Chinese smartphone maker Vivo appears to be preparing "VivoCard" as a rival to Apple Card, following similar moves by Apple competitors Google, Samsung, Huawei, and Oppo.
According to Chinese trademark filings from late last month seen by DroidMaze, Vivo is attempting to trademark "VivoCard." The trademark is filed under international classifications, meaning that the company hopes to use the "VivoCard" brand overseas.
Apple launched the Apple Card in 2019 as a credit card that is linked to Apple Pay and built directly into the iPhone's Wallet app. Apple partners with Goldman Sachs for the card, which is optimized for Apple Pay but will still work as a traditional credit card for all of your transactions. Apple Card also offers a number of features such as Daily Cash, spending tracking, purchase notifications, an engraved titanium physical card, and more.
Following the launch of Apple Card, leaked images showed that Google was developing its own physical and virtual debit card in partnership with banks in the United States, featuring the ability to add or remove funds from the card after connecting a bank account.
In 2020, Samsung launched "Samsung Pay Card" in the captive market of the UK, where Apple Card is currently unavailable, with a comparable offering of cashback, instant spend notifications, and software integration. Huawei has also launched "Huawei Card," featuring a very similar model to Apple Card with a physical and virtual card, cashback, and other perks.
Last month, similar Chinese trademark filings revealed that Oppo was the next Android brand looking to join the smart card market, but the news that Vivo is also planning to move into the space means that Apple is likely to face at least five Android competitors to Apple Card in the near future.
Given the increasing number of smart card options from major tech companies, it is likely that VivoCard will seek to compete with cashback and software integrations, but little else is known about the company's new finance product at this early stage.
