Can I use Apple Gift Card for Black Friday purchases?

You haven’t bought the gift card yet? Many times the gift card deals have delayed shipping. I’ve seen delayed shipping of several weeks.

It will work, as long as you receive the gift card in time and it’s not restricted to iTunes and App Store purchases.

Redeemable instore & online.

A maximum of 8 Apple eGift Cards can be redeemed per order.

Once you've successfully purchased your Apple eGift card, you'll be prompted with a 'Download' button. If you wish to use the eGift card at the Apple store (in person or online) do not select this option. Please only select 'Download' if you wish to allocate the eGift card balance to your app store account.

Please be advised that there is a daily spending limit of $2,000 for Apple eGift Cards.

Pre-purchase your Digital eGift Card to receive your discount. Digital eGift Cards will be sent to you by email and available in your eWallet with instructions on how to redeem. Although we make best efforts for instant delivery, occasionally this may take up to 72 hours.

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eGift Cards have no expiry date

The advertising of this promotion appears to be deliberately deceptive. This sentence appears in the fine print: "Qualifying purchasers can receive a discount equal to the value of the Apple Gift Card (depending on their purchase) off the price of the Eligible Product, but will be charged for all items in their cart, including the Apple Gift Card." It sounds as though it's trying to make you think that you have two options: (1) Use the (up to) $200 value of the gift card to reduce the purchase price of the product OR (2) Buy the product at full price and then apply the $200 value of the gift card to another purchase. But it's just verbal jujitsu. In either scenario, you end up in the exact same situation:

Option 1 Hypothetical: You buy a $1,000 Apple product for a(n up to) $200 "discount" but you are charged for the $200 value of the gift card. So you pay $800 for the Apple product and $200 for a gift card you can use on a different product, with both prices being paid now (unless you choose an installment plan). You therefore end up paying a total of $1,000 for your purchase and having $200 to spend on another product. End result: You can buy $1,200 worth of Apple products for $1,000 that you have to pay now unless you choose an installment plan.

Option 2 Hypothetical: You buy a $1,000 Apple product for $1,000, paid now (unless you choose an installment plan). You get a $200 gift card with the purchase. End result: You can buy $1,200 worth of Apple products for $1,000 that you have to pay now unless you choose an installment plan.

There is arguably a 3rd interpretation, which is that you pay a total of $1,000 for $1,000 worth of Apple products (i.e., that there is no discount at all). This 3rd interpretation arises from the ambiguity in the language as to whether "being charged for all items in their cart, including the Apple Gift Card" means that you still have a gift card left to use for another purchase. It could mean that you pay a "discounted" price of $800 for the product and $200 for a gift card that has been exhausted on the $200 difference between the original purchase price and the "discounted" price. In this scenario, you pay $1,000 for $1,000 worth of Apple products because the gift card is not available to use for another product.

Am I missing something?

Legalisms are often difficult to understand fully. But the reason that Apple charges for the gift card and deducts the value from the price of the item(s) purchased is to prevent someone from getting the items and the gift card, returning the items for refund, and getting the full original price refunded and just keeping the card. So your "Option 1" is the closest to how it works.

If you have further questions about how the promotion works, I'd suggest you talk to the Apple Store.

Regards.

When Apple offers gift cards it has to be handled differently because of the issues of returning an item and perhaps already having used the gift card.

It works like this,

Product price is $1,000, sale price is $800, charge $600 on the receipt. Add $200 gift card. So, price paid is $800, which correct price for product and you have a free gift card. Return $800 item, you only get $600 dollars. Why, you spent or didn’t return gift card or gave as a gift.

I just purchased an iPad Air and $105 was deducted off the price. I was charged the deducted amount including tax. I was also charged a separate $105 and received an e gift card applied to my account.

It all adds up correctly and it shows this in the fine print after rereading the terms. The end result is the same if I had received a gift card and paid full price. Someone else mentioned here it is because in case someone returns the item they don’t get the free gift card.

Apple could have just discounted the amount to make it straight forward but they don’t want you to spend your savings anywhere else but with them!!!

I mentioned it.

Just check the price of the item you purchased. Its price has been reduced an additional amount equal to the value of your gift card.

If the product was purchased during Black Friday sale, your iPad was reduced in price an additional amount equal to the value of the gift card you received. This is in addition to the sale price of the item.

To the best of my knowledge, yes. Gift cards are a valid payment method for a transaction.

Great so possible to deal stack buying a Apple Gift Card ( via Bupa Life Rewards for 5% discount ), then buy a qualifying item eg Macbook Air M2 for $240 discount via the BF promotion?

Good point. The e-gift card is in the Bupa app. Usually deliver these in <15 mins, but say to allow "72 hours". Have to buy them $500 each up to 8 in a day.