Apple Card Family: 6 things you need to know about Apple’s new credit card feature

At long last, you can now share your Apple Card account with your spouse or another family member, as long as you’re using iOS 14.6 on your iPhone. When you invite someone to be part of your Apple Card account, they’ll can buy stuff using your Apple Card account (sadly they’ll get to keep the Daily Cash awards earned from their purchases.) You’ll need to set up a family sharing group, and figure out if you want to set spending limits — we’ll help walk you through your options. One thing you won’t be able to do is combine existing Apple Card accounts quite yet, but that feature’s coming fairly soon. 

There are a lot of questions about Apple Card Family, how it works, what kind of accounts you can create and how to invite someone to share your card. I dug through all the Apple Card Family details and help break down the major points below.

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Who can I share my Apple Card with?

In order to invite someone to share your Apple Card account, they will need to be a member of your Family Sharing group. If you don’t have Family Sharing setup yet, you should take a few minutes and do that anyway. Not only does it mean you can invite members to your Apple Card account and make purchases, but you can also share app purchases and iCloud storage (among other features).

Family Sharing groups are limited to a total of 6 members (you plus 5 others) and that’s the same limit for the number of people you can use Apple Card Family with. 

What should I know about combining Apple Card accounts?

One more thing you should know. If you want to combine your Apple Card account with your partner’s Apple Card account, it’s not currently possible. According to Apple, merging two accounts that are part of the same Family Sharing group will be possible in July, which isn’t that far away. 

What’s the difference between a co-owner and a participant?

When you invite someone else into your Apple Card Family, you’ll be asked to select whether the person will be a co-owner or participant. They’re two very different accounts, each with its own purpose. 

Co-owner: A co-owner account has the same responsibilities and requirements as the main account holder. That means they’ll be equally accountable for paying the card balance and ensuring payments are made on time. A co-owner will build credit on their own based on the Apple Card. They will also be able to manage participants, request physical Apple Cards for participants under 18 and view all activity on the shared Apple Card account. 

Participant: A participant isn’t responsible for the account balance or making any payments. They’ll only have access to their own transaction history, not the entire account’s history. The account owner can set a spending limit for each participant. Participants who are 18 or older can order their own physical Apple Card and opt-in to building credit with their account. 

Both account types will get the benefit of earning Daily Apple Cash and have immediate access to the digital Apple Card on their iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch once they’ve accepted an invite. 

How do I invite someone to me Apple Card Family?

The easiest way to send an invite is to open the Wallet app on your iPhone and select your Apple Card. Next, tap on the three-dot icon in the top-right corner of the screen. Next, tap Share my Card followed by Continue. 

You’ll be presented with a list of eligible people who are in your Family Sharing group that you can send an invite. Tap the person’s name, then select the account type you’d like them to have. Follow the prompts to finish sending the invite. 

How do I accept an Apple Card Family invitation?

If you’re on the receiving end of an invite to share an Apple Card, you’ll need to take a few minutes to complete the signup process on your iPhone. 

Once the account owner sends you an invite, you’ll get an alert on your phone. Open the alert, or unlock your phone and open the Wallet app. In the top-right corner you’ll have a notification badge — tap it. Follow the prompts to complete the setup. 

For participants, you’ll only need to accept the Apple Card invite. Optionally, you can enter your social security number to start building credit if you’re over 18 years of age. 

For co-owners, you’ll need to go through the complete Apple Card signup process that includes a credit check and entering your personal information. 

After mastering Apple Card Family, take a few minutes to learn more about how to use your iPhone. iOS 14 is full of features that are downright cool, even though some of them are hidden. And if you’re new to iPhone, make sure to check these settings right away.