Credit Card, Proof etc. for Education Discount

[chrisi29]

Hello everyone^^

I have a question.
Let's suppose i'm a 18 year old law student (actually it's my stister who is.. doesn't matter) and I would like to buy a Mac from the Apple Online Store.
However, I do not have a credit card. My mother offered to buy it for me with her card. So now my Apple ID and everything is in my name but the credit card i'll be using is my mother's. Is this a problem? Does the stundent who buys from the education store have to own his own credit card or doesn't it matter?

Another question. Let's say I just bought a Mac from the education store.
Will Apple contact me to request some kind of proof that i'm a student? If yes how? A picture of my Student-ID or what?

Thx for your help^^

 

[logana]

Not sure what country you are in, but in the UK a parent can buy and pay for a Mac for their son/daughter who is a student....and get the HE discount.

Does that cover your situation - your mother just needs to get an Apple ID.

 

[Macky-Mac]

in the USA;

1) as long as the student has some valid student credentials, it doesn't matter who the CC belongs to

2) when you buy online from the education store, Apple reserves the right to audit your purchase and ask for verification of your student status. Most people wont be asked, but a small percentage of buyers do have to provide a photocopy of their student ID (or some other proof such as a letter of acceptance, etc.)

 

[candygirrl]

Talking about credit cards.. I was just wondering, since I'm from Europe and the new MBP's will not be available in my country until Christmas.. how do you guys pay with your credit cards in the US? My friend is going to Boston next weekend and she's willing to buy the new MBP for me. But since this is so sudden I don't have $2500 lying around so I would have to use my credit card to buy the computer. I know most of the time in the UK I'm always asked for the pin number of the card and they never even look at the photo of me (yeah it's on the back of the card) or ask for id's. Is it like that in the US or do you have to provide id's if you pay with a credit card?

If the pin number is enough I was just going to let my friend have my card and the pin number so she'll be able to buy the computer..

 

[GamaFu]

Talking about credit cards.. I was just wondering, since I'm from Europe and the new MBP's will not be available in my country until Christmas.. how do you guys pay with your credit cards in the US? My friend is going to Boston next weekend and she's willing to buy the new MBP for me. But since this is so sudden I don't have $2500 lying around so I would have to use my credit card to buy the computer. I know most of the time in the UK I'm always asked for the pin number of the card and they never even look at the photo of me (yeah it's on the back of the card) or ask for id's. Is it like that in the US or do you have to provide id's if you pay with a credit card?

If the pin number is enough I was just going to let my friend have my card and the pin number so she'll be able to buy the computer..

Well, I don't live in the states, but I go there for shopping sometimes. My experience is that they occasionally ask for id if it's a fairly large transaction, say few thousand dollars. I believe Macbook Pro falls into that category. I don't know what the PIN number that you refer to is, but they ask what my ZIP code is every time I purchase something though. Just tell them you're not from US. It's very unlikely they don't check id when purchasing MBP I would say. Can you just order it online, pay for it using your credit card and have Apple send it to where your friend stays? That would be easier.

 

[Bengt77]

Hello everyone^^

I have a question.
Let's suppose i'm a 18 year old law student (actually it's my stister who is.. doesn't matter) and I would like to buy a Mac from the Apple Online Store.
However, I do not have a credit card. My mother offered to buy it for me with her card. So now my Apple ID and everything is in my name but the credit card i'll be using is my mother's. Is this a problem? Does the stundent who buys from the education store have to own his own credit card or doesn't it matter?

Another question. Let's say I just bought a Mac from the education store.
Will Apple contact me to request some kind of proof that i'm a student? If yes how? A picture of my Student-ID or what?

Thx for your help^^

I get a bit cautious everytime I see a thread like this. Why would you bother with how Apple will try to verify whether you're a student if you are one? Your questions make it seem like you're not a student at all, but want to profit from the educational discount regardless. I'm truly sorry if I'm wrong in assuming so, though.

Ah, missed the part where you stated it was actually your sister who's the student. Well, if you're not, but you're buying a MacBook on your name regardless, that's technically illegal. Have your sister buy it for you, if you want to play it safe. But beware: one can only buy a Mac with educational discount once every year. So if your sister wants to use the discount this year too, you're taking away her right of doing so.

Talking about credit cards.. I was just wondering, since I'm from Europe and the new MBP's will not be available in my country until Christmas.. how do you guys pay with your credit cards in the US? My friend is going to Boston next weekend and she's willing to buy the new MBP for me. But since this is so sudden I don't have $2500 lying around so I would have to use my credit card to buy the computer. I know most of the time in the UK I'm always asked for the pin number of the card and they never even look at the photo of me (yeah it's on the back of the card) or ask for id's. Is it like that in the US or do you have to provide id's if you pay with a credit card?

If the pin number is enough I was just going to let my friend have my card and the pin number so she'll be able to buy the computer..

And here I am, marvelling at the fact that you, being from a country that went bankrupt just two weeks ago, still have the money to buy a MacBook Pro.

No, sorry, that was harsh. Good to see it's not like everybody in Iceland went bankrupt as well.

 

[Tomorrow]

Let's say I just bought a Mac from the education store.
Will Apple contact me to request some kind of proof that i'm a student? If yes how? A picture of my Student-ID or what?

I've done this twice with my wife (an elementary school teacher) - once in the store and once online. We weren't audited either time, although the fellow who helped us check out in the store told us that the most anybody would want to see is either her staff ID or a pay statement from the school district.

I know most of the time in the UK I'm always asked for the pin number of the card and they never even look at the photo of me (yeah it's on the back of the card) or ask for id's. Is it like that in the US or do you have to provide id's if you pay with a credit card?

There are stores which ask you for ID when you present a credit card for payment - some do it all the time (Fry's is a good example), some never do it, and some are very hit-and-miss. If you're buying online, and you have physical access to the card, you're probably in luck - usually you just enter the card number, expiration date, and a 3-digit code on the back of the card; HOWEVER, many online vendors will only ship a product to the mailing address associated with the card. I did not have this problem when I ordered my iMac - ordered online, paid with my personal credit card, and had it delivered to my place of employment without a problem.

 

[candygirrl]

And here I am, marvelling at the fact that you, being from a country that went bankrupt just two weeks ago, still have the money to buy a MacBook Pro.

No, sorry, that was harsh. Good to see it's not like everybody in Iceland went bankrupt as well.

Wow, thanks. You shouldn't believe everything you see in the news. The country hasn't gone bankrupt (yet at least) and neither have all the people, just the three biggest banks.

 

[GamaFu]

And here I am, marvelling at the fact that you, being from a country that went bankrupt just two weeks ago, still have the money to buy a MacBook Pro.

No, sorry, that was harsh. Good to see it's not like everybody in Iceland went bankrupt as well.

Exactly the same thought came to my mind when I saw that.

 

[Macky-Mac]

Talking about credit cards........ Is it like that in the US or do you have to provide id's if you pay with a credit card?

If the pin number is enough I was just going to let my friend have my card and the pin number so she'll be able to buy the computer..

this last weekend I bought a hard drive at the local Apple store. I used my CC for the purchase, which was only $151, and they asked to see my ID along with the CC.

 

[candygirrl]

Thanks guys, I'm just going to buy it online.