The Galaxy Card Is Samsung’s Answer to the Apple Card

Nearly seven years after Apple debuted the Apple Card , Samsung is following the iPhone maker's footsteps with the Galaxy Card, aiming for its own slice of the credit card market. The announcement comes two days before Samsung's second Galaxy Unpacked event of the year, where it's expected to showcase new smartwatches and folding smartphones .

The Galaxy Card is issued by Barclays on the Visa network; the Apple Card, originally issued by Goldman Sachs but now transitioning to Chase , is on the MasterCard network. There is a physical card—it's not made of titanium but recycled steel. The virtual card will be provisioned to a user's Samsung Wallet account.

With no annual fee, Samsung says cardmembers can earn 5 percent cash rewards on all in-store or online purchases made directly from Samsung in the US, 3 percent cash rewards on purchases made with the Galaxy Card using Samsung Wallet, 2 percent cash rewards on streaming service subscriptions, and 1 percent cash rewards on everything else with the physical card. The cash rewards can be redeemed as a statement credit or transferred to a checking or savings account.

The annual percentage rate (APR) varies by cardmember, but the card has no foreign transaction fees. Other perks include a 20 percent discount on Samsung's VIP Advantage membership , which offers extended device protection, specialized support, and exclusive deals, and $200 in cash rewards after spending $2,000 in the first 90 days. Applications open up on July 22.

The Samsung Wallet app is only available on Samsung smartphones and watches , so what happens if a consumer switches to a different smartphone brand? The company says Galaxy Card is not limited to Samsung device owners and that anyone can use the physical card, but you lose the key perks; the card can be managed through a BarclaysUS.com online portal. (Similarly, if an iPhone owner switches to Android , their physical Apple Card will still work, but they lose access to the Apple Wallet app and the 3 percent daily cash perk on Apple purchases; there's a web portal to manage the account.)

The rewards aren't revolutionary, but they're targeting Samsung's most loyal consumers and card-maxxers looking to rack up the most points with every dollar they spend. Brian Riley, director of Credit Advisory Services at Javelin Strategy & Research, a financial research and consulting group, says entering the space is important for Samsung to increase brand presence and loyalty.