Replacing an expired Apple Card? Apple wants your old card back

It’s been nearly five years since the Apple Card first debuted as an iPhone-exclusive credit card option from Apple. Early adopters of the Apple Card were recently notified that their titanium physical card would soon be replaced due to its expiration date drawing near.

Users have now started to receive their replacement Apple Cards, and with them, a surprising addition to the packaging: a prepaid envelope to send your old titanium card back to Apple.

Making titanium recycling easy

Included in the packaging with your replacement Apple Card is a cardboard sleeve where you can store your expired card to send it back to Apple for recycling. This comes with a prepaid shipping label to make the process as easy as possible. All you do is load your old card into the provided slot, fold the packaging, seal it, and drop it at FedEx.

The Apple Card’s titanium finish is a fun differentiator for the card, but it’s not like we all have access to titanium-friendly recycling services. Apple taking the initiative to prevent users from just throwing out their old cards is a nice move. It’s also very much in line with the company’s broader environmental ethos.

My experience

I received my replacement Apple Card today. Its delivery was pre-empted by a Wallet notification and email prompting me to expect its arrival, followed by similar notifications after the card had been delivered.

The activation process for the replacement Apple Card was identical to when I received the first card. The packaging instructed me to hold my iPhone up to it, just below where the new card was stored, and a modal pop-up on my device provided a simple ‘Activate’ button.

The whole process was seamless and highlighted one of the reasons I’m a happy Apple Card customer: the elegant blending of tech and user friendliness.