You can connect Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Apple Savings to Beacon from an iPhone. Beacon reads the activity from Apple Wallet on that phone, so new transactions come in when you open Beacon on the iPhone that connected the accounts.
That is the biggest difference from a bank connection. There is no refresh button for Apple accounts. Here’s how to connect them and what to expect afterward.
What you need to connect Apple Card
- An iPhone running iOS 17.4 or later.
- To be in the US.
- Beacon 0.20.0 or newer.
Apple connections aren’t available on Android, on the web, or on iPad. You can still see the accounts there once they’re connected (see the shared budgets section below), but the connection itself lives on the iPhone.
How to connect Apple Card to Beacon
- Open Beacon on your iPhone and go to the Accounts tab.
- Tap the Add (+) button to open the Add an account sheet.
- Tap the Apple Card & Cash tile, or type “apple” into the search.
- Apple asks for permission to share your Wallet financial data with Beacon. Allow it.
- Choose which Apple accounts you want to share.
The connection goes through Plaid, the same secure service Beacon uses for many banks. Apple handles the permission step, and you decide which accounts Beacon can see.
What comes in when you connect
One connection brings in each Apple account you chose to share.
| Apple account | Account type in Beacon |
|---|---|
| Apple Card | Credit card |
| Apple Cash | Checking |
| Apple Savings | Savings |
Say you have $40 sitting in Apple Cash. Because Beacon sets Apple Cash up as checking, that $40 is part of the money Beacon counts toward Free-to-Spend, the same as cash in your bank checking account.
If you’d rather treat an account differently, you can change its type afterwards the same way you would for any other account.
Using Apple Card with credit card integration
Apple Card works with Beacon’s credit card features the same as any other card, including setting money aside in a credit card bucket as you spend. Credit card integration is a premium feature. The setup steps are in set up credit card integration.
How Apple Card transactions update in Beacon
This is the part most people ask about.
Apple keeps your Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Apple Savings data on your iPhone. New activity becomes available to Beacon when the person who connected the accounts opens Beacon on that iPhone. A transaction can take a little longer to appear, even after you open the app.
That’s why Apple connections don’t have a refresh button. Opening Beacon on the connected iPhone is what brings in new activity.
Pending charges come in too. Say you tap your Apple Card for a $6.50 coffee. You might see it in Wallet a little before it shows up in Beacon. It arrives on a later open, so if it isn’t there yet, give it a bit and open Beacon again.
Apple Card in a shared budget
Everyone in a shared budget can see the Apple accounts once they’re connected. Two things work differently, though.
- Only the person who connected Apple can manage or reconnect it. The connection uses their iPhone’s Wallet, so it can’t be managed from anyone else’s phone.
- Partners see activity as of the last time the person who connected Apple opened Beacon on their iPhone. If your partner uses Beacon on Android or the web, new Apple activity becomes available to them after you open Beacon on your iPhone.
For more on how sharing works, see share a budget with a partner or family member.
Apple Card troubleshooting and FAQ
Does Beacon work with Apple Card?
Yes, on an iPhone running iOS 17.4 or later, in the US. The steps are above.
Does Apple Card work with Plaid?
Yes. Beacon connects Apple accounts through Plaid, and Apple asks your permission before sharing Wallet data.
I don’t see the Apple Card & Cash tile
Check these.
- You’re on an iPhone, not an iPad or Android device, and not the web app.
- Your iPhone is on iOS 17.4 or later.
- You’re in the US.
If all three are true and you still don’t see the tile, contact support.
A charge is in Wallet but not in Beacon yet
That’s normal for a short while. Give it a bit, then open Beacon again on the iPhone that connected Apple. The charge comes in on that open.
My partner doesn’t see my latest Apple Card charges
Open Beacon on the iPhone that connected the Apple accounts. New activity reaches the shared budget from that phone.
Can my partner reconnect our Apple Card connection?
No. Only the person who connected Apple can manage or reconnect it.