Does Apple sound like a cool place to work? Maybe you already got hired or maybe you’re thinking of seeking a job with the tech giant. In either case, it’s important to understand the Apple employee discount as it’s one of their greatest perks. Here’s everything you need to know so you can take full-advantage.

What Exactly is the Apple Employee Discount?

Their employee discount is 25% off…well sort of, let me explain.

Specifically, it’s a one-time annual 25% discount in each product category.

Their four main product lines include the iPhone, iPad, computer, and Apple Watch.

So in a year’s time, you could theoretically get each of those devices for 25% off the retail price.

I was also told that workers get 10% off everything in the Apple Store except gift cards. (If you currently work at Apple can you please verify or debunk this in the comments section, thanks in advance.)

You have to work at Apple for 90 days before you’re eligible for the employee discount.

See Also: Amazon Employee Discount: Here’s Exactly How It Works

PRO TIP: YOUR APPLE PURCHASES ARE TRACKED

Apple makes employees purchase through an internal URL where the employee discount is reflected in the prices. Also, I was told by a friendly employee on my last trip to an Apple Store that you CANNOT sell products you buy for 1 year as they track your purchases internally and lock the IMEI to your employee ID for 365 days. So if you sold an iPhone or MacBook (for instance), the new owner would not be able to register it to their name until the 1-year mark passes.

Also, any purchase you make through the internal Apple URL needs to be made with your personal credit card or debit card. This means you’ll still get your credit card reward points on top of your employee discount.

Any Additional Discounts?

Yes, there certainly are.

A former Apple intern said that once you use your 25% discount, you can still take advantage of the 15% off family & friends discount for up to “10 units”.

So you can buy stuff for family and friends and get a cool 15% off.

In addition, after every 2 years of employment, you’ll score a free $500 to buy whatever you want.

This used to be every 3 years, but in 2020 they changed it to every 2 years. (Thanks Dee Dee for the new information!)

PLUS…you can combine the $500 with the 25% employee discount and score a MAJOR deal.

Like the intern says in the article, you basically get a free new iPhone every 2 years.

PRO TIP: CAN’T COMBINE THE EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT DISCOUNT

As I’ve discussed before, Apple also offers a solid student discount. Unfortunately, they do not let you stack the discounts together, you have to pick one or the other. Do the math to figure out which discount saves you the most money. Typically the employee discount will save you quite a bit more as the student discount is only around 5-10% off the retail price.

Do Apple Employees get the Latest iPhone for Free?

I’ve heard this rumor for years, and the answer for employees is unfortunately NO.

Unless of course they take advantage of the work-around hack mentioned above.

See Also: Here’s How the Apple Military Discount Works and How You Qualify

How Long Do Employees Have to Wait to Buy New Products?

After Apple launches a new product, they will immediately be available for employees to purchase with their discount.

This was not always the case as employees would often have to wait at least 1 month until they “opened” the discount to workers.

PRO TIP: SEASONAL EMPLOYEES CAN GET THE DISCOUNT…SORTA

While seasonal hires can get the discount, they need to work for at least 90 days to do so. In actuality, most seasonal Apple workers won’t work that long, so they’ll never be able to take advantage of the employee discount. So if you’re thinking of apply for a job around Christmas to try and get the discount, you’re going to be out of luck.

Do Employees Get Discounts With Cell Phone Carriers?

Yes.

Wanting to stay anonymous in the comments, I had an employee drop the knowledge on this.

They stated that they “often get discounts with their cell phone/mobile carriers just by having an @apple.com email address and/or verifiable company credentials.”

While they didn’t say exactly what their discount is, it’s safe to assume this savings could be substantial.

Is There a Discount on Apps or Software?

Yes.

From the same anonymous employee mentioned above, “Developers of apps or tools are eager to give their software away to employees for free, presumably to get it to gain traction via word of mouth advertising.”

This is very little known perk of working for Apple that is definitely worth mentioning.

Are Any Apple Products Excluded?

No.

Everything that Apple sells is eligible for the employee discount.

Can the Discount Be Used on Black Friday & Cyber Monday?

Yes, your employee discount can be used any day of the year.

Anything Else Discount Related?

Apparently Apple is also famous for offering a bunch of 3rd party discounts to employees as well.

These products include things like iPhone cases, screen protectors, Apple Watch bands, iPad cases, and laptop accessories.

Discounts range from 10% off all the way up to 50%.

Ask the Reader: Do you work for Apple? If so, let me know how much money their employee discount has saved you.

By Kyle James

Photo Credit to Dru Bloomfield.

Kyle James( Owner/Founder )

I started Rather-Be-Shopping.com in 2000 and have become a consumer expert and advocate writing about out-of-the-box ways to save at stores like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Costco to name a few. I’ve been featured on FOX News, Good Morning America, and the NY Times talking about my savings tips. (Learn more)