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

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Leak Reveals Foldable iPhone Details

Monday December 15, 2025 9:09 am PST by
The first foldable iPhone will feature a series of design and hardware firsts for Apple, according to details shared by the Weibo leaker known as Digital Chat Station. According to a new post, via machine translation, Apple is developing what the leaker describes as a "wide foldable" device, a term used to refer to a horizontally oriented, book-style foldable with a large internal display....
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
apple beta 26 lineup

Apple Leak Confirms Work on Foldable iPhone, AirTag 2, and Dozens More Devices

Monday December 15, 2025 2:05 pm PST by
Last week, details about unreleased Apple devices and future iOS features were shared by Macworld. This week, we learned where the information came from, plus we have more findings from the leak. As it turns out, an Apple prototype device running an early build of iOS 26 was sold, and the person who bought it shared the software. The OS has a version number of 23A5234w, and the first...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
macOS Tahoe 26 Thumb

Apple Releases macOS Tahoe 26.2 With Edge Light

Friday December 12, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Tahoe 26.2, the second major update to the macOS Tahoe operating system that came out in September. macOS Tahoe 26.2 comes five weeks after Apple released macOS Tahoe 26.1. Mac users can download the macOS Tahoe update by using the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Tahoe 26.2 includes Edge Light, a feature that illuminates your face with soft...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Apple Logo Top Half

Early iOS 26 Software Leak Uncovers Dozens of Upcoming Apple Features

Monday December 15, 2025 3:05 pm PST by
Software from an iPhone prototype running an early build of iOS 26 leaked last week, giving us a glimpse at future Apple devices and iOS features. We recapped device codenames in our prior article, and now we have a list of some of the most notable feature flags that were found in the software code. In some cases, it's obvious what the feature flags are referring to, while some are more...

Top Rated Comments

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

Misleading? Apple would never do that! /S :rolleyes:
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
vegetassj4 Avatar
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 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
10 months ago
Another day, more gaslighting. What will it be tomorrow?
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)