Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs. You can often settle a past-due Apple Card balance for less than the full amount, usually once the account is a few months behind. In January 2026, Apple and JPMorgan Chase announced that Chase will take over the Apple Card. The change rolls out over about two years, so the company you deal with may shift during that time. For now, you manage the card and any hardship help in the Wallet app. With askworthy.ai, you can build a settlement offer and send it yourself.
Who you are dealing with now
Goldman Sachs is the Apple Card issuer today. You handle the account, disputes, and payment help through Apple Card Support in the Wallet app, not a separate bank branch. Goldman is leaving consumer lending, and the Apple Card portfolio is moving to JPMorgan Chase under a deal announced in January 2026. The handoff is expected to take about two years, so keep any settlement letter you receive in case the servicer changes mid-process.
Settlement percentages by account stage
How much Apple Card will discount tracks how far behind the account is. These are typical ranges, not guarantees.
- Current or 1 to 3 months past due: A settlement is unlikely. Ask about payment assistance instead.
- 4 to 6 months past due (pre-charge-off): Lump-sum offers commonly land around 40% to 60% of the balance.
- After charge-off (about month 6 onward): The balance may be sold to a debt buyer or placed with a collection firm. Offers vary, and the company collecting may not be Goldman Sachs.
A charge-off does not erase the debt. It is an accounting step. You still owe the balance, and someone can still collect it.
Apple Card payment assistance
Apple Card offers a customer assistance program for cardholders going through a hardship. It can include short-term relief like a temporary lower payment. It is not the same as a settlement, and it does not forgive part of the balance. You request it through Apple Card Support in the Wallet app. See Apple's official Apple Card support page for current contact options.
Step-by-step settlement playbook
- Check the account status. Open the Wallet app and confirm the balance and how far past due you are.
- Decide your maximum. Pick a lump sum you can pay within 30 to 90 days.
- Contact Apple Card Support. Ask about settlement or customer assistance, and be brief about the hardship.
- Get the deal in writing first. Make sure any agreement names the amount, the payment date, and that the rest will be reported as settled.
- Pay only after you have the letter. Use a method that leaves a paper trail.
- Check your credit report about 60 days later. The account should show a zero balance and a settled status.
If you would rather not handle the back-and-forth yourself, Worthy can build and send the offer for you.
Tax implications
If more than $600 of your balance is forgiven, the issuer generally sends an IRS Form 1099-C, and the forgiven amount usually counts as income on your federal return. The insolvency exception can reduce or remove that tax if your debts were larger than your assets just before the settlement. You claim it on IRS Form 982.