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Fifteen years later, the Apple Cards origin story

437 points · 120 comments · ksec

  1. woadwarrior01 · · focus · HN ↗
    > For one, Apple was unwilling to have visible barcodes printed on the envelopes — but it wanted every step of the shipping and delivery of your card tracked. That wasn’t something the US Postal Service did. Apple and the printing company created an invisible barcode that was sprayed on the envelope, visible only under certain UV light, so that the envelope itself would remain unadulterated. And the USPS agreed to scan cards when sent, when processed at mail facilities, up to and including when they went out on a mail truck for delivery.

    This is classic Steve Jobs. Sheer force of will.

    1. Mistletoe · · focus · HN ↗
      Sheer force of stupid, no one cares if a bar code is on the envelope.
      1. Grombobulous · · focus · HN ↗
        When you’re sending someone a personal card barcodes makes it look very impersonal, maybe even makes it look like junk mail.
        1. Cyph0n · · focus · HN ↗
          But this is not a personal card. It is a credit card. Who in the world would even notice this detail?

          This whole exercise sounds like a minimalist circlejerk that was only possible in a ZIRP environment.

          1. zbentley · · focus · HN ↗
            > only possible in a ZIRP environment.

            Why did interest rates matter to Apple, a company famously averse to extended or significant borrowing?

            1. [deleted] · · focus · HN ↗

              [deleted]

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