Best possible discount on a Mac buying direct from Apple?

PixelPusher101

Hello all. I would like to purchase a customised MacBook from Apple directly. Since it is customised, it would need to be purchased from Apple and not from another retailer.

I understand Apple offers Higher Education discount to uni students. I've been a uni student twice and sadly didn't utilise the discount back then! Unfortunately I don't know anyone close to me who is a uni student.

I also understand there's the standard Apple education discount which is a little bit less. I'm not sure how to access this though? My employer used to offer this sort of discount but they stopped it recently.

Can anyone please advise on the possible paths to the best discount?

MSE_James

It's worth noting that a few years Apple unified their gift cards so they work across digital media, App Store and hardware from the Apple Store.

Some employers' perks/rewards schemes offer discounts on Apple gift cards which can be a route to shaving a few percent off the price. 

(I did this when I bought my customised VESA-mount iMac a few years ago)

You can also occasionally buy Apple gift cards at less than face value from the likes of Amazon or Tesco, if you don't mind waiting till the next such offer pops up.

DullGreyGuy

PixelPusher101 said:

Hello all. I would like to purchase a customised MacBook from Apple directly. Since it is customised, it would need to be purchased from Apple and not from another retailer.

I understand Apple offers Higher Education discount to uni students. I've been a uni student twice and sadly didn't utilise the discount back then! Unfortunately I don't know anyone close to me who is a uni student.

I also understand there's the standard Apple education discount which is a little bit less. I'm not sure how to access this though? My employer used to offer this sort of discount but they stopped it recently.

Can anyone please advise on the possible paths to the best discount?

How honest do you want to be?

Assuming you have exhausted friends and family that either are going to uni or work at a uni there are possible options...

1) I've spoken to their Live Chat people before to see what the price would be for a specific machine with education discount. In each case they have given me a link to a basket with the item in it with the discounted rate. If you buy from that link they state they will contact you for proof of further education before sending it or you will be asked for proof on collection but in practice I've gone to the shop the same day and never been asked to show anything when collecting it.

2) Alternatively, you can sign up for a free trial of the likes of Reward Gateway claiming to be a small business and as long as you remember to cancel it before the free trial is up you can use their discount codes with Apple etc

MikeJXE

I would check if  the discount is worth it

As far as I am aware you can only buy the listed MacBooks not individually customised 

I have always bought through Apple Store until this year when I needed a new iPhone 

iPhone 15 pro

Apple £999

Argos £899 

No brainer 

DullGreyGuy

MikeJXE said:

I would check if  the discount is worth it

As far as I am aware you can only buy the listed MacBooks not individually customised 

I have always bought through Apple Store until this year when I needed a new iPhone 

Macs tend to come in 2-3 standard configurations with the option of changing a small number of features (ram, storage etc) only if you buy from Apple or a premium retailer. Discounts apply to both standard models and build to order. 

Since moving to their own SOC architecture everything is on the mainboard so no option of buying the 16gb model and then adding another 8gb ram yourself later. if you want a 24gb M3 MacBook Air then you cannot buy that from Argos and nothing you can buy from Argos can be converted to it. 

I buy some things from Apple some things from other companies. Just remember that if you dont buy from Apple you aren't an apple customer and your rights are with the retailer. We already have one thread from someone today who decided to buy from Very rather than Apple complaining that Apple won't deal with their faulty kit after 2.5 years. 

MikeJXE

DullGreyGuy said:

MikeJXE said:

I would check if  the discount is worth it

As far as I am aware you can only buy the listed MacBooks not individually customised 

I have always bought through Apple Store until this year when I needed a new iPhone 

Macs tend to come in 2-3 standard configurations with the option of changing a small number of features (ram, storage etc) only if you buy from Apple or a premium retailer. Discounts apply to both standard models and build to order. 

Since moving to their own SOC architecture everything is on the mainboard so no option of buying the 16gb model and then adding another 8gb ram yourself later. if you want a 24gb M3 MacBook Air then you cannot buy that from Argos and nothing you can buy from Argos can be converted to it. 

I buy some things from Apple some things from other companies. Just remember that if you dont buy from Apple you aren't an apple customer and your rights are with the retailer. We already have one thread from someone today who decided to buy from Very rather than Apple complaining that Apple won't deal with their faulty kit after 2.5 years. 

You can't buy that from Apple either 

DullGreyGuy

MikeJXE said:

DullGreyGuy said:

MikeJXE said:

I would check if  the discount is worth it

As far as I am aware you can only buy the listed MacBooks not individually customised 

I have always bought through Apple Store until this year when I needed a new iPhone 

Macs tend to come in 2-3 standard configurations with the option of changing a small number of features (ram, storage etc) only if you buy from Apple or a premium retailer. Discounts apply to both standard models and build to order. 

Since moving to their own SOC architecture everything is on the mainboard so no option of buying the 16gb model and then adding another 8gb ram yourself later. if you want a 24gb M3 MacBook Air then you cannot buy that from Argos and nothing you can buy from Argos can be converted to it. 

I buy some things from Apple some things from other companies. Just remember that if you dont buy from Apple you aren't an apple customer and your rights are with the retailer. We already have one thread from someone today who decided to buy from Very rather than Apple complaining that Apple won't deal with their faulty kit after 2.5 years. 

You can't buy that from Apple either 

I can @MikeJXE

MikeJXE

DullGreyGuy said:

MikeJXE said:

DullGreyGuy said:

MikeJXE said:

I would check if  the discount is worth it

As far as I am aware you can only buy the listed MacBooks not individually customised 

I have always bought through Apple Store until this year when I needed a new iPhone 

Macs tend to come in 2-3 standard configurations with the option of changing a small number of features (ram, storage etc) only if you buy from Apple or a premium retailer. Discounts apply to both standard models and build to order. 

Since moving to their own SOC architecture everything is on the mainboard so no option of buying the 16gb model and then adding another 8gb ram yourself later. if you want a 24gb M3 MacBook Air then you cannot buy that from Argos and nothing you can buy from Argos can be converted to it. 

I buy some things from Apple some things from other companies. Just remember that if you dont buy from Apple you aren't an apple customer and your rights are with the retailer. We already have one thread from someone today who decided to buy from Very rather than Apple complaining that Apple won't deal with their faulty kit after 2.5 years. 

You can't buy that from Apple either 

I can @MikeJXE

My apologies I missed the build 

DullGreyGuy

MikeJXE said:

DullGreyGuy said:

MikeJXE said:

DullGreyGuy said:

MikeJXE said:

I would check if  the discount is worth it

As far as I am aware you can only buy the listed MacBooks not individually customised 

I have always bought through Apple Store until this year when I needed a new iPhone 

Macs tend to come in 2-3 standard configurations with the option of changing a small number of features (ram, storage etc) only if you buy from Apple or a premium retailer. Discounts apply to both standard models and build to order. 

Since moving to their own SOC architecture everything is on the mainboard so no option of buying the 16gb model and then adding another 8gb ram yourself later. if you want a 24gb M3 MacBook Air then you cannot buy that from Argos and nothing you can buy from Argos can be converted to it. 

I buy some things from Apple some things from other companies. Just remember that if you dont buy from Apple you aren't an apple customer and your rights are with the retailer. We already have one thread from someone today who decided to buy from Very rather than Apple complaining that Apple won't deal with their faulty kit after 2.5 years. 

You can't buy that from Apple either 

I can @MikeJXE

My apologies I missed the build 

And there was me thinking I was special and Apple were offering it to just me... talk about dashing my dreams