The topic Discover ending Pay with Rewards and Connected Account support in Apple Pay is currently the subject of lively discussion — readers and analysts are keeping a close eye on developments.
This is taking place in a dynamic environment: companies’ decisions and competitors’ reactions can quickly change the picture.
Discover is contacting cardholders about changes to how its cards work with Apple Pay, with two features set to go away starting June 4. Here are the details.
In a notice sent to cardholders, Discover says it will soon discontinue support for its Connected Account integration, as well as for the Pay with Rewards within Apple Pay feature.
The company says it remains “committed to enabling use of Discover® Card in Apple Pay®,” which means that this move will not affect the core Apple Pay experience, as Discover cards will continue to work for both in-store and online purchases through Apple Pay as usual.
However, starting June 4, Discover cardholders will no longer be able to use rewards points to cover purchases at checkout when paying with Apple Pay, nor will they be able to rely on the Connected Account feature to view account details and rewards information within the Wallet app.
The company adds that cardholders can still access account details, rewards, balances, transactions, and payment information through Discover.com, the Discover mobile app, or monthly statements.
Discover’s decision to end support for Connected Accounts comes less than three years after its debut, with iOS 17.1. The feature launched in the US with Discover as the first partner, following a soft launch in the UK with major banks including Barclays, HSBC, Lloyds, RBS, Monzo, and Starling.
In the email sent to cardholders, Discover says that the enrollment cancellation in Connected Account and Pay with Rewards with Apple Pay will be automatic, and that this cancellation “does not affect other terms of your Discover account(s) and agreement(s).”