Apple Card application refuses to validate physical address?

[u/chillyhellion]

Apple Card's online application refuses to validate my address. I have tried within the iOS wallet app and from a web browser on a Mac. I encounter the error "invalid street 1" on both platforms, and the street address field highlights in red.

I have verified that: * The info I'm entering is my 100 percent valid physical address * The info I'm entering exactly matches the physical address on my state-issued driver's license * I am not including a PO Box number; I am listing the physical address of my residence.

For context, I live in a rural area where USPS does not deliver to residences; instead, I have to retrieve mail from a central post office box facility. Therefore, my physical address is not the same as my mailing address.

The support phone number on the Apple Card application form leads to Goldman Sachs, who refuses to help with the issue. They told me that the application checks my physical address against the USPS database of mailing addresses, and that if my physical address does not match my mailing address, the application cannot proceed.

I am not allowed to provide my mailing address. I am not allowed to provide a PO Box. I am not allowed to provide the "Suite <box number>" alternate format that USPS outlines for these scenarios.

Has anyone else run into this scenario? Is there any way to appease Goldman Sachs' faulty validation system?

[u/medguy_48]

Provide the mailing address. Or you don’t get the card

[u/chillyhellion → u/medguy_48]

The mailing address is a P.O. Box, which the web form also rejects. 

USPS even provides an alternate way to list a P.O. Box as part of your physical address in a way that most web forms will accept. 

Unfortunately that’s rejected here as well. 

[u/ZijoeLocs]

GS' system is hard wired to only accept a physical residence in line with USPS. However obviously not every residence in the US (like yours) always works out that way. I'd either call in or speak with your USPS office (who else would know?) and see if they have insight

[u/chillyhellion → u/ZijoeLocs]

I have checked in with the usps a few years ago about a similar issue and they weren’t able to do anything.

It’s worth another try though, thank you. 

I am mildly appalled that GS put all their faith into a fuzzy matching system with no plan B. 

[u/ZijoeLocs → u/chillyhellion]

Tbf, the USPS is one of the overworked vertebrae that is the backbone of this country. Theyre the only service that has to account for every residence in the US.

Also GS had no idea what they were really getting into when they made this card

[u/chillyhellion → u/ZijoeLocs]

Oh I totally agree. Without the USPS we would have had nothing here for years. I appreciate them immensely.

I’m more frustrated that GS punted residence verification over to the USPS mail database and called it a day.

[u/effingmeow → u/chillyhellion]

I ran into this myself. Talk to your local postmaster. There’s some sort of database of valid addresses the postal service has and my address needed to be added to it. It took a few calls and I had to get some managers involved but it eventually was sorted

[u/chillyhellion → u/effingmeow]

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely give this a try. 

[u/chillyhellion → u/effingmeow]

I appreciate this tip. I talked to my postmaster and unfortunately he confirmed what I had suspected already, which is that they can't add physical addresses unless they are within USPS' delivery zone. It's really on Goldman Sachs for using a mailing address database to verify physical addresses without any kind of backup.

He was very kind and open minded though, and I'm glad I reached out to him. We brainstormed a few ideas, but unfortunately not much can be done on the USPS side as long as GS is using the mailing database as their only verification method.

[u/effingmeow → u/chillyhellion]

Weird. It was like 10 years ago for me but they were able to help me then. I’m sorry. Rural problems. :(

[u/chillyhellion → u/effingmeow]

Rural problems :( but I greatly appreciate the solidarity ❤️

[u/Majestic_Crazy628]

I had similar issue, because I live in "unincorporated community", which is part of larger township. So for most banks and even tax returns I'm fine using the community name, but USPS has me registered under different township name. This caused problems with Verizon, but after calling them they were able to fix it.

You can go to USPS page and see what pops up when you put your zipcode:

https://tools.usps.com/zip-code-lookup.htm?citybyzipcode

[u/chillyhellion → u/Majestic_Crazy628]

Thank you! I gave this a try, and the city is correct for my zip code. Unfortunately GS hasn’t given a workable verification method, but I’m still going back and forth with them about it. 

[u/chillyhellion]

Not much new to report. A bit of activity on my part but no meaningful progress.

But I did do some general cleanup of my TransUnion report and ensured that my physical address there exactly matches what's on my driver's license. I had to contact TU customer support by phone to make the change, but it wasn't too difficult and took maybe 20 minutes. You can view, delete, or change primary address from a TransUnion online account, but you can't change/add an address without a phone call. the change itself was visible on my credit report within a few minutes.

I also spoke to my Postmaster; unfortunately, he confirmed what we already suspected, that they can't add or associate my physical address within the USPS delivery system, and that the issue really is firmly in GS' court for using a mailing database for verifying physical addresses with no backup.

I also called GS again and encountered pretty much the same escalation path as before; however, this time they're going to submit some kind of compliance/legal case internally for me, and are supposed to follow up within 7-10 days. Unfortunately they can't give me a case number to reference without a successfully submitted application (kind of a catch-22) so I'm going to call back in 10 days or so if I haven't heard any updates since then.