Apple (AAPL +0.17%) is extending its in-store trade-in program to cover Mac computers for the first time.
Starting next week, retail customers across the U.S. and Canada will be able to come into a store and swap an old Mac for credit toward the purchase of a new one. Customers not in the market for a new computer can trade-in their Mac for an Apple gift card, reports Bloomberg, citing people familiar with the matter.
IMAGE SOURCE: APPLE.
Apple already allows customers to trade in their iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches in stores and trade in Macs online. But doing the latter isn't easy. Customers have to send Apple the old Mac and wait for a gift card to arrive in the mail. The new Mac trade-in program comes to Canadian stores on June 18, notes Bloomberg.
The move on the part of the tech stock comes as it's readying a new generation of Macs that will reportedly run on its internal microprocessors in 2021. It's also happening amid increased demand for PCs in general as work-at-home becomes the new norm in the post-COVID 19 world. By enabling customers to get a discount on a new Mac via a trade-in, it could spur demand.
In addition to offering the trade-in, Apple is making it more manageable for customers to purchase these $1,000 plus computers. Bloomberg reported earlier this week Apple will allow Apple Card holders to finance the purchase of Macs, iPhones, and other devices interest-free for as long as 12 months. Payments are made directly to the Apple Card. The tech stock also announced a new 13-inch MacBook Pro in early May that runs on its latest processor and boosts graphic performance by 80%.
