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How Businesses Can Save Money & Maximize Points on Apple Purchases

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Andrew Kunesh
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Andrew Kunesh

Former Content Contributor

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Andrew’s a lifelong traveler who puts in over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew’s worked at Th...
Edited by: Keri Stooksbury
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Keri Stooksbury

Editor-in-Chief

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With years of experience in corporate marketing and as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in Qatar, Keri is now Editor-in-Chief at UP, overseeing daily content operations and r...

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Over the past 10 years, Apple has made huge strides when it comes to business. Now more than ever we’re seeing iPhones, iPads, and Macs be used for all types of business tasks, from the enterprise to small business.

But there’s no doubt that Apple products are expensive. So if you’re investing in new Apple technology for you or your employees, you should at least be getting the most travel rewards or cash-back as possible on your purchases.

In turn, the points or cash-back earned can be used to subsidize the Apple products or simply help fund your next family vacation. Whatever the case may be, it’s surprisingly easy to maximize your returns on Apple products if you know where to look.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how you can maximize points-earning on Apple product purchases. We’ll start out by discussing how to find the best deal on Apple products and then move onto earning points with credit cards, shopping portals, and more.

Let’s get started!

Find the Best Price on Apple Products

Before we move into points-earning, it’s important that we discuss how to find the best deal on Apple products.

Oftentimes third-party Apple-authorized resellers will sell products at a discount in order to drive traffic to their stores. These discounts can often be in the hundreds of dollars, especially if you’re buying an older generation product.

Plus, unless otherwise noted, these products come with the same 1-year warranty that you’d get from Apple and are eligible for service and support at Apple Stores, so there’s really no downside in buying from them.

But we get it: searching through every Apple reseller can be a painful task, so we recommend checking out Apple Insider’s prices page.

This website tracks the price of Apple products across a number of resellers and compares them to the Apple Store’s price, clearly showing you the discount (and which store will give you the best deal).

Viewing The Apple Insider Prices Page For A MacBook Pro
Apple Insider’s pricing tool will show you the best deals on all Apple products. Image Credit: Apple Insider

Using the website is simple: just head to the website, select which product you’d like to purchase, and look through the list of available models. You’ll be able to see what price each reseller is selling the product for underneath its respective column, with the best total discount towards the right-hand side of the table.

However, don’t click through the table to actually purchase your Apple product just yet. Instead, just take note of who has the best price and hold onto the name — you’ll need this for when we look for the best shopping portal to use.

Hot Tip: The Apple Insider pricing tool doesn’t show Apple’s refurbished pricing. Apple’s refurbished products are like-new and have the same warranty as any other Apple product — make sure to check them out before you make a purchase.

The Best Credit Cards To Pay for Apple Purchases

Before you make a purchase, consider opening a new business credit card before you buy the Apple product in question. In doing so, you may be able to earn valuable points in the form of a welcome bonus for making a purchase with your new credit card.

A welcome bonus is a lump sum of points that are awarded after you make a set amount of purchases on a new credit card within a certain amount of time of opening your card. For example, a card may earn 50,000 bonus points after spending $3,000 in purchases in the first 3 months of opening an account.

You’ll also want to look for a card that offers solid points earning for other business purchases you make. We’ve outlined a few of our favorite business credit cards in the paragraphs below.

The Best Chase Business Credit Cards

Chase’s Ink line of business cards truly has something for every business. The family currently consists of 3 different types of credit cards: the Ink Business Cash® Credit Card, Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card, and Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card.

Each of these cards has a different set of points-earning categories, with the Ink Business Cash card offering up to 5% cash-back at office supply stores (like Staples), up to $25,000 in purchases per year. This can be especially helpful if you find deals on Apple products at your local office supply store.

Note that the Ink Business Cash card and Ink Business Unlimited card earn cash-back, while the Ink Business Preferred card earns Chase Ultimate Rewards points that can be transferred to the Chase airline and hotel partners like United Airlines, Hyatt, and others.

However, cash-back earned by the Ink Business Cash card or Ink Business Unlimited card can be transferred to Ultimate Rewards points through the Ultimate Rewards portal if you also have an Ink Business Preferred card, Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card, or Chase Sapphire Reserve®.

Finally, all Ink cards have complimentary purchase protection and extended warranty coverage.

Purchase protection covers you from theft or damage within 120 days of purchase and the extended warranty coverage adds a year of warranty coverage to your standard warranty so long as your card is open and in good standing. Learn more about these benefits in our full benefits roundup.

Here’s a look at our preferred cards in the Ink family:

NEW OFFER
Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

The Ink Business Preferred card is hard to beat, with a huge welcome bonus offer and 3x points per $1 on the first $150,000 in so many business categories.
Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel
100,000 points
$2,000
$95
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card is a powerhouse for earning lots of points from your business purchases, especially for business owners that spend regularly on ads.

Plus the card offers flexible redemption options, including access to Chase airline and hotel transfer partners where you can achieve outsized value.

Business owners will also love the protections the card provides like excellent cell phone insurance, rental car insurance, purchase protection, and more.

Pros

  • 3x Ultimate Rewards points per $1 on up to $150,000 in combined purchases on internet, cable and phone services, shipping expenses, travel, and ads purchased with search engines or social media sites
  • Cell phone protection
  • Purchase protection
  • Trip cancellation and interruption insurance
  • Rental car insurance
  • Extended warranty coverage

Cons

  • No elite travel benefits like airport lounge access
  • Earn 100k bonus points after you spend $8,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $1,000 cash back or $1,250 toward travel when redeemed through Chase Travel℠
  • Earn 3 points per $1 on the first $150,000 spent on travel and select business categories each account anniversary year. Earn 1 point per $1 on all other purchases
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • Redeem points for cash back, gift cards, travel and more - your points don't expire as long as your account is open
  • Points are worth 25% more when you redeem for travel through Chase Travel℠
  • Purchase Protection covers your new purchases for 120 days against damage or theft up to $10,000 per claim and $50,000 per account.
  • Member FDIC
Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card offers great rewards and no annual fee. Any new business owner that needs to get going will enjoy this card.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Cash® Credit Card

This card offers great rewards and no annual fee. Any new business owner that needs to get going will enjoy this card.
Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening.
Up to $750
Up to $750
$0
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 18.49% - 24.49% variable thereafter.
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Ink Business Cash® Credit Card has a lot going for it that makes it a compelling choice for small business owners. The card features a very lucrative 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year.

When you factor in that the card has no annual fee, and 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter, you could be adding big value back into your business for no cost out of pocket.

Pros

  • Earn 5% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on cellular phone, landline, internet, and cable TV services each account anniversary year
  • Earn 2% back on up to $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants, and 1% back on all other purchases
  • 10% Business Relationship Bonus if you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
  • Travel insurance and purchase protection
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
  • Employee cards at no additional cost
  • No annual fee

Cons

  • Spending caps in bonus categories
  • Low points earning outside of bonus categories
  • 3% foreign transaction fees
  • Earn $350 when you spend $3,000 on purchases in the first three months and an additional $400 when you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first six months after account opening
  • Earn 5% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at office supply stores and on internet, cable and phone services each account anniversary year
  • Earn 2% cash back on the first $25,000 spent in combined purchases at gas stations and restaurants each account anniversary year. Earn 1% cash back on all other purchases
  • 10% Business Relationship Bonus If you have the Ink Business Cash card plus a Chase Business Checking account on your first card anniversary
  • With Zero Liability you won't be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • No Annual Fee
  • Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; 18.49% - 24.49% variable thereafter.
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Chase Ultimate Rewards

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

The Ink Business Unlimited card is a stellar option for business owners looking for a no-fuss uncapped 1.5% cash-back card without an annual fee.

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card

The Ink Business Unlimited card is a stellar option for business owners looking for a no-fuss uncapped 1.5% cash-back card without an annual fee.
Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$750
$750
$0
0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

As a business owner, you likely keep pretty busy and probably prefer a credit card that just keeps things simple.

If so, the Ink Business Unlimited® Credit Card might be just the card for you. From zero annual fee to a flat cash-back rate, the card is a no-frills option that you don’t have to think twice about.

Don’t forget too, 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter

Pros

  • 1.5% cash-back on all purchases
  • No annual fee
  • 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
  • Employee cards at no additional cost
  • Earn flexible rewards

Cons

  • 3% foreign transaction fee
  • Earn $750 bonus cash back after you spend $6,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening
  • Earn unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase made for your business
  • No Annual Fee
  • Redeem rewards for cash back, gift cards, travel and more through Chase Ultimate Rewards®.
  • Earn rewards faster with employee cards at no additional cost. Set individual spending limits for greater control.
  • Round-the-clock monitoring for unusual credit card purchases
  • With Zero Liability you won’t be held responsible for unauthorized charges made with your card or account information.
  • 0% introductory APR for 12 months on purchases
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months; variable 18.49% - 24.49% thereafter
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 3% of each transaction in U.S. dollars

Card Categories

Rewards Center

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn up to 5% cash-back for your business without complex bonus earning categories!

Learn More(at Chase's secure site)

Ink Business Premier® Credit Card

Earn up to 5% cash-back for your business without complex bonus earning categories!
Earn $1,000 bonus cash-back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
$1,000
$195
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

Chase has introduced the Ink Business Premier® Credit Card to its business credit card lineup. With straightforward cash-back earnings on everyday purchases and large expenses, tools to help you monitor your business, and multiple ways to redeem your rewards, this is a great card option to consider.

Pros

  • Earn 2.5% total cash-back on purchases of $5,000 or more
  • Earn 2% cash-back on all other business purchases
  • Unlimited 5% total cash-back on travel purchased through Chase Travel
  • No foreign transaction fees
  • Trip cancellation and trip interruption insurance
  • No additional cost for employee cards
  • Cell phone protection
  • Primary rental car coverage
  • Purchase protection
  • Extended warranty coverage

Cons

  • $195 annual fee
  • Some purchases need to be paid in full each month and don’t qualify for Flex for Business APR
  • Rewards cannot be pooled with Chase cards that offer access to transfer partners
  • Earn $1,000 bonus cash back after you spend $10,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening.
  • Earn unlimited 2.5% total cash back on purchases of $5,000 or more and unlimited 2% cash back on all other business purchases.
  • Travel Benefits: Unlimited 5% total cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, No Foreign Transaction Fees and Trip Cancellation/Trip Interruption Insurance.
  • The only business credit card with 2.5% cash back on every purchase of $5,000 or more.
  • Get the buying power you need to make large purchases, cover monthly expenses and help your business grow. While you must pay your Pay In Full balance each month, this card has built-in flexibility. The Flex for Business feature allows for qualifying purchases to be paid over time with interest.
  • Purchase with confidence with built-in protections like Fraud Protection, Zero Liability Protection, Purchase Protection, Cell Phone Protection, and Extended Warranty Protection.
  • There's no additional cost for employee cards. Monitor spend with digital tools like purchase alerts, set spending limits, reporting, and more.
  • Member FDIC

Financial Snapshot

  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

The Best American Express Business Cards

We have 2 favorite American Express business cards for Apple purchases: The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express and The Business Platinum Card® from American Express.

The Amex Blue Business Plus card is a no-annual-fee business credit card that earns 2 Membership Rewards points per dollar spent on all purchases, up to $50,000 in purchases per year (see rates & fees). This means that you’d earn 4,600 points on a $2,300 MacBook Pro purchase.

On the other hand, the Amex Business Platinum card earns 1 Membership Reward point on all purchases and 1.5x for eligible purchases on your Card made at U.S. construction material and hardware suppliers, at U.S. electronic goods retailers and software & cloud system providers, and at U.S. shipping providers as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more everywhere else (up to $2 million in purchases per calendar year).

Like the Ink Business Preferred card, the Amex Business Platinum card has great purchase protection benefits. If your new Apple product (purchased with the Amex Business Platinum card) is damaged or stolen within 90 days of purchase, you’ll be reimbursed for the cost of fixing or replacing it. Plus, the Amex Business Platinum card will add 1 year of warranty to your purchase so long as your account is open and in good standing.

The Business Platinum has a slew of travel benefits, too, like airport lounge access, an airline incidental fee credit, Dell statement credits, and more. This card is great for businesses that make lots of big-ticket purchases and have employees who travel often.

Both of these cards earn Membership Rewards points which can be transferred to a number of different travel partners, like British Airways, Delta Air Lines, Singapore Airlines, and more. This means that you can book award travel across all major airline alliances, getting you just about anywhere in the world. Check out our article on the best Membership Rewards redemptions for more info.

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American ExpressTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express

Earn Membership Rewards for your business spending the easy way: get 2x points for the first $50,000 in purchases per year.
Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
15,000 points
$330
No annual fee
18.49% - 26.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-840)

As a business owner, getting a credit card that maximizes each dollar you spend does not have to be complicated or expensive. Especially when you opt for The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express.

With the Amex Blue Business Plus card, you’ll earn 2x Membership Rewards points on everyday business purchases throughout the year (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter) and receive purchase protections and no-additional-charge employee cards all for no annual fee (see rates and fees).

The simple and straightforward earning structure makes it a great fit for those looking to earn flexible rewards, without having to fixate on which purchases earn the most points.

Let’s take look at all that the Amex Blue Business Plus card has to offer.

Pros

  • 2x Membership Rewards points per $1 on everyday business purchases (up to $50,000; 1x thereafter)
  • Purchase protection and extended warranty protection
  • No annual fee and employee cards at no additional cost

Cons

  • No unique bonus categories and 2x earnings are capped at $50,000 in annual spend
  • No elite travel benefits like lounge access or elite status
  • Charges foreign transaction fees
  • Earn 15,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $3,000 in eligible purchases on the Card within your first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • 0.0% intro APR on purchases for 12 months from the date of account opening, then a variable rate, 18.49% - 26.49%, based on your creditworthiness and other factors at account opening. APR will not exceed 29.99%
  • Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on everyday business purchases such as office supplies or client dinners. 2X applies to the first $50,000 in purchases per year, 1 point per dollar thereafter.
  • You’ve got the power to use your Card beyond its credit limit* with Expanded Buying Power.
  • *The amount you can spend above your credit limit is not unlimited. It adjusts with your use of the Card, your payment history, credit record, financial resources known to us, and other factors.
  • No Annual Fee
  • Terms Apply

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 18.49% - 26.49% Variable,0% on purchases for 12 months from date of account opening
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: 2.7% of each transaction after conversion to US dollars.

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

OUR BEST OFFER
The Business Platinum Card® from American ExpressTerms Apply / Rates & Fees

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

U.P. Rating
The rating for this card has been determined by our own industry experts who know the in's and out's of credit card products. Bonuses, rewards as well as rates and fees are all taken into account. Compensation from the issuer does not affect our rating. We only recommend products we either use ourselves or endorse.

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!

Learn More(at Amex's secure site)

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express

This card is ideal for business travelers who enjoy luxury travel and are looking for a card loaded with benefits!
Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
120,000 points
$2,640
$695
19.49% - 27.49% Variable
Upgraded Points credit ranges are a variation of FICO®Score 8, one of many types of credit scores lenders may use when considering your credit cardapplication.
Good to Excellent (670-850)

The Business Platinum Card® from American Express is a premium travel rewards card tailored toward business owners who are frequent travelers with a high number of annual expenses.

When you factor in the large number of perks that the card offers like the best airport lounge access at over 1,400 lounges, along with tons of annual credits, it’s easy to see why this card can is a top option for frequent traveling business owners.

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Pros

  • 5x Membership Rewards points per $1 on flights and prepaid hotels at Amex Travel
  • Up to $200 annual airline fee credit on your selected qualifying airline
  • Statement credits on select purchases with your card
  • 35% airline bonus when using Pay With Points (up to 1,000,000 bonus points per calendar year)
  • Access to over 1,400 worldwide airport lounges as part of the American Express Global Lounge Collection
  • Global Entry or TSA PreCheck application fee credit
  • Get 50% more Membership Rewards points (1.5 points per $1) on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more (cap applies)
  • Access to Amex’s Fine Hotels & Resorts program

Cons

  • High annual fee of $695 (rates and fees)
  • Airline fee credit does not cover airfare, only incidentals like checked bags
  • Welcome Offer: Earn 120,000 Membership Rewards® points after you spend $15,000 on eligible purchases with your Card within the first 3 months of Card Membership.
  • 5X Membership Rewards® points on flights and prepaid hotels on AmexTravel.com, and 1X points for each dollar you spend on eligible purchases.
  • Earn 1.5X points (that’s an extra half point per dollar) on each eligible purchase at US construction material, hardware suppliers, electronic goods retailers, and software & cloud system providers, and shipping providers, as well as on purchases of $5,000 or more everywhere else, on up to $2 million of these purchases per calendar year.
  • Unlock over $1,000 in annual statement credits on a curation of business purchases, including select purchases made with Dell Technologies, Indeed, Adobe, and U.S. wireless service providers.
  • $200 Airline Fee Credit: Get up to $200 in statement credits per calendar year for incidental fees charged by your one selected, qualifying airline to your Card.
  • $189 CLEAR® Plus Credit: Use your card and get up to $189 in statement credits per calendar year on your CLEAR® Plus Membership (subject to auto-renewal) when you use your Business Platinum Card®.
  • The American Express Global Lounge Collection® can provide an escape at the airport. With complimentary access to more than 1,400 airport lounges across 140 countries and counting, you have more airport lounge options than any other credit card issuer on the market as of 03/2023.
  • $695 Annual Fee.
  • Terms Apply.

Financial Snapshot

  • APR: 19.49% - 27.49% Variable
  • Foreign Transaction Fees: None

Card Categories

Rewards Center

American Express Membership Rewards

Hot Tip: Check to see if you’re eligible for a huge welcome bonus offer of up to 170,000 points with the Amex Business Platinum. The current public offer is 120,000 points. (This targeted offer was independently researched and may not be available to all applicants.)

Check for Amex Offers

American Express cards have a special feature called Amex Offers.  These offers give American Express cardholders cash-back or extra points on purchases made from specific merchants.

We’ve seen Best Buy and Amazon run Amex Offers in the past — for example, the author of this article received an offer for 3,000 bonus Membership Rewards points after spending $300+ at Best Buy.

Looking at Amex Offers
Amex Offers can help you save money and earn points on purchases from select merchants. Image Credit: American Express

You can find these offers on the bottom of your card page on the American Express website. If you find an offer you’d like to use, click the Add to Card button. Note that you must add the offer to your card before you make your purchase.

In most cases, you’ll receive your bonus points or cash-back within a few days of making your purchase.

We recommend keeping an eye out for Amex Offers you can use when buying an Apple product. If you find an Amex Offer for a merchant that sells Apple products, consider making your purchase at said merchant if the price makes sense.

Apple Card

The Apple Card is not a business card, but our tutorial on purchasing Apple products wouldn’t be complete without mentioning it.

If you’re an iPhone 6, or newer, user and utilize Apple Pay on a regular basis, the Apple Card might be an additional consideration for Apple purchases.

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CardInformation and Benefits
Apple Card
  • 3% cash-back on all Apple Pay purchases at Apple including via the app and for Apple services
  • 3% cash-back on Apple Pay purchases at Uber and Uber Eats, Walgreens & Duane Reade, in-store at T-Mobile, Nike, Exxon and Mobil gas stations, and Panera
  • 2% cash-back all other Apple Pay purchase
  • 1% cash-back on all other purchases using the physical Apple Card
  • $0 annual fee

The card is available to qualifying applicants in the U.S., is issued by Goldman Sachs, and utilizes the MasterCard payment network. You can apply using the Wallet on your iPhone, and once approved, you’ll receive instant access to your card information and be able to use your card immediately.

One unique aspect of the application process is that there will not be a hard pull on your credit until after you’re approved and have accepted the card.

Find the Best Shopping Portal

Once you’ve selected the merchant you’d like to buy your new Apple product from and picked out a credit card to charge it to, it’s time for the final step: picking a shopping portal to shop through.

Shopping portals award bonus airline miles, transferable points, or cash-back when you click through the portal before making a purchase online. Most major airlines and transferable points currencies have their own shopping portal.

Further, the Apple Store and most major resellers are on these portals, meaning that you can earn bonus points and miles on nearly all of your Apple product purchases. However, each of these portals may earn at slightly different rates.

One word of caution though: the Apple Store usually doesn’t offer cash-back or points through portals on just-released products. If you’re looking for a product released within the past month or 2, you’ll have to purchase through a reseller to earn points. This will be clearly noted in the Apple Store’s terms and conditions of whatever portal you choose to use.

You’ll earn points through these portals based on how much you spend. For example, the American Airlines AAdvantage shopping portal may award 2 points per $1 spent at MacMall or another retailer. So if you buy a $500 iPad, you’ll earn a cool 1,000 AAdvantage miles.

Use eBates To Find Portal Earning Rates
Use Cash Back Monitor to earn more points on all Apple purchases. Image Credit: Cash Back Monitor

You can compare all shopping portal earning rates using Cash Back Monitor. Just head over to its website, enter the name of your merchant, and you’ll see how many points per dollar spent each portal is offering.

Hot Tip: Shopping through Rakuten? You can choose to earn Amex Membership Rewards instead of cash-back if you have a personal American Express card that earns Membership Rewards points. Just switch to earning points at your account settings page.

We generally recommend going with a shipping portal that has the highest earning rate for points you can actually use. So, don’t shop through a portal just because it’s offering 1 more point per dollar if you can’t actually use said points.

Bottom Line: You’ll earn maximum points on Apple purchases by combining a shopping portal with a points-earning credit card.

Examples of Reward Earnings on Apple Products

To illustrate how beneficial stacking credit card points with discounts and shopping portals is, here’s an example of using all 3 to get a nice discount on a 2019 16-inch MacBook Pro.

First, it’s important to pick which credit card you’d like to use for your purchase. For this example, we’ll use the Amex Business Blue Plus card to earn 2 points per dollar spent on this purchase.

Finding The Best Price on A MacBook Pro
You can save $240 in this example by using the Apple Insider prices tool. Image Credit: Apple Insider

Now, we’ll start on the Apple Insider prices tool and search for the best price from the included authorized resellers. In this case, the best price is offered by Adorama — a camera and electronics store in New York City that ships around the U.S.

Take note of this price and head over to Cash Back Monitor and search for the best rates for earning points or cash-back on Adorama purchases. In this case, the best rate is 1 point per dollar spent across all airline portals (or Rakuten, if you want Membership Rewards points).

Clicking The Shop Now Button
Rakuten currently gives 1 Membership Rewards point per dollar spent on Adorama purchases. Image Credit: Rakuten

We value Membership Rewards points at 2.2 cents per point, so we’ll use the Rakuten portal to earn 1 extra Membership Reward point per dollar on our computer purchase. We’ve navigated to Rakuten’s Adorama page and clicked the Shop Now button to go to the Adorama store to make our purchase.

We spent $2,347.91 on our computer after sales tax (8.75% in New York City). In the end, we’d earn the following number of points and save the following amount of money on our purchase by following the steps outlined in this article:

  • Credit card points: 4,696 Membership Rewards points (worth $103.31)
  • Portal points: 2,347 Membership Rewards points (worth $51.65)
  • Money saved: $240

So if you agree with our points valuation, you’ll see that we saved $394.96 by using the right credit card and shopping portal and purchasing our MacBook Pro from the right reseller. Not too bad for just a few minutes of work!

Final Thoughts

In this article, we showed you how to find the best deals on Apple products, the best credit card to use for your purchase, and how to identify a shopping portal to earn the most points and miles possible in the process. Follow the steps in this article and you’ll undoubtedly get the best deal on your next Apple purchase.

Remember, you can follow the steps we’ve outlined for non-business purchases, too! Keep this in mind when buying a computer for personal use or as a gift.

The information regarding the Apple Card was independently collected by Upgraded Points and not provided nor reviewed by the issuer.

For rates and fees of The Blue Business® Plus Credit Card from American Express, click here.
For rates and fees of The Business Platinum Card® from American Express, click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get points from shopping portals?

Times vary between shopping portals, but you should earn points within a few weeks of purchase.

Do Apple purchases from resellers have the same warranty?

Yes, purchases from Apple Authorized Resellers (like B&H, Adorama, etc.) come with the standard, 1-year Apple warranty. You will also have the option to purchase extended AppleCare+ warranty.

Do refurbished purchases from the Apple Store earn points on shopping portals?

Yes! Refurbished purchases earn points so long as you click through a shopping portal before you make a purchase.

How does the Amex and Chase extended warranty work?

In short, the credit card company will pay for out-of-warranty repairs during the coverage period. Generally, though, this doesn’t cover accidental damage. Call your credit card issuer to file a claim or to ask questions regarding this warranty.

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About Andrew Kunesh

Andrew was born and raised in the Chicago suburbs and now splits his time between Chicago and New York City.

He’s a lifelong traveler and took his first solo trip to San Francisco at the age of 16. Fast forward a few years, and Andrew now travels just over 100,000 miles a year, with over 25 countries, 10 business class products, and 2 airline statuses (United and Alaska) under his belt. Andrew formerly worked for The Points Guy and is now Senior Money Editor at CNN Underscored.

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