From Gold to Bold: Visa’s $100M Move to Replace Mastercard on Apple Card

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Visa has made a daring step to become Apple Card's payment network, proposing a whopping $100 million initial payment to displace Mastercard. This move comes as Apple seeks a new partner after it ended its alliance with Goldman Sachs. The stakes for this coveted partnership are growing, with American Express also competing for the spot.

Key Points

Visa's Aggressive Offer: Visa has made Apple a $100 million upfront payment, a figure usually reserved for the largest co-branded credit card programs, in an attempt to take over as the payment network for the Apple Card.
American Express in the Game: American Express is positioning itself as both network provider and issuer, hoping to substitute both Mastercard and Goldman Sachs. Its reward programs and premium products could interest Apple, although higher fees from merchants may be a hitch.
Mastercard's Countermeasures: Mastercard, the payment network used by Apple since the introduction of Apple Card in 2019, is actively fighting back by investigating deeper synergies with Apple's ecosystem.
Goldman Sachs Exit: Goldman Sachs, the issuer of Apple Card as of now, is pulling out of consumer banking after making hefty losses. Apple has been left to look for new issuers and payment processor partners.
Apple Card's Market Value: With more than 12 million customers and $20 billion in outstanding balances, the Apple Card partnership is extremely profitable, rendering it an attractive target for financial institutions and networks.
Other Contenders: JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, and Synchrony Financial have also been in talks with Apple to take over Goldman Sachs as the card issuer.

Background Context

Apple introduced its credit card in 2019 with Goldman Sachs (as issuer) and Mastercard (as payment processor). But issues such as customer service grievances and losses affected Goldman Sachs's plans to expand retail businesses. This gave the entry opportunity to other financial players to vie for what is regarded as one of the most valuable co-branded credit card programs in the world.

Sources: FinTech News, Indian Express, The Tech Portal, Reuters, Wall Street Journal

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