How your Apple Card application is evaluated

Learn about the key criteria used to determine whether your Apple Card application is approved or declined.

Goldman Sachs uses your credit score, your credit report (including your current debt obligations), and the income you report on your application when reviewing your Apple Card application. This article highlights several factors that Goldman Sachs uses, in combination, to make credit decisions but doesn't include all of the details, factors, scores or other information used to make those decisions.

• If you apply for Apple Card and your application is approved, there's no impact to your credit score¹ until you accept your offer. If you accept your offer, a hard inquiry is made. A hard inquiry may impact your credit score. If your application is declined or you reject your offer, your credit score isn't affected by the soft inquiry associated with your application.

• If your application is declined, learn what you can do to try and improve your next application.

• If you combine accounts for Apple Card Family,² some of the credit factors mentioned above may be considered for both co-owners³ when evaluating a combined credit limit for a co-owned Apple Card.

• Personal finance companies, like Credit Karma, might display various credit scores, like TransUnion VantageScore. While these scores can be informative, if they differ from the FICO score used for your Apple Card application, they may not be as predictive of your approval.

You can also contact an Apple Card Specialist at Goldman Sachs if you have questions about applying for Apple Card.

Requirements to get Apple Card

• Be 18 years or older, depending on where you live.

• Be a U.S. citizen or a lawful U.S. resident with a U.S. residential address that isn't a P.O. Box. You can also use a military address.

• Two-factor authentication set up for your Apple Account

• Be signed in to your Apple Account.⁴

• If your credit report is frozen, you need to temporarily lift the freeze before you apply for an Apple Card. Learn how to lift your credit freeze with TransUnion. 

• You might need to verify your identity with a Driver's license or State-issued Photo ID.

Conditions that might cause your application to be declined

When assessing your ability to pay back debt, Goldman Sachs considers multiple conditions before making a decision on your Apple Card application.

If any of the following conditions apply, Goldman Sachs might not be able to approve your Apple Card application.

If you're behind on debt obligations or have previously been behind

• You are currently past due or have recently been past due on a debt obligation.⁵

• Your checking account was closed by a bank (for example, because you repeatedly spent more than your available balance).

• You have two or more non-medical debt collections that are recently past due.

If you have negative public records

• A tax lien was placed on your assets (for example, due to a failure to pay sufficient taxes on time).

• A judgment was passed against you (for example, due to litigation).

• You have had a recent bankruptcy.

• Your property has been recently repossessed.

If you're heavily in debt or your income is insufficient to make debt payments

• You need more disposable income after you pay existing debt obligations.

• Your debt obligations represent a high percentage of your monthly income (for example, your unsecured debt obligations, such as loans that aren't backed by collateral, are 50% or more of your total income).

• You have fully utilized all of your credit card lines in the last three months and recently opened many new credit accounts.

If you frequently apply for credit cards or loans

You have a high number of recent applications for credit.

If your credit score is low

Goldman Sachs evaluates your Apple Card application using TransUnion and other credit bureaus. If your credit score is low (for example, if your FICO® Score 9 is lower than 600),⁶ Goldman Sachs might be unable to approve your Apple Card application.

Why your credit score is used

Credit scores can indicate how you use and pay off debt.

How credit scores are determined

Information found in your credit report is used to determine your credit scores, which might include the following:

• Your history of debt payments

• Hard inquiries⁷ on your credit score from new credit applications

• The amount of debt you currently have on your credit accounts

• The age of your credit accounts

• The amount and type of loan accounts you have open

• The percentage of available credit you've utilized

• If and when you had a foreclosure, declared bankruptcy, or had debt sent to collections

It's common to see varying credit scores when you look at different sources. Credit Karma and other services might display different credit scores, like TransUnion VantageScore, which is different from the TransUnion FICO® Score 9 that's used for your Apple Card application.

Your credit report and the timing of when your credit score is updated can affect your credit score.

By law, you're allowed to get a free annual copy of your credit report and file a dispute with TransUnion if you find an error.

Learn about credit scores from TransUnion.

What you can do if your application is approved with insufficient credit or it's declined

If your application is declined, a message with an explanation is sent to the primary email address associated with the Apple ID you used to apply for Apple Card. The message might show your credit score. If information provided by a credit bureau contributed to your application being declined, you can request a free copy of your credit report from that credit bureau using the instructions in the email you receive.

If you have a freeze on your credit report, you need to temporarily lift the freeze before you apply for Apple Card. Learn how to lift your credit freeze with TransUnion.

If your application is declined because your identification information couldn't be verified

Make sure your name, address, and other information on your Apple Card application are correct. If you find inaccurate information, re-enter the information as needed.

If you are asked to verify with an ID, follow these steps:

1. Make sure there is nothing between your device's camera and your ID that could obscure any part of it.

2. Check that the Date of Birth, Last Name, and Address on the ID match the information you entered for your Apple Card application.⁸

3. Make sure the ID hasn't expired.

After you complete these steps, submit your application again. If your application is declined again for the same reason, contact an Apple Card Specialist at Goldman Sachs.

Your credit score won't be affected if you are declined or don't accept your offer. However, it might be impacted if your application is approved and you accept your offer.

You can apply for Apple Card again but might receive the same decision.

If you want to receive a different decision on your application when you apply again, you should review your credit report to see if you have conditions that might result in a declined application and then check for these common errors in your credit report.

If you get an invitation to enroll in Path to Apple Card

Learn about Path to Apple Card, why you were invited, and how enrollment can help you get approved for Apple Card later.

If you're approved but your credit limit isn't enough to buy a device with Apple Card Installments

You can apply for Apple Card when you buy a new iPhone, iPad, Mac, or other eligible Apple product with Apple Card Installments. If your application is approved with insufficient credit to cover the cost of the device you want to buy, you can choose a different device that's covered by your credit limit, choose a different payment method, or use Apple's Trade-in program.

How your initial credit limit is determined

To determine your initial credit limit, Goldman Sachs assesses your ability to pay using your income and the minimum payment amounts associated with your existing debt.

In addition, Goldman Sachs uses many of the same factors that are used to assess whether your application is approved or declined, including your credit score and the amount of credit you utilize on your existing credit lines.

Learn how you can request a credit limit increase.

Why your application is pending or in review

Goldman Sachs might need more time to review some applications, or request more information to verify your identity. After you apply, you are shown a message in Wallet app that will indicate your application is in review. Updates regarding your Apple Card application will be sent to the primary email address associated with your Apple ID.

Apply on your iPhone

If you're on your iPhone, you can apply for Apple Card.

Learn more

• See how to get started with Apple Card

• Learn how to make purchases with Apple Card

• See how to request a titanium Apple Card

• Watch the video to see how you can get 24/7 support for Apple Card