Image: Screenshot by Jessica Dolcourt/CNET
An Apple Card is a handy way to pay for items online and offline via Apple Pay on your iPhone or other Apple device, but what if the website or merchant doesn’t support Apple Pay? You have a couple of options. You can order and use the physical Apple Card to pay for items in person just as you would with a regular credit card. But with or without the physical card, you can still pay for items online–the trick lies in finding the card number, expiration, date, and security code. Let’s see how this works.
SEE: Apple Pay: An insider’s guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)
If you haven’t yet applied for your Apple Card, you can ask for the physical card during the application process. After you’ve requested and been granted the virtual Apple Card, a screen appears asking if you’d also like to receive the physical titanium Apple Card. To do so, tap Continue. At the next screen, review your address and tap Confirm (Figure A).
Figure A
If you already applied for your Apple Card but did not request the physical card, you can still get the physical version at any time. To do this, open the Wallet app on your iPhone. Select your Apple Card. Tap on the More button (the ellipsis button in the upper right corner). Swipe down the Apple Card screen and tap the button to Get Apple Card. Follow the instructions. Your physical card will arrive in the mail within a week or so.
After you receive your card in the mail, you’ll need to activate it. To do this, open the Wallet app on your iPhone. Tap the entry for your Apple Card. Tap the link to Activate Your Card. As instructed, hold your iPhone near the packaging that came with the card. On your phone, tap the button to Activate Your Card. You should see a message telling you that your card is ready. Tap Done (Figure B).
Figure B
To use your physical card at a brick-and-mortar store, treat it as you would any credit card. For security reasons, the physical card does not display the card number, expiration date, or security code. But it does have an embedded security chip as well as a magnetic stripe, so you can use it with any credit card reader.
To use your physical card at an online store or to use your virtual card online if you don’t have a physical card, you’ll need to have the card number, expiration, date, and security code. To get that information, turn to the Wallet app once again.
Open the Wallet app on your iPhone. Select your Apple Card. Tap on the More button. At the Apple Card screen, tap the entry for Card Information. The app authenticates you via Face ID or Touch ID. The Card Information screen then displays the card number, expiration date, and security code (Figure C). Enter that information at the checkout or payment screen for the online store.
Figure C
