I know this is an old thread but since I have some information on the subject I thought I would post it in case someone comes across this.
Apple indeed takes cash with some exceptions.
Contracted devices: ipads and iphones with wireless contracts (same devices bought out of contract for full price can be paid cash). The reason for this is the early termination fee.
Legal Tender: This means the US Government recognizes this as tender. It does not mean it has to be accepted by anyone else. There are several places that will not take $100 bills or pennies. There are also places that will only take credit card. Legal tender is a big misconception.
My experience was this: I went in to buy a new 15" MBP. When the card was ran it was denied. Odd thing was the charge was pending on my bank account. Some research shows that depending on what the return code is, apple determines wether to accept or not. There are a handful of positive results that some retailers will reject. Having worked on a CC payment system before I know there are codes for delayed payment, seller fee (in addition to the normal processing fee). Those are the two biggest that I think would get denied and I have never seen the seller fee used. The delayed payment is usually a 2-3 day hold and most retailers don't care about that as they usually only process accounts weekly. That all said after the 3day pending hold on the account I just withdrew the cash and paid for the new MBP.
Things you should do before you make a purchase in-store.
If you are using a credit card, check with you bank. Make sure your daily limit is enough to make the purchase. Your daily limit IS DIFFERENT than your card limit. This even applies to debit cards. Some cards/banks also have an item limit, where a single item cannot be over a certain amount.
If you are paying cash, when you withdraw the money have the teller check every bill that it passes a counterfeit/fraud check as the apple store WILL check and you don't want to be standing there holding a handful of useless cash. Check each bill by holding it up to a bright light so you can see the hidden strip. Make sure the amount on the strip matches what is printed on the bill. This is important because counterfeiters will buy $5 bills with strips in them, bleach the money and print $20, $50 or $100 so they pass the counterfeit pen test.
Also before you leave the apple store make sure you have exactly what you purchased. It's even a good idea to power on any device and make sure the serial number matches what is on the box.
I hope this information is useful to someone or saves someone some hassle.
Apple indeed takes cash with some exceptions.
Contracted devices: ipads and iphones with wireless contracts (same devices bought out of contract for full price can be paid cash). The reason for this is the early termination fee.
Legal Tender: This means the US Government recognizes this as tender. It does not mean it has to be accepted by anyone else. There are several places that will not take $100 bills or pennies. There are also places that will only take credit card. Legal tender is a big misconception.
My experience was this: I went in to buy a new 15" MBP. When the card was ran it was denied. Odd thing was the charge was pending on my bank account. Some research shows that depending on what the return code is, apple determines wether to accept or not. There are a handful of positive results that some retailers will reject. Having worked on a CC payment system before I know there are codes for delayed payment, seller fee (in addition to the normal processing fee). Those are the two biggest that I think would get denied and I have never seen the seller fee used. The delayed payment is usually a 2-3 day hold and most retailers don't care about that as they usually only process accounts weekly. That all said after the 3day pending hold on the account I just withdrew the cash and paid for the new MBP.
Things you should do before you make a purchase in-store.
If you are using a credit card, check with you bank. Make sure your daily limit is enough to make the purchase. Your daily limit IS DIFFERENT than your card limit. This even applies to debit cards. Some cards/banks also have an item limit, where a single item cannot be over a certain amount.
If you are paying cash, when you withdraw the money have the teller check every bill that it passes a counterfeit/fraud check as the apple store WILL check and you don't want to be standing there holding a handful of useless cash. Check each bill by holding it up to a bright light so you can see the hidden strip. Make sure the amount on the strip matches what is printed on the bill. This is important because counterfeiters will buy $5 bills with strips in them, bleach the money and print $20, $50 or $100 so they pass the counterfeit pen test.
Also before you leave the apple store make sure you have exactly what you purchased. It's even a good idea to power on any device and make sure the serial number matches what is on the box.
I hope this information is useful to someone or saves someone some hassle.
