14 DAY TRIAL // Apple will one day put an NFC chip inside the iPhone. That’s pretty much a given. But will the fruity company at 1 Infinite Loop also create its own payment system? An iCard, if you will?
The Aussies at Credit Card Compare are trying to answer this question via an infographic that makes the iCard seem as a real Apple product, complete with text and graphics akin to the iPhone maker’s promo materials.
“Payments will never be the same. It’s the most amazing credit card yet. It’s not just better. It’s incredible. iCard is the biggest thing to happen to personal finance since online banking. Deep integration with iOS and OS X makes managing your money easier than ever. And the numbers add up too.”
The iCard would integrate with Passbook allowing customers to swipe and pay using only their iPhone. In other words, the card itself wouldn’t even come out of the wallet.
And Apple is halfway there, since Passbook already empowers users to pay for select services with their iPhone.
iCard would also integrate with Siri, allowing customers to ask questions like “what’s my balance?” or to request a copy of their statement, a credit limit increase, and even send a message to customer care.
Notification Center integration would put real time alerts on the user’s screen when payments are received, and Find My iCard would drop a pin on the map to show you where you lost your plastic.
The service would also allow you to remotely wipe your card, just like you can do with an iPhone or an iPad today.
And what’s a new Apple product without some environmental friendliness to back it?
“We’re not sure what you’ll like most - the fact that you will never receive a paper statement or that for every $100 dollars [sic] you spend on Apple products we will plant a tree in the Brazilian Amazon on your behalf.”
Credit Card Compare also envisions AppleCare+ for iCard and Ready for Business programs, as well as bonuses on Apple Store and iTunes purchases, 10% APR, the ability to transfer existing credit card balance at 0% and no annual fees.