I Want An Apple Credit Card

Ashlee Simpson song: 99 Cents

Black Eyed Peas song: 99 Cents

Getting free songs from the iTunes Music Store: Priceless.

Ok. So I combined Mastercard’s ad campaign with Discover Card’s cash back program. These days, it seems everyone has credit cards these days. With the popularity of internet shopping, it’s just more convenient to pay with your credit card. And with the addition of debit cards, it’s easier to pay with plastic then to withdraw cash from the ATM.

With the popularity of credit cards, it is no surprise that Bank First has come out with a Debit MasterCard featuring the R&B singer, Usher, on it. Geared for consumers with low credit ratings, owning this card gives you access to exclusive content, merchandise discounts and concert tickets. But make no mistake: this card is a money making venture for Bank First and an exposure vehicle for Usher. Now wouldn’t that make sense for Apple?

I would love to have an iPod or iTunes branded Visa or MasterCard. Actually, One look in my wallet and 9 out of 10 people would agree, my wallet needs an Apple credit card. Here’s what Apple could add to my wallet and to theirs:

Design
No one designs things consistently clean and elegant like Apple does. There’s a great spot between my boring run of the mill Discover Card, my bland Visa Card, and my Regional Bank branded Debit MasterCard. The only card out there that could add some spice to my pocket rawhide is the Amex Blue Card. But as of this article, despite multiple attempts a week to get my business, I have denied that clear card. (I don’t want to leave that space open for my Apple Card)

Incentives:
My Discover Card gives me $1 for every $100 I charge with it. Now what am i going to do with $1? A pack of gum? Some dental floss? Maybe I can afford a spool of thread! I know: I can go to the Five and Dime and have a field day. Great plan if only there were still Five and Dimes! With the iTunes Music Store, Apple already has product that are conveniently sized in 99 Cent increments. Wouldn’t it be nice to be pissed you had to finally spring for a new refrigerator and at the end of the month you had a 7 song credit to your iTunes Music Store account?

Benefits:
My Visa card gives me magazine subscriptions for my business. The problem is, in an attempt to provide the credit card charging public a wide selection, the choices are not diverse, they are obscure. I had to settle for a 2 year subscription to Archaeology Today magazine. I thought the entire point of archaeology was to find out about yesterday not today. Owning the Apple credit card could get you subscription discounts to MacWorld, Mac Addict, and MacDirectory. It could also get you discounts at the Apple Store. Or MacWorld. Or to concerts. Or to internet services. Apple could get the help of all of their current marketing partners and create a very tempting product.

Promotions:
Every time I go to Fenway Park to watch my beloved Red Sox, I always get suckered into getting a Red Sox credit card. Is it because I love the Red Sox? Not entirely. It’s because of the stupid T-Shirt that I couldn’t buy anywhere else. And I do say buy because after paying the annual fee, I could have bought 2 shirts at the Souvenir Shop. I’m not saying Apple should hawk T-shirts. But add an exclusive premium into the sales pitch, and people will line out the Apple Store to get it.

Profits and trackability:
The credit card business model is beautiful. It empowers you the consumer to get something now and pay for it later. You can pay it in small increments or pay it all at once. But you get it now. No more putting money away for 5 years only to find out the camera you wanted has been discontinued. Apple would not only reap the benefits of some of the interest payments (The sponsoring bank would get the majority), but they would be able to increase brand presence and most importantly track they buyers behavior.

For example, if they are seeing that Apple credit card users are buying iMacs and the buying a third-party web cam instead of the iSight, they will instantly gain information on the iSight. maybe it’s too overpriced. maybe it isn’t being promoted enough. Maybe they need to try bundling it with computers in a promotion. This is all info that they would normally have to take educated guesses and rely on focus group assumptions to conclude.

The possibilities are endless for an Apple Credit Card and I can’t wait to have one in my wallet. How about you?