Apple Card family sharing could extend credit card access to kids

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Apple Card with iPhone
Apple Card Family could let parent and teens share access to the Mac-maker’s credit card.
Photo: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac

Apple Card holders might soon be able to share access with their family. Users of the credit card will reportedly be able to give their spouse or children access to a pre-established amount of money.

Details of Apple Card Family turned up buried in the code for the iOS 14.5 beta released Monday, reports 9to5mac “Share your Apple Card with eligible friends and family in your family group. Build credit together, track spending, and receive Daily Cash,” is one of the notes supposedly found.

Apple Card Family puts limits on spending

The new program allegedly works through iCloud Family Sharing , and doesn’t give everyone equal access to the credit card. The card holder can put a credit limit on each user. And can supposedly track everyone’s spending.

The Apple card was designed to be consumer friendly, displaying purchases and payments in an easy-to-understand interface on an iPhone, iPad, etc. It wouldn’t be a stretch to extend that interface to multiple users.

Many parent get their teens a debit card, as this allows them to make purchases online while also putting strict limits on their spending. Apple Card Family would do the same thing with the Mac-maker’s card.

This feature might go live with iOS 14.5, which is expected in early spring, but it doesn’t have to. New features often built into betas months — sometimes years — before the release. iOS has contained references to AirTags since 2019, for example, and these item trackers still aren‘t out.

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