Finding Apple discounts are hard to come by. Apple makes some of the most coveted tech on the market that’s used by professionals, creatives, and those seeking entertainment. However, its products often come with a premium price, which places Apple products, such as the iPhone or a MacBook, at the top of the price tag range.
Apple products are some of the best and priciest in the consumer electronics market, so it’s quite reasonable that the only thing that can overshadow the joy of playing and enjoying your new Apple device is the hole it left in your budget. Fortunately, there are lots of ways to shave off at least a fraction of the price from your new Apple purchase or to at least have something extra thrown in for the retail price of your new device.
Most people value Apple’s products for their design excellence and brand value. The brand is often associated with luxury, quality, and exclusivity, and the company’s logo on consumer electronics often conveys a certain prestige that adds to the allure of Apple products. Every iPhone is a smartphone at its core, but not every smartphone is an iPhone. In fact, there are just a few rare models that can compare to Apple’s flagship.
Each and every Apple product is renowned for its elegance, simplicity, and user-friendliness, emphasizing the recognizable minimalistic design aesthetics paired with high-quality, premium materials that make the brand recognizable.
However, from a tech enthusiast’s perspective, Apple offers much more than just aesthetic design excellence and brand value. The company has been at the forefront of technological innovation from its inception; its products are designed to work seamlessly together (the famous Apple ecosystem), and Apple’s control over both hardware and software ensures quality and reliability.
Hardware and software integration is a particularly important feature of Apple products since it allows better optimization for smoother performance and enables a high level of security and privacy that’s often associated with the brand and used as one of its main selling points. To top everything off, with an intuitive and easy-to-use interface, you get a line of products that’s accessible to a wider range of users.
Taking all the glitz and glamor of Apple’s unique blend of design and technology into account, the fundamental question becomes, “How much is it going to cost me?”. Well, premium quality and innovation come at a price, which brings us to the distinctive pricing strategy Apple employs.
Apple products are known for their premium pricing, but why is that? Exclusivity and quality are two key factors in their pricing strategy. By maintaining high prices, Apple creates a sense of luxury and desirability for its products.
Apple’s pricing strategy revolves around price skimming, the behavioral psychology of its customers, and brand loyalty.
Apple distinguishes itself from its competitors by using a price-skimming pricing strategy instead of basing the price on manufacturing costs and associated expenses. This means that the company prices its products higher on the price scale, justifying the high price with the innovation, features, benefits, and value its products provide.
However, instead of reducing the price of its products over time, like with typical price-skimming strategies, Apple is quite successful at relying on the behavioral psychology of its customers to maintain the product price throughout nearly the entire lifecycle of the product, only reducing the price when the next-gen product releases.
Here is how it works: the retail price of Apple 14 is $799, while Apple 14 Pro goes for $999. The priciest option is the Apple 14 Pro Max, which is priced at $1,099. Admittedly, while there are some notable differences between the phones, they’re basically run by pretty much the same hardware, with only a marginal difference in performance.
So, the iPhone 14 Pro is a mere decoy for iPhone 14 Pro Max. The consumers are tricked into comparing the two iPhones and eventually buying the pricier option, believing they got more value for their money, but that isn’t necessarily true. This is particularly true in our example; apart from a bigger screen and slightly longer battery life, the two phones perform identically.
And lastly, there’s Apple’s walled garden—the company’s vertical integration of hardware, software, and services, which ensures that it always has a loyal base of consumers, increasing its brand loyalty and, with it, the number of consumers interested in buying the next Apple gadget that seamlessly integrates with the one they already have. This business model works and for a very good reason.
The control over hardware and software, along with vertical integration and established, nearly guaranteed brand loyalty from millions of its customers, give the company complete control over pricing. Apple managed to create both a demand and a supply for its products, and it gets to dictate the price as a result.
Apple doesn’t actually offer annual sales or discounts such as Black Friday deals in its Apple stores, but it does make some kind of favorable offer on most big retail days during the year. In this section, we’ll discuss ways to save money on Apple products. Using your Apple Gift Card is applicable to almost all of them, so it pays to keep one on you if possible.
Knowing when and where to buy can save you quite a bit of money. Apple adheres to a product release schedule, which directly affects the prices of current and older generations of its products. Every time a new iPhone launches, the prices of the previous generations usually drop. In fact, many retailers will slash the prices of the previous generation of products to clear stores for new inventory.
The prices of the former models may begin plummeting even months before the next generation is released, and you can save up to $200 on last year’s products. Check out MacRumors Buyer’s Guide; they’ll tell you when’s the right time to buy a new Apple product.
Knowing where to shop is equally important. Apple charges a premium, and if you go to your local Apple Store or Apple’s online retail, you’re more than likely to pay a very high asking price for an iPhone or an Apple Watch. Fortunately, you’ll find Apple’s products on the shelves of almost all bigger retailers that sell consumer electronics.
Retailers such as Target, Walmart, or Best Buy will often offer their own deals on Apple products, especially around Black Friday, Cyber Monday, or some other retail holiday, which is a great opportunity to save up to a couple of hundred dollars. For example, Costco has exclusive sales deals for its members, which can help you save money on products such as iPads or AirPods.
MacBook Pro deals are a bit harder to find, but Costco and Best Buy often offer student and educator discounts in August, around the start of a new school year, and you might end up getting a $200 discount on your new MacBook Pro. So, start tracking product releases and make sure to compare prices at different retailers to find the best deal.
Apple’s pricing strategy implies that the company won’t price match with other retailers to keep you as a customer—they’re charging a premium, so they’re making money regardless of where you buy your device. However, while Apple doesn’t price match, they’re willing to haggle over the price a little.
So, if you happen to find an Apple product at one of the aforementioned major retailers that are selling for cheaper than at the Apple Store, show the Apple associate the lower price tag. The associate will then offer 10% off their retail price in an attempt to match the competitor’s price, with the term “attempt” being key.
What really happens is that Apple associates will offer 10% off their own price list; they won’t match the competitor’s price and then slash it by an additional 10% like some other retailers. They’ll also rarely haggle with Costco or Amazon prices.
While this isn’t the best discount option, it’s still great if you’re adamant about getting your Apple products from an official, brick-and-mortar Apple Store. So, don’t be afraid to haggle for a discount.
Apple doesn’t have Black Friday sales in a way other retailers do, but the company usually does offer some sale deals. Usually, Apple will give customers up to $200 in Apple Gift Cards with the purchase of certain highly-priced items, such as a Mac computer, MacBook Air, iPad Pro, or similar products.
If you’re planning a large Apple purchase, consider waiting for retail holidays such as Black Friday. Some of Apple’s products, such as Beats headphones, may actually get a price discount during Black Friday or other retail dates. You can combine this with a Gift Card to slash the price further (if applicable).
If you have a previous generation iPhone gathering dust or some other smartphone, you can use Apple’s trade-in program to get credits towards your new Apple purchase. If you turn your older device in, you can take the credit in the form of an Apple Gift Card.
This is also a great opportunity to help combat the growing e-waste, a growing type of waste in the modern world and a major concern due to its environmental impact and rapid growth of electronic consumption worldwide. Instead of tossing your old or broken device into a trash bin, where it would inevitably find its way to a landfill, you can give it to Apple and get a discount on your new Apple purchase.
If the device you turned in is fully functional, with or without minor scuff marks, Apple will refurbish the device and offer it through its Certified Refurbished product line. This is a good way of giving new life to used electronics.
As for the discount you get, it depends on the old device you trade-in. The iPhone 7 can get you up to a $40 discount, while iPhone 13 Pro Max may get you up to $650 off your new Apple purchase. What makes this deal even sweeter is the fact that you can turn in almost any ICT (Information and Communication Technology) device.
That means that the device you’re turning in doesn’t have to be an old iPhone or an Apple product; you can turn in any laptop, desktop, Apple Watch, or an older model iPad. The company will even give you a discount if you turn in an older Android smartphone.
It might be worthwhile to get a few quotes from other retailers that feature a trade-in program before trading in at Apple. You may get a high value by trading in through your mobile carrier, GameStop, or Amazon, though the prices across these retailers will vary.
Ultimately, you may end up getting the most value out of your old phone by selling it yourself. So, dig out your old devices and weigh your options.
If you don’t need the latest Apple product from the desired product line, you can buy Apple’s Certified Refurbished product. This includes Macs, iPads, iPhones, Watches, HomePods, AppleTVs, etc. Please note that refurbished products aren’t available at Apple’s physical locations. Instead, they’re available exclusively through Apple’s Certified Refurbished online store.
Refurbished devices are used by Apple devices, but don’t let that discourage you. Apple takes its product from its trade-in program, and the company’s team of expert techs inspects the devices, cleans them, and installs a new battery and a shell (housing). All of the replaced parts are genuine Apple parts and not some off-spec replacement parts made by third-party manufacturers.
The devices are refurbished directly by Apple, and though they’re refurbished, they don’t actually perform, look, or feel like used devices. They ship for free and come in a brand-new box, accompanied by all the typical accessories you’d get if you were buying a brand-new Apple product.
On top of that, you’ll get a one-year warranty and the option to buy AppleCare. We strongly suggest exploring the refurbished section of Apple’s website, it’s a great way to get a 15% off on your Apple product, and it’s the most appealing option if you’re a collector, as you may gain access to a specific Certified Refurbished model that Apple discontinued.
Apple offers a back-to-school promotion to college students each year, though the promotion details may change by year. In 2020, Apple’s Mac, MacBook, and iPad products got discounted by up to $300 and often came with a free set of AirPods that were otherwise priced at approximately $160 at the time.
It’s worth noting that the discount isn’t percentage-based. Instead, it’s different for each Apple product. Apple’s Shop of College web portal discounts the items automatically, and it doesn’t actually showcase the item’s original price. However, you’ll need to provide a college ID or some other proof of attendance.
It’s worth noting that Apple also offers different Back to School discounts each year, so last year’s items might not receive a price cut this year. You can check the pricing on Apple’s Shop for College web portal.
Apple’s education discount isn’t limited to students only; the discount is available to faculty, staff members, and homeschool teachers of all grade levels. All are eligible for Macs, MacBooks, iPads, Apple Music service, and AppleCare+.
When it comes to discounts, the same rules that apply to students also apply to faculty members. However, to unlock the Education Store and education pricing, you’ll likely have to provide some proof of your educational affiliation. A teacher ID badge or a pay stub should suffice.
If you’re working for tax-exempt institutions, such as a school, a charity, or a place of worship, and you’re buying an Apple product for your workplace, you can apply for a tax exemption from sales tax. You’ll need to provide the necessary paperwork that proves your tax-exempt status; the good thing about this exemption is that it can be added to any other discount you receive.
Apple offers exclusive discounts to military personnel and veterans, making it easier than ever to save on their top-notch products.
Military staff, including veterans, are eligible for a 10% military discount on certain Apple products and services—and the discount extends to family members residing in the same household. Those eligible can access the discount through Apple.com or in physical Apple locations, though you’ll have to verify your status.
Verification for online purchases can be done through ID.me, while purchases in physical locations require that you bring your Military ID with you to access the discount. It’s also worth checking the online price of particular products before purchasing them at the physical locations because some users reported receiving only a 6% discount while buying at Apple Store.
Just like the education discount for educators, you can buy discounted Apple products if you’re a government employee, though you’ll find different discounts if you’re buying products for personal use, as opposed to buying products for your government agency.
Whatever the case may be, you’ll still have to provide your government ID to the Apple employer or through an online verification service to get the appropriate discount. As for what discount you can expect, things typically vary the same way student and educator discounts do. You also might be able to apply for an Apple Gift Card for a bigger discount.
Getting a discount and saving money on an Apple product purchase isn’t all that difficult if you know when and where to shop and what discounts to look for. Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and other retail holidays won’t get you discounts at Apple, but you’ll likely receive a gift card for every major purpose, so if you’re aiming for a Black Friday discount, check out at major retailers.
Buying last-gen or refurbished devices is a good way to not just save money but help save the planet as well. And lastly, you can see if you’re eligible for a discount under student, educator, military, or government discount options, to get your Apple device for less. Lastly, you can get Apple Gift Cards by using Shop Your Way.
Shop Your Way is an all-in-one reward platform that allows you to earn points on everyday purchases. These points can be redeemed on thousands of brands you like and love, including Apple, allowing you to get a discount on your next Apple purchase.
