the titanium Apple Card is not wearing well – at all. So, Apple had to release a support document telling customers how to care for and clean their Apple Card!
How to clean your titanium Apple Card
If your titanium Apple Card comes into contact with contaminants that can cause stains, follow these steps to clean your card:
- Gently wipe with a soft, slightly damp, lint-free microfiber cloth.
- Moisten a soft, microfiber cloth with isopropyl alcohol and gently wipe the card.
Don’t use window or household cleaners, compressed air, aerosol sprays, solvents, ammonia, or abrasives to clean your titanium Apple Card.
Some fabrics, like leather and denim, might cause permanent discoloration that will not wash off.
How to safely store and carry your titanium Apple Card
- Store your titanium Apple Card in a wallet, pocket, or bag made of soft materials.
- Place your card in a slot in your wallet or billfold without touching another credit card. If two credit cards are placed in the same slot your card could become scratched.
- Don’t place or store your titanium Apple Card card near magnets. If your card is placed close to a magnetic latch on a purse or bag, the magnetic strip can become demagnetized.
- Don’t place your titanium Apple Card in a pocket or bag that contains loose change, keys, or other potentially abrasive objects.
You read that right – Apple tells you not to place the Apple Card against another credit card, next to change or keys, as well as not keeping it near leather and denim.
To clean it, use a microfiber cloth and even isopropyl alcohol. 🙂
Watch – Apple will soon release a $49 Apple Card case to keep your titanium Apple Card looking new for when you want to whip it out at a restaurant to earn you 1% cash back. 🙂
