# Apple Offers $150 Gift Cards for Back-to-School MacBook and iPad Purchases The promotion valid on select devices has been extended until September 24. - **Source:** [Lifehacker](https://brifing.si/source/f1400ced-a26b-4e58-a567-6187eca3708d) - **Published:** 2026-08-13 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/bc5b58cc-9d64-4ab8-a353-9fcd14960b4b ## Campaign Details Apple has launched a special back-to-school promotion offering $150 gift cards with MacBook Pro purchases and $100 gift cards with MacBook Air, iPad Air, and iPad Pro purchases. Valid until September 24, 2024, the promotion applies only to purchases made directly from Apple stores. The gift cards can be used for Apple products, accessories, and subscription services like Apple Music and iCloud+ storage. ## Eligibility Requirements To qualify, customers must be higher education students, faculty, or staff members. Parents shopping for eligible students and K-12 institution employees are also eligible. Verification through UNiDAYS is mandatory to receive the gift card, following the same process used for Apple's standard education discounts. This ensures only qualified individuals can benefit from the offer. ## Excluded Products The promotion doesn't cover the new MacBook Neo models, iPad mini, 11th generation iPad, or any desktop Mac computers. With Apple recently increasing prices by $100 or more across many devices, this campaign helps offset the price hikes for educational customers. The timing coincides with peak back-to-school shopping season when tech purchases surge. ## Pricing and Gift Card Values Eligible products include the 13-inch MacBook Air ($1,199), 15-inch MacBook Air ($1,399), 14-inch MacBook Pro ($1,899), and 16-inch MacBook Pro ($2,799). iPad options are the 11-inch iPad Air ($699), 13-inch iPad Air ($899), 11-inch iPad Pro ($1,099), and 13-inch iPad Pro ($1,399). The gift cards can be combined with existing education discounts, providing double savings for qualified buyers. ## Timing and Extension Originally set to end on August 27, Apple extended the promotion deadline to September 24, giving students and educators more time to make purchasing decisions. This extension accommodates late back-to-school shoppers and recognizes the financial pressures students face. The campaign strategically targets the education market during its highest purchasing period. ## Education Discount Advantage The promotion's key benefit is the ability to stack gift cards with Apple's standard education discounts. This creates significant savings - for example, a MacBook already discounted through education pricing becomes even more affordable with the additional gift card. Apple's integrated hardware-software ecosystem gives it unique appeal in educational settings, making these promotions particularly effective. ## Gift Card Usage The gift cards offer broad utility within Apple's ecosystem, usable for subscription services like Apple Music and iCloud+, App Store purchases, and Apple Store accessories. They cannot be redeemed for cash or used at third-party retailers. No expiration dates apply to the gift cards, allowing recipients flexibility in when to use them. ## Market Strategy and Impact This campaign strengthens Apple's dominance in the education market, where its integrated hardware-software solutions provide unique advantages. The extension reflects sensitivity to post-pandemic economic challenges students face. Such promotions serve as effective tools for building long-term brand loyalty among students who may become lifelong Apple customers. ## Sources covering this story - https://lifehacker.com/tech/apples-150-back-to-school-gift-card-deal?utm_medium=RSS — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._