I don't understand the educational discount?

[trevor-b]

I don't understand this pricing.

The cart shows a discount of $150, followed by a charge of $150 towards the gift card. So there's no real discount if I'm actually buying the gift card. Not sure what the logic is here. Perhaps Apple is hoping a big chunk of these gift cards will end up unused?

14-inch MacBook Pro - Silver: $2,299.00
Special Offer: -$150.00
Price with Special Offer: $2,149.00

Special Offer Apple Gift Card by Email: $150.00
Subtotal: $2,299.00

 

[Audit13]

I agree. It's poorly worded in that Apple should have called it a gift, bonus, etc. but not a discount.

I'm sure some people will use the card to buy AppleCare+.

 

[UbuntuFu]

I think it's priced like that so you can't return the laptop for full price after you use the gift card?

 

[getmac]

You get an educational discount PLUS a $150 gift card during the back to school promotion. So, TWO discounts. The educational discount is already built into the price. The $150 is in addition to that. And I believe the separated it for return/accounting purposes. Last year it was airpods, this year the gift card. Which you could use for airpods. Or something else. I don't need anything else, so not sure what to do with the gift card. I think it is an e-card so you can't just sell to somebody for like $125. So that is bogus. But again it is an extra discount above the standard education discount so I can't complain too much.

 

[JPack]

Net charge = $0

It shouldn’t be difficult to understand. Did you think you were getting a gift card AND a $150 discount?

 

[JPack]

I agree. It's poorly worded in that Apple should have called it a gift, bonus, etc. but not a discount.

I'm sure some people will use the card to buy AppleCare+.

It’s not poorly worded at all.

”Shall receive a discount equal to the value of the Promotion Product”

Education Pricing and Student Discounts

Receive a discount on a new Mac or iPad for your studies with Apple Education Pricing. Available for students, teachers and staff.

www.apple.com

 

[cpatrick08]

I have a $150 charge on my payment method for the $150 gift card. It’s set as a card hold till July 14th. Does that mean that’s when my MacBook will ship, or is that just a charge to see if the funds are available?

 

[Audit13]

Save on Mac or iPad with an education discount.footnote 1

Get 20% off AppleCare+.footnote 2

And a gift card up to $210.footnote 3

This makes it sound like a buyer is getting an education discount, 20% off AppleCare+, AND a gift card.

A buyer doesn't realize the gift card isn't free until after reading the fine print and cannot buy the hardware without buying the gift card.

 

[trevor-b]

Net charge = $0

It shouldn’t be difficult to understand. Did you think you were getting a gift card AND a $150 discount?

No. I was expecting this would net at $2149 (2299 - 150), not 2299 (2299 - 150 + 150)

 

[bob_zz123]

I don't think it's poorly worded at all, you don't get an extra discount of $150; firstly you get the Mac at "standard" education price, then you "buy" the gift card at $150 and you get a commensurate discount of $150 off the Mac. Net cost to you - $0.

I am sure many people would just rather get the extra $150 off without having to get a gift card, but this is part of the strategy and similar to many other types of promotions. There will always be some people who don't use it, or all of it (in which case free money to Apple) and they will get you in their store to buy other stuff with the gift card. It may not be everyone's cup of tea but this stuff is done by everyone and is promotions 101.

 

[JPack]

No. I was expecting this would net at $2149 (2299 - 150), not 2299 (2299 - 150 + 150)

Why would Apple subtract $150 AND give you a gift card? If Apple wanted to give you a straight $150 discount, they would do that. That's whole point of the gift card.

Feel free to scroll through the front page thread for this year. No one else is thinking what you're expecting.

Apple Launches 2022 Back to School Offer: Up to $150 Gift Card With Mac or iPad

Apple today launched its annual "Back to School" promotion for college/university students in the United States and Canada. This year's...

www.macrumors.com

 

[AstroRexaur]

And what if, I use that $150 gift card to buy again another student discounted MacBook but this time applying that gift card and “remove from cart” the other $150 gift card?

 

[JPack]

Save on Mac or iPad with an education discount.footnote 1

Get 20% off AppleCare+.footnote 2

And a gift card up to $210.footnote 3

This makes it sound like a buyer is getting an education discount, 20% off AppleCare+, AND a gift card.

A buyer doesn't realize the gift card isn't free until after reading the fine print and cannot buy the hardware without buying the gift card.

The buyer is getting all three. Seriously, this gift card promo has been running on and off globally for years. Nobody else is confused.

1. You are getting the 8% edu discount on the MBP 14.
2. You are getting 20% off AC+ if you choose to purchase it.
3. You are getting a $150 gift card if you buy a MacBook.

 

[JPack]

And what if, I use that $150 gift card to buy again another student discounted MacBook but this time applying that gift card and “remove from cart” the other $150 gift card?

You cannot remove the $150 card from your cart.

It should be obvious to anybody why Apple does this -$150 then +$150. If Apple didn't do this and instead charged $0, people would return their MacBook and pocket the gift card.

 

[jav6454]

No. I was expecting this would net at $2149 (2299 - 150), not 2299 (2299 - 150 + 150)

I agree with you there. Sad to see where the educational bonus landed.

 

[trevor-b]

You get an educational discount PLUS a $150 gift card during the back to school promotion. So, TWO discounts. The educational discount is already built into the price. The $150 is in addition to that. And I believe the separated it for return/accounting purposes. Last year it was airpods, this year the gift card. Which you could use for airpods. Or something else. I don't need anything else, so not sure what to do with the gift card. I think it is an e-card so you can't just sell to somebody for like $125. So that is bogus. But again it is an extra discount above the standard education discount so I can't complain too much.

Amazon is offering $200 off the MBP, effectively matching Apple student discount. So there's no need for me to pay $150 for the "free" gift card.

 

[Audit13]

The buyer is getting all three. Seriously, this gift card promo has been running on and off globally for years. Nobody else is confused.

1. You are getting the 8% edu discount on the MBP 14.
2. You are getting 20% off AC+ if you choose to purchase it.
3. You are getting a $150 gift card if you buy a MacBook.

Okay, thank you for being so helpful.

 

[Eso]

The buyer is getting all three. Seriously, this gift card promo has been running on and off globally for years. Nobody else is confused.

1. You are getting the 8% edu discount on the MBP 14.
2. You are getting 20% off AC+ if you choose to purchase it.
3. You are getting a $150 gift card if you buy a MacBook.

Sounds to me like you aren't "getting" the gift card - you're buying it (and are obligated to do so). I don't care if it has the same value, gift cards aren't cash, and $150 is coming out of your bank account.

 

[JPack]

Sounds to me like you aren't "getting" the gift card - you're buying it (and are obligated to do so). I don't care if it has the same value, gift cards aren't cash, and $150 is coming out of your bank account.

You are getting the gift card.

Prior to this promo, you would be paying $2,299 for MBP 14 16/1T as an education buyer. Today, you are paying the exact same $2,299 but getting a $150 gift card. In fact, you are paying less because the -$150 is taken from the checkout and you are taxed on $2,149. There is 0% tax on the $150 GC.

There is no situation where buying from Amazon or Best Buy for $2,299 would match much less beat Apple's BTS promo in terms of value.

 

[trevor-b]

You are getting the gift card.

Prior to this promo, you would be paying $2,299 for MBP 14 16/1T as an education buyer. Today, you are paying the exact same $2,299 but getting a $150 gift card. In fact, you are paying less because the -$150 is taken from the checkout and you are taxed on $2,149. There is 0% tax on the $150 GC.

There is no situation where buying from Amazon or Best Buy for $2,299 would match much less beat Apple's BTS promo in terms of value.

Apologies, it's late in the night and I must be dense.

I pay $2299 at Amazon
I pay $2149 + $150 at Apple

Aren't they both the same (if you exclude the taxes that will be slightly less at Apple as I'm taxed at $2149).

 

[boak]

Apologies, it's late in the night and I must be dense.

I pay $2299 at Amazon
I pay $2149 + $150 at Apple

Aren't they both the same (if you exclude the taxes that will be slightly less at Apple as I'm taxed at $2149).

But you get an extra gift card at Apple!!!

 

[JPack]

Apologies, it's late in the night and I must be dense.

I pay $2299 at Amazon
I pay $2149 + $150 at Apple

Aren't they both the same (if you exclude the taxes that will be slightly less at Apple as I'm taxed at $2149).

Amazon = you receive a MacBook Pro 14
Apple = you receive a MacBook Pro 14 AND a gift card worth $150

You pay the exact same amount out the door (let's ignore the lower tax rate from Apple). No, they are not the same.

I really hope we don't need to go past post #23 in this thread.

 

[daavee80]

Amazon is offering $200 off the MBP, effectively matching Apple student discount. So there's no need for me to pay $150 for the "free" gift card.

If you buy it from Amazon you receive just a MacBook. If you buy it from Apple using this promo you receive a MacBook AND a $150 gift card for the same cost as buying it from Amazon.

As other posters above pointed out if Apple kept the same price for the MacBook and gave people the gift card without the charge then it would be easy for them to return the MacBook for a full refund and keep the $150 gift card.

 

[rafark]

It’s not poorly worded at all. You just need to read.

According to him:

“Special Offer Apple Gift Card by Email: $150.00”

If this is the case, the he is in fact buying the gift card. Apple is also applying a $150 discount. But I think legally he’d be buying the gift card.

 

[JPack]

According to him:

“Special Offer Apple Gift Card by Email: $150.00”

If this is the case, the he is in fact buying the gift card. Apple is also applying a $150 discount. But I think legally he’d be buying the gift card.

Yes, I agree, but this isn't law school or a doctoral program in philosophy. Who cares if you're paying $2,298 for a 140W charger plus $1 for the MacBook Pro 14?

At the end of the day, the education customer is paying:

$2,499 - $200 edu discount for a total of $2,299. They receive a MacBook Pro 14 with a gift card worth $150 in return.