Apple's Limited-Time Mac Trade-In Offer Has a Disappointing Catch

On February 9, Apple started offering "extra credit" for Mac trade-ins in the U.S. and select other countries, but the offer is quite misleading.

apple silicon mac lineup 2024 feature purple
Apple's website says the extra trade-in credit for Macs is available with the purchase of an eligible new Apple device through April 2, yet the values listed have already decreased before that date, which is something the average customer likely wouldn't realize.

As of February 9, the listed trade-in values had increased by between $10 and $50 in the U.S., but some of the values have already decreased since then.

Apple could choose to argue that the trade-in values would have dropped even lower had the "extra credit" boost not been in effect, but to us it still feels disappointing, if not disingenuous, for the company to have lowered some of the values prior to April 2.

The chart below provides an overview of the situation.

Model Values as of Today Values as of February 9 Values as of February 8
MacBook Pro
Up to $860
Up to $925
Up to $915
MacBook Air
Up to $410
Up to $435
Up to $425
MacBook
Up to $120
Up to $140
Up to $90
iMac
Up to $315
Up to $315
Up to $305
iMac Pro
Up to $435
Up to $455
Up to $405
Mac mini
Up to $325
Up to $375
Up to $365
Mac Studio
Up to $1,150
Up to $1,150
Up to $1,140
Mac Pro
Up to $710
Up to $720
Up to $670

So, if you are planning to trade in your Mac, know that the "extra" credit might actually mean even less credit than you would have received last month.

Trade-ins can be completed on Apple's website or at an Apple Store, and the credit can be applied towards the purchase of a new Apple product, or placed on an Apple gift card for later use. Visit the trade-in page on Apple's website for more details.

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Saturday October 18, 2025 11:00 am PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across the Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, Clock, and Safari apps. More features and changes will follow in future ...
ios 26 1 liquid glass opaque

iOS 26.1 Beta 4 Lets Users Control Liquid Glass Transparency with New Toggle

Monday October 20, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
With the fourth betas of iOS 26.1, iPadOS 26.1, and macOS 26.1, Apple has introduced a new setting that's designed to allow users to customize the look of Liquid Glass. The toggle lets users select from a clear look for Liquid Glass, or a tinted look. Clear is the current Liquid Glass design, which is more transparent and shows the background underneath buttons, bars, and menus, while tinted ...
iPhone Siri Glow

Some Apple Employees Have 'Concerns' About iOS 26.4's Revamped Siri

Sunday October 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
iOS 26.4 is expected to introduce a revamped version of Siri powered by Apple Intelligence, but not everyone is satisfied with how well it works. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said some of Apple's software engineers have "concerns" about the overhauled Siri's performance. However, he did not provide any specific details about the shortcomings. iOS 26.4 will...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.2 Update for iPhones Coming Soon

Friday October 17, 2025 7:35 am PDT by
Apple's software engineers continue to internally test iOS 26.0.2, according to MacRumors logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. iOS 26.0.2 will be a minor update that addresses bugs and/or security vulnerabilities, but we do not know any specific details yet. The update will likely be released by the end of next week. Last month, Apple released iOS 26.0.1,...
Apple iPad Pro hero M5

New iPad Pro Has Six Key Upgrades Beyond M5 Chip

Saturday October 18, 2025 10:57 am PDT by
While the new iPad Pro's headline feature is the M5 chip, the device has some other changes, including N1 and C1X chips, faster storage speeds, and more. With the M5 chip, the new iPad Pro has up to a 20% faster CPU and up to a 40% faster GPU compared to the previous model with the M4 chip, according to Geekbench 6 results. Keep in mind that 256GB and 512GB configurations have a 9-core CPU,...
maxresdefault

Here's How the iOS 26.1 Transparency Toggle Changes Liquid Glass

Monday October 20, 2025 1:55 pm PDT by
With the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple added a toggle that makes Liquid Glass more opaque and reduces transparency. We tested the beta to see where the toggle works and what it looks like. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. If you have the latest iOS 26.1 beta, you can go to Settings > Display and Brightness to get to the new option. Tap on Liquid Glass, then...
iOS 26

What's New in iOS 26.1 Beta 4

Monday October 20, 2025 1:02 pm PDT by
Even though we're at the fourth beta of iOS 26.1, Apple is continuing to add new features. In fact, the fourth beta has some of the biggest changes that we'll get when iOS 26.1 releases to the public later this month. We've rounded up what's new below. Liquid Glass Transparency Toggle Apple added a toggle for customizing the look of Liquid Glass. In Settings > Display and Brightness,...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple's Next Rumored Products: New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and More

Thursday October 16, 2025 9:13 am PDT by
Apple on Wednesday updated the 14-inch MacBook Pro, iPad Pro, and Vision Pro with its next-generation M5 chip, but previous rumors have indicated that the company still plans to announce at least a few additional products before the end of the year. The following Apple products have at one point been rumored to be updated in 2025, although it is unclear if the timeframe for any of them has...
kohler toilet sensor

Kohler Launches $600 iPhone-Connected Toilet Camera That Monitors Your Health Through Waste Analysis

Monday October 20, 2025 1:42 pm PDT by
Kohler is expanding its line of bathroom products with Dekoda, an iPhone-connected device that's designed to be attached to a toilet rim (via The Verge). The device's included "sensors" point into the toilet bowl, allowing it to analyze what goes on in the bathroom. According to Kohler, Dekoda is a health tracker that can monitor gut health and hydration, as well as detect the presence of...

Top Rated Comments

noanker Avatar
8 months ago
"but the offer is quite misleading."

Misleading? Apple would never do that! /S :rolleyes:
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
8 months ago
What is everyone complaining about? Apple makes the most cost effective products in the world. Almost every single product Apple sells has the pocketbook of the consumer in mind. Just the other day, I said thank you Tim Apple for leaving some extra money in my pocket. I would have easily traded my right pinky toe for my MacBook Pro with the Kung Fu Grip.

Come to think of it, just look at how generous they are with their RAM pricing - their ram is easily worth 10x more than Crucial or Samsung.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Valen1 Avatar
8 months ago
The "offers" are insulting. Purchased a new Mac Studio in May of last year with a retail price of $1,800 (I paid less on sale). There offer less than a year later is $910.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ImAlwaysRight Avatar
8 months ago
It's just like Prime Days. They raise prices by 20% then give you a 20% discount!
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smartuser Avatar
8 months ago
For some reason, the values are always total BS. I recently traded in a MacBook Air to Apple for $920. The "up to" values have ALWAYS been wrong like that.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sixteengigabytes Avatar
8 months ago
Another day, more gaslighting. What will it be tomorrow?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)