Apple Cash now uses the Visa network instead of Discover, with all new virtual Apple Cash debit cards being created on the Visa network.
- The Apple Cash card now uses the Visa debit network instead of Discover one
- Apple also launched new fraud protections for Visa cards in the Wallet app
- The moves could hint at an international rollout for the Apple Cash card
The Apple Cash card now uses the Visa network
According to Twitter user “Kanjo,” Apple has switched the network for its virtual Apple Cash debit card (also known as Apple Pay Cash card) from the much smaller Discover network to Visa. The company has not formally announced the change but the Apple Cash webpage and support documents use the new Visa imagery in place of the Discover logo. Read: How to set up and send money with Apple Cash
It’s unclear whether Apple will be imminently transitioning existing Discover-based Apple Cash accounts to the Visa network, but in our testing it appears that new Apple Cash accounts are now being created with Visa.
And:
If you currently have a Discover Apple Cash account, deactivating Apple Cash in Settings on your device and then reactivating it will generate a new Apple Cash Device Account Number on the Visa network.
Don’t worry, your balance will be preserved on the new card.
Before this change, the Apple Cash card used the Discover network through Apple’s partnership with Green Dot Bank in the US. Interestingly, Apple just a few days ago began rolling out enhanced fraud prevention for Visa cards in the Wallet app that support this new security feature, such as Visa cards and Apple Card.
As Kanjo writes in his blog post, “Wallet notifications went to Visa card users because on the same day Apple switched the Apple Cash card brand from Discover to Visa.” Replacing the Green Dot/Discover backend for Visa and implementing enhanced fraud prevention means “Apple can finally take the Apple Cash show international.” Indeed—In Europe, where I live, Discover is nearly unavailable.
Apple Cash is a feature that lets you transfer the money from one user to another via Apple Pay and iMessage. You can use the funds on your account to to pay off balances, send the money to a bank account linked in your Apple Cash settings, etc.