(Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. will begin testing a jointly developed credit card with employees in the next few weeks, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
A wider rollout to consumers will come later this year, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the information isn't public. The card will pair with new iPhone software features that will help users manage their finances, according to the Wall Street Journal, which reported the plans earlier Thursday.
Representatives for Apple and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.
Bloomberg reported last May that Apple and Goldman were developing a co-branded credit card as a way for the investment bank to deepen its push into consumer finance. Goldman, which has been expanding into the field through its Marcus unit, has been planning a deeper foray into the world of co-branded cards, a space that's become increasingly competitive as banks ratchet up rewards to win business with retailers.
Read more: Apple-Goldman card poses risks, Ellis says
Goldman last year acquired personal-finance startup Clarity Money, an app founded by Adam Dell, the brother of Michael Dell. Clarity uses artificial intelligence to help consumers make better financial decisions by canceling or lowering bills, finding a better credit card or creating a savings account.
Apple, which in January reported its first holiday-quarter sales decline since 2001 as revenue from the iPhone tumbled, has been investing in services such as Apple Pay and Apple Music to counter declines in its hardware business. Investors have responded well to the strategy.
The credit card, as part of Apple Pay, would contribute to Apple's growing services segment. The company is holding a media event on March 25 during which it plans to introduce two other new services: a premium magazine subscription platform and an original video content offering to compete with Netflix and Amazon Prime. Apple also is preparing an iPhone software update, iOS 12.2, that includes a revamped Wallet app. That new app could set the foundation for integrating the new credit card.
--With assistance from Sridhar Natarajan, Jenny Surane and Mark Gurman.
To contact the reporter on this story: Nate Lanxon in London at nlanxon@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Giles Turner at gturner35@bloomberg.net, Daniel Taub, Michael J. Moore
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