The Apple back-to-school gift card promotion is live, running from 16 July to 24 September 2026 and offering eligible buyers up to $150 in Apple Gift Card credit with the purchase of selected MacBooks and iPads, according to Apple’s terms and conditions.
The headline figure is $150, tied to a MacBook Pro purchase. Buy a MacBook Air, iPad Air, or iPad Pro instead, and the gift card drops to $100. Either way, it is real money back on hardware that, as of this year, costs more than it did not long ago: Apple raised prices on many of its devices by $100 or more, which means the gift card can effectively claw back a chunk of that increase.
Which Apple products qualify for the back-to-school gift card
The eligible products and their current prices are as follows. On the Mac side: the MacBook Air 13-inch at $1,199, the MacBook Air 15-inch at $1,399, the MacBook Pro 14-inch at $1,899, and the MacBook Pro 16-inch at $2,799. On the iPad side: the iPad Air 11-inch at $699, the iPad Air 13-inch at $899, the iPad Pro 11-inch at $1,099, and the iPad Pro 13-inch at $1,399.
There are exclusions worth noting. The MacBook Neo is not part of the deal, and neither is the iPad mini, the iPad (11th Generation), or any desktop Mac. Purchases must be made directly through Apple to qualify, third-party retailers do not count.
One further limit to bear in mind: each eligible purchaser is limited to one qualifying Mac and one qualifying iPad during the promotional period, per Apple’s terms. You cannot stack multiple gift cards by buying two MacBooks, for instance.
Who is eligible and how the Apple back-to-school gift card stacks
The offer is open to current or newly accepted higher-education students, faculty and staff at higher-education institutions, parents buying on behalf of an eligible student, and employees of K-12 institutions. Verification runs through UNiDAYS, the same route used for Apple’s standard educational discount.
That educational discount matters here, because it stacks with the gift card offer. Buy directly from Apple as an eligible student or staff member and you can access the educational pricing on the device itself, then also receive the gift card on top. That is a meaningful combination on the higher-priced MacBook Pro models.
The gift card credit itself can be used on Apple products, accessories, apps, or subscription services such as Apple Music and iCloud+ storage. It cannot be converted to cash or used outside the Apple ecosystem.
While the promotion is most visible in the United States, MacRumors reports that the offer also extends to Canada, Mexico, and multiple countries across Asia, making this a broader international push than some previous years’ campaigns.
The deadline was originally set at 27 August, but Apple extended it to 24 September, giving eligible buyers a larger window to decide. Given the combination of the price rises earlier this year, the stacking educational discount, and the extended deadline, anyone in the eligible categories who is already planning a Mac or iPad purchase has a concrete reason to move through Apple’s own storefront rather than a reseller. The promotion closes on 24 September 2026.
