The Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards Card enables Apple fanboys and fangirls to get Apple/iTunes rewards for their purchases with the Cupertino-based company. The card offers triple points on Apple purchases, double points at restaurants, and a single point per dollar spent on everything else. APR can be rather high (based on your creditworthiness), but there is no annual fee. In a nutshell, this could be the card Apple geeks have been waiting for… or is it. Keep reading to find out.
- Earn 3x points at Apple, 2x points at restaurants, and 1x point on everything else
- Redeem for Apple or iTunes gift cards
- No interest on Apple purchases (up to 18 months)
- 14.24%, 20.24%, or 27.24% variable APR
- No annual fee
How It Works?
Earn points: 3x points on Apple purchases, 2x points at restaurants (including fast food), and 1x point on all other purchases. You can earn an unlimited number of points which do not expire.
Redeem: The points are automatically redeemed at 2,500 points for a $25 gift card for Apple Store or iTunes. You can choose which of the two works better for you.
No interest on Apple purchases: When you make an Apple purchase with this card within the first 30 days. For purchases that are $999 or more, the interest is deferred for 18 months; for purchases between $499 and $998, interest is deferred for 12 months; and six months for purchases below $499. However, if you don’t pay the balance in full before the end of the promotional period, interest will be charged for the entire period. Speaking of which…
APR: It could be either 14.24%, 20.24%, or 27.24% variable. In other words, if you don’t have a great credit rating, this could be an expensive card to use (if you carry balance from month to month).
Foreign transaction fee: It’s 3%, for some reason.
Costs
- 14.24%, 20.24%, or 27.24% Variable APR
- 3% Balance Transfer Fee ($5 minimum)
- 3% Foreign Transaction Fee
- $0 Annual Fee
Pros
- Interest-free shopping for Apple products – if you plan to buy a new Mac or a top-end iPad, this is the card for you. Get that device with interest-free financing.
- Earn points for other Apple/iTunes purchases – this could save you dozens if not hundreds on software purchases (for instance).
- Super-easy redemption – you will receive a gift card the moment you reach 2,500 points. No forms to fill whatsoever.
Cons
- No sign-up bonus – meaning a road to those 2,500 points requires you to spend at least $834 on Apple products, or $1,250 at restaurants.
- Limited redemption options – although you will earn points on restaurant purchases, you can’t redeem points for, say, a dinner. Or something else.
- Foreign transaction fee – meaning you should use some other card when travelling abroad.
Is This The Card For You?
If you want to buy a new Mac or some other Apple product, like an iPad or iPhone, the answer is YES. You will instantly get something in return — in the form of points — and then be able to redeem them for gift cards to buy additional Apple stuff. Like apps, accessories, songs, and so on. Also, if you want to join the ever growing “Apple club,” the Barclaycard Visa with Apple Rewards will give you another spot to feature the Apple logo. Not all fanboys and fangirls have that logo on their cards, and that gotta count for something, I guess…