Apple Card Gender Bias? Don't Assume So, Experts Warn

There may be a lot less than meets the eye to social media charges of gender discrimination against the Apple Card and its joint partners, Apple Inc. and Goldman Sachs—charges that went viral this weekend and continue to gain traction. Although the secret nature of credit card algorithms at the heart of the dispute make it impossible to know for sure, experts believe less nefarious factors likely explain why the wives of two tech titans were given far lower credit limits than their husbands—and that the issues involved are not unique to Apple and Goldman Sachs but rather are common throughout the credit card industry.

"Gender inequality is a huge issue but it's not clear that is what's at play here," says Taylor Tepper, a credit card analyst with Wirecutter, the product review site. "Too little is known about the particulars of the people involved or the factors Apple and Goldman