Honestly, if you walk into an Apple Store on the Friday after Thanksgiving expecting to see "50% OFF" signs slapped onto MacBooks, you're going to be pretty disappointed. It just doesn't happen. Apple is the king of brand image, and they’ve spent decades making sure their products feel like luxury goods. Luxury brands don't do "clearance" bins.
But here is the twist: Apple does have a Black Friday sale. They just call it the "Apple Shopping Event," and it works very differently than your typical doorbuster at a big-box store.
Instead of cutting the price of that shiny new iPad, Apple keeps the price exactly where it usually sits. You pay full MSRP. Then, as a "thank you," they hand you an Apple Gift Card. It’s basically a promise that you’ll come back and spend more money with them later.
How the Apple Shopping Event actually works
You’ve got to be strategic if you're going to play this game. The event typically runs from Black Friday through Cyber Monday. If you buy a qualifying product during those four days, you get a gift card. That’s it. No promo codes, no secret handshakes.
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But—and this is a big "but"—not every product is invited to the party.
Apple almost always excludes its absolute newest flagship hardware. If a new iPhone launched two months ago, don't expect a gift card for it. In 2025, for instance, the iPhone 17 and the M5-powered MacBook Pros were strictly off-limits for the gift card promotion. They want you to pay full price for the latest tech without any kickbacks.
The 2025 Gift Card Tiers (A Real-World Look)
To give you an idea of the scale, here’s how the gift card values usually break down based on what you’re buying:
- Macs: This is where the big money is. You can often snag up to $250 back when buying a MacBook Pro or a high-end iMac.
- iPads: Usually nets you somewhere around $100 for an Air or a mini.
- iPhones: Usually limited to older models (like the iPhone 16 or 16e once the 17 is out), giving you about $75.
- Accessories: Buying things like the Apple Pencil Pro or a Magic Keyboard might get you a modest $25 card.
Why the Apple Store might be a bad idea
If you want to save actual cash today, the Apple Store is probably the worst place to shop.
Think about it. If you buy a MacBook Air for $999 at Apple and get a $200 gift card, you’ve still spent $999 out of your bank account. You just have "Apple credit" for later.
Meanwhile, over at Amazon or Best Buy, that same MacBook Air is often discounted to $799 or even $749 in a straight-up price cut. You keep that $250 in your pocket right now. Plus, you pay less in sales tax because the purchase price is lower.
Retailers like Walmart and Target are aggressive. They don't care about "protecting the brand" as much as Apple does; they just want to move units. In the 2025 shopping season, we saw the 11th-gen iPad drop to $274 at Amazon, while Apple was still charging the full $349. Even with a gift card, Apple couldn't match the raw value of the third-party discount.
When the Apple Store is actually worth it
So, why would anyone shop at Apple? A few reasons.
- The Education Trap: Sometimes you can’t combine the Black Friday gift card with the Education Discount. But if you’re a student and you missed the "Back to School" promo in the summer, the Black Friday event is one of the few times you can get a little extra value.
- Engraving and Custom Specs: If you want a MacBook with 24GB of RAM and a specific keyboard layout, Amazon isn't going to have that. You have to buy it from Apple. In that case, the gift card is a nice "freebie" on a machine you had to buy at full price anyway.
- Subscriptions: If you already pay for iCloud+, Apple Music, or Apple TV+, that gift card is basically cash. You can apply it to your monthly subscriptions. It’s one of the few ways to "discount" your Apple One bundle.
The "Refurbished" Secret Weapon
If you really want to save money and don't care about the gift card theatrics, look at the Apple Certified Refurbished store.
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Most people don't realize Apple sells these year-round. These aren't just "used" devices. They get a new outer shell, a new battery, and the same one-year warranty as a brand-new product. During the Black Friday window, Apple doesn't usually offer gift cards on refurbished items, but the prices are already lower than the "New + Gift Card" combo anyway. It’s basically Black Friday prices every day of the year.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Purchase
Stop waiting for a "sale" at the Apple Store that will never come in the way you expect. Instead, follow this checklist to actually save money:
- Check Amazon and Best Buy first. Use a price tracker like CamelCamelCamel to see if the "deal" is actually the lowest price ever. Often, these retailers start their sales a full week before Black Friday.
- Calculate the "Net Cost." If Apple offers a $100 gift card but Amazon is $120 cheaper, buy from Amazon. Don't let the lure of a shiny gift card distract you from the actual math.
- Use the Gift Card for accessories. If you do buy at Apple, use that gift card immediately for the "extras" you were going to buy anyway, like a case or a charging brick.
- Look at older models. The biggest percentage of savings always happens on the "n-minus-1" generation. The iPhone 16 becomes a steal the second the iPhone 17 is the "new" thing.
You’ve got to be a bit of a detective. Apple's "sale" is more of a loyalty program. If you want a discount, go to the retailers. If you want the "Apple Experience" and a gift card for your iCloud storage, go to the source. Just don't expect a bargain.