Apple, Goldman to test joint credit card: Report

Apple and Goldman Sachs will begin testing a jointly developed credit card with employees in the next few weeks, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

A wider rollout to consumers will come later this year, according to the Journal. The card will pair with new iPhone software features that will help users manage their finances, the newspaper said. Representatives for Apple and Goldman Sachs didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bloomberg reported last May that Apple and Goldman were developing a co-branded credit card as a way for the investment bank to deepen its push into consumer finance. Goldman, which has been expanding into the field through its Marcus unit, has been planning a deeper foray into the world of co-branded cards, a space that’s become increasingly competitive as banks ratchet up rewards to win business with retailers.

Apple, which in January reported its first holiday-quarter sales decline since 2001 as revenue from the iPhone tumbled, has been investing in services such as Apple Pay and Apple Music to counter declines in its hardware business. Investors have responded well to the strategy.