What is with these tech companies that think they can be banks. First Apple and now Google. I’m sorry but the main reason they are doing this is so they can add more user analysis to sell. Tracking spending data coupled with location data and everything else they track while you carry your phone everywhere.
I understand the progression though, Google Pay has already been a thing so why not add their own card. Business models no longer are based on providing a service to a customer but providing a service that allows them to collect more data on you to sell to other businesses.
I get what you are says, but worrying about Apple and Google tracking you with a card is the least of the problems.
If you are on Facebook, tracked, even if you do not use it but still have an account, they track you.
Google tracks you all over the place with ads and gmail and such.
Microsoft tracks spending on Xbox and Windows
Apple tracks you in the back ground, granted probably the most anonymous info given to a company, but they still track your app usage, what you buy on iTunes and such.
Your phone carrie tracks your phone from tower to tower
Have a savers card at a store? That info is sold to lots of companies and track your spending. How do you always seem to get those coupons for things you are running low on or have not bough in a while? Tracking.
Your bank tracks your spending habits and locations. Try using your credit/debit card in a new city hundreds or thousand of miles away and see if you don’t get a call asking if you made that purchase.
Trust me, I get it. I am all anti-big brother, put on the tin foil hats because the mole people are watching and all that jazz. I was very much anti- big internet companies.
But truth be told, and that hard pill to swallow, you have given up more info than you think and not even realized it.
I have the Apple Card, and it has saved me a good hunk of change. The perks are good, daily cash back is nice, and so much easier to see my spending and balance and make a payment within the iOS Wallet app.
I have had my data stollen so many times from box stores getting a data breach, that I just no longer care about hiding my info. Seems to be the hard you try and hide it, the easier it seems to be getting if.
yeah i get what you are saying and not oblivious to it. just another drop in the bucket of companies competing at getting at user analytics. Guilt admission I use Samsung Pay when i can for the points.
Its not really about tracking me. This more stems with how I feel on how User data such as this (and more specifically ad revenue) is completely overvalued. How these massive companies with more money then they generally know what to do with are always looking for more ways to boost that invisible value because they lack the innovation to create anything of use. Instead use stuff like this to boost the companies value to shareholders.