Overview

Apple Card accounts sync differently from other financial institutions. This article explains how Apple Card syncing works in Monarch, what to do when setting up a new iPhone, and how to troubleshoot common syncing issues.

Table of Contents

• Apple Card syncing

• Did you get a new iPhone?

• If you see duplicate transactions after re-linking
• If Monarch says some settings need updating

• General troubleshooting steps

Apple Card syncing

Apple Card accounts perform two syncs when first connected to Monarch:

1. Initial sync: Creates your accounts in Monarch and imports up to four recent transactions. This happens before the success checkmark appears.

2. Historical sync: Imports all available transaction data. This is a one-time sync. Future updates only gather transactions from the last two weeks.

Did you get a new iPhone?

Apple Card, Apple Cash, and Apple Savings accounts are each linked to a specific iPhone. When you switch to a new device, you’ll need to re-add these accounts to Monarch. If you still have your old iPhone, open Monarch and make sure all Apple accounts are up to date.

On your new iPhone

1. Open Settings > Privacy & Security > Wallet.

   • If you restored your new phone from a backup, you should see Monarch listed.

   • If you set up your phone as new or don’t see Monarch, add your Apple accounts to Monarch using an iOS device.

2. Once Monarch appears under Settings > Privacy & Security > Wallet, tap Monarch and allow each account to access All Available Activity. Transactions Monarch already has are matched instead of added again.

3. Open Monarch and refresh your accounts.

   • If new accounts don’t appear, add your Apple accounts again.

   • If transactions or balances look incomplete, transfer your account history between the old and new accounts.

Note: Each Apple account syncs only from the iPhone where it is authorized, and only brings in transactions made by the person who authorized it. Re-adding an account on a new iPhone keeps your existing transactions, categories, and notes, and transactions that come in again are matched instead of added twice. If you still use your old iPhone, remove Monarch’s Wallet access there so only one phone syncs each account.

If you see duplicate transactions after re-linking

When you re-add your Apple accounts, Monarch matches the incoming transactions against the ones you already have and reuses the existing record instead of creating a second one. A few can still come through twice.

If you find duplicates, you can delete the extra copies. Deleting them does not affect the transactions Monarch matched correctly.

Note: This section is about re-adding your own Apple accounts. If you share a credit card with someone else and see every purchase twice, that has a different cause. Contact us at support@monarch.com.

If Monarch says some settings need updating

If an Apple account has not synced for 7 days or more, the account page can show a Connection issue banner that reads Some settings need updating. Tap Update to open Reconnect Apple accounts. It checks three things on your iPhone and shows what still needs attention:

• Connect Apple Wallet or Allow account access: Monarch can only see the Apple accounts you share. Tap Open settings to go to Monarch in iOS Settings, then tap Wallet and allow each account to access All Available Activity.
• Allow notifications: Monarch uses notifications to start a sync in the background. Tap Allow access, or Open settings if you turned notifications off earlier.
• Allow background app refresh: This lets Monarch sync while the app is closed. Tap Open settings and turn it on. You will not see this row if a device policy restricts it.

When everything is set, each row shows Permission granted, and the Wallet row reads Apple account connected with the number of accounts syncing from this iPhone. To change which accounts you share, go to Settings > Apps > Monarch > Wallet on your iPhone. On iOS 18 and earlier, go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Wallet > Monarch. See General troubleshooting steps below if an account still does not sync.

Note: This banner appears on iPhone only, once for each Apple account that has not synced in 7 days or more. It does not appear on an account that another iPhone keeps up to date. If you do not see it, update Monarch to the latest version.

General troubleshooting steps

If you’re experiencing issues with your Apple Card connection, please try the following steps:

1. Reinstall the app and re-add your Apple account

• Delete and reinstall the Monarch app.
• Re-add your Apple account to re-trigger the initial permissions. Do not delete your existing Apple account in Monarch. 
• On your iPhone, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Wallet → Monarch and ensure the correct accounts and permissions are enabled.

2. Enable notifications

• Go to Settings → Apps → Monarch → Notifications and toggle Allow Notifications on.

Note: Device-level notifications are required for background syncing. Without them, your Apple Card will only sync when you're actively using the app. You can customize specific notification types within the Monarch app while keeping device-level notifications enabled.

3. Enable Background App Refresh

• Go to Settings → General → Background App Refresh, scroll to Monarch, and toggle it on.

4. Keep the Monarch app open

• Avoid force-closing Monarch from the App Switcher (swiping up to remove it), as this prevents background syncing.
• If you do close, it will sync again automatically once you reopen the app.