Apple allowing Apple Card customers to defer payments due to COVID-19

Chance Miller | Aug 2 2020 - 5:17 am PT

In response to the continued coronavirus outbreak, Apple and Goldman Sachs are allowing customers to skip their Apple Card payments without incurring interest charges. Apple Card holders should receive an email announcing this “Customer Assistance Program,” which has been extended through August.

Update #1 4/1: Apple and Goldman Sachs are also now allowing Apple Card customers to defer their April payment without penalty.

Update #2 5/1: Apple and Goldman Sachs are now allowing customers to skip their May payments as well.

Update #3 6/1: Apple and Goldman Sachs have once again announced an extension of the Apple Card Customer Assistance Program, allowing users to skip their June payments without penalty.

Update #4 7/1: The Apple Card Customer Assistance Program has been extended to July, allowing you to skip your July payment without penalty.

Update #5 8/2: Apple and Goldman Sachs have extended the Apple Card Customer Assistance Program through August. This allows you to skip your August payment without interest. Notably, this comes as the United States government struggles to implement another stimulus package amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.

Learn how to join the Customer Assistance Program here.

We understand that the COVID-19 situation poses unique challenges for everyone and some customers may have difficulty making their monthly payments.

Should you need assistance, please click here to be connected to Apple Card Support via Messages and enroll in our Customer Assistance Program, which will allow you to skip your June payment without incurring interest charges.

If you previously enrolled in the Customer Assistance Program, you will need to enroll again.

Original story:

Apple Card customers can skip their March payment without incurring interest charges through the Customer Assistance Program. The email explains:

We understand that the rapidly-evolving COVID-19 situation poses unique challenges for everyone and some customers may have difficulty making their monthly payments. Apple Card is committed to helping you lead a healthier financial life.

Should you need assistance, please click here to be connected to Apple Card support via Messages and enroll in our Customer Assistance Program, which will allow you to skip your March payment without incurring interest charges.

The key here appears to be that you have to contact Apple Card support in order to join the Customer Assistance Program. That seemingly means that if you simply skip your March payment without contacting support, you’ll still be charged interest as usual.

Apple Card holders should all receive this email soon, but if you haven’t already, you can find out how to contact Apple Card Support and enroll in the Customer Assistance Program here.

This Apple Card announcement follows Apple’s decision to close all of its retail stores outside of China through March 27, effective immediately. Apple also said that it has donated $15 million to the global COVID-19 response and it is also matching employee donations two-to-one to support the effort.

Apple has also switched WWDC to an online-only format for 2020, and opened a dedicated coronavirus spotlight on Apple News.