Apple Card users warned to keep card away from wallets and jean pockets

Apple is urging owners of the Apple Card to keep it away from leather wallets, denim jeans and even other credit cards. The firm published a guide recently that details how to avoid causing irreparable cosmetic damage to the card; included in the instructions is the disclaimer that “some fabrics, like leather and denim, might cause permanent discolouration that will not wash off”.

The Apple Card is made from titanium with a white multilayered coating that, according to the guide, is easily damaged by any “hard surface or material”. Cleaning instructions including wiping the card with a “soft, slightly damp, lint-free microfiber cloth” or applying a cloth soaked in isopropyl alcohol to damaged areas.

In short, Apple has created a credit card that is distinctly ill-suited to being in your wallet. Suffice to say, Twitter was suitably amused:

Designed and manufactured in collaboration with Goldman Sachs and MasterCard, the Apple Card is one small part of a broader effort from the tech firm to expand into services. Apple has also announced a streaming service – Apple TV Plus – as well as a revamped gaming app hub that is launching later this year.

Apple is hoping to promote a bit of a change in the way we bank by launching a credit card with zero fees, low interest rates and flexible repayment plans. Users will receive 2% cashback each time they use the Apple Card, and an extra 1% on top of that if the purchase is via an Apple store of some sort.

Who knows, perhaps the high-maintenance nature of the Apple Card is an intentional ploy to make sure it becomes the only card you ever use. You can find out more here.

The card itself hasn’t yet made its debut in the UK, having launched in the US on 20 August. If you were thinking about ordering one, a word of advice: bin the wallet and Levi’s, and invest in some suede jeans and a fabric satchel instead.