14 DAY TRIAL // After taking down its online store for maintenance, Apple today has resurrected the venue to display this year’s Back to School promotion featuring $100 / €70 Apple Store Gift Cards for the first time in the campaign’s history.
The deal allows eligible education purchasers to get extra credit when buying a Mac, iPad, or iPhone for college.
“Get a $100 [€70] Apple Store Gift Card when you buy a Mac for college. Or a $50 [€35] gift card when you buy an iPad or iPhone. You’ll also save on a Mac or iPad with education pricing,” reads the promotion.
Apple normally offers iTunes Store gift cards with Back to School promos. This is the first time Apple no longer forces users to spend their “savings” on digital content. Apple Store Gift Cards can be used to shave off some dollars when buying new hardware, such as an iPhone or an iPad.
Eligible products include MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, iMac, Mac Pro, iPad Air, iPad with Retina display (fourth-generation iPad), iPad mini with Retina display, iPad mini (with standard resolution display), iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPhone 4s.
To qualify for education pricing or to get a gift card, buyers must be either “a college student, a student accepted to a college, a parent buying for a college student, or a faculty or staff member from any grade level,” according to Apple’s web site.
In the US, you can save up to $200 on a Mac with education pricing, and in Europe the savings are even bigger – €208.
Buyers are told to expect their Apple Store Gift Card to be handed to them as soon as they buy a qualifying product from one of the stores.
Apple has historically offered low discounts and perks with such deals, but under CEO Tim Cook the Cupertino giant has shown more flexibility and a willingness to address consumer demands, including from a pricing perspective.
For example, over the past few months, Apple has been steadily rolling out cheaper versions of multiple products, including the 8GB iPhone 5c, the entry-level iMac, and the iSight-equipped $199 / €199 iPod touch fifth-generation. The new iMac is included in the Back to School promo and sells for $1,049.00 in the US and €1.033,57 in Europe.
Later this year, Apple is expected to introduce a bevy of new products, delivering on its promise for a “groundbreaking” 2014. Visit the Apple Online Store for more information on the Back to School promotion and education pricing in general.