Apple has no birthday reward. There’s no Apple loyalty program at all, and the one place Apple asks for your birthday, when you create an Apple Account, uses it for age and Family Sharing rather than a gift. The only real money back is 5% through Fluz when you buy Apple gift cards.
What Apple Is
Apple makes the iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple Watch, and sells them through its own online store and its retail stores. Apple’s retail stores trace to a May 15, 2001 announcement of 25 US stores that year, the first two opening on Saturday, May 19, at Tysons Corner and Glendale Galleria. Apple’s address is One Apple Park Way in Cupertino, California.
The Apple Store also sells refurbished products and runs a trade-in program, which are the two places most likely to save a shopper real money. Neither is tied to a birthday.
What Was Actually Checked
Apple’s refurbished store, its Apple Card page, its Apple Pay page, its privacy policy, the Apple Store app listing, its returns page and its support pages on creating an account were all read. None of them offer a benefit triggered by your birthday. The Apple Pay promotions page returns a 404. Apple Card is issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA and pays Daily Cash of 1%, 2% or 3% depending on how you pay, and neither the Apple Card page nor the Apple Pay page mentions a birthday.
Apple does ask for your birthday, and it says why. Its support page reads: “It’s important to have your correct birthday on file with your Apple Account. It’s used in features like Family Sharing and helps provide age-appropriate experiences.” The account-creation steps simply say “Select your birthday and enter your name.”
An Apple Page That Isn’t Apple’s Birthday Reward
Apple hosts an App Store story called “Treat Yourself to a Birthday Freebie,” which looks promising until you read it. It features other companies’ rewards: Target, AMC, Krispy Kreme, Chick-fil-A, Nike, Sephora, Barry’s, McDonald’s, Ulta and Starbucks. Those are those merchants’ rewards, not Apple’s, and Apple isn’t giving you anything.
The Real Route: A Genuine Cashback Rate
Fluz lists “Apple gift cards with 5% cashback” and describes it as buying a gift card to earn 5% back at Apple. TopCashback’s Apple Store page says up to 4%, but read the tiers before getting excited: Beats products earn 4% and refurbished products earn 1%, and the page excludes iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, TV, HomePod, gift cards, software and the Government, Veterans and Military stores. Price.com says cash back isn’t currently available for Apple. Rates move, so check before you buy.
Eligibility and Cost
There’s no Apple membership to join, so there’s nothing to sign up for on Apple’s side. The Fluz route needs a free Fluz account. Apple’s return window is 14 days: “you can return or exchange it with a receipt within 14 days of the date you receive the product from Apple.” Price protection runs 14 calendar days from the date you receive the product, excludes limited-time reductions and special sales events such as Black Friday, and is limited to 10 units of a product.
Q&A
Q: Does Apple have a birthday discount?
A: No. Apple has no loyalty program, and none of the Apple pages that were read offer a benefit tied to your birthday.
Q: Why does Apple ask for my birthday?
A: Apple says it’s used in features like Family Sharing and to provide age-appropriate experiences.
Q: What is the App Store birthday freebie story?
A: An Apple-hosted story that features other companies’ birthday rewards, such as Starbucks and Krispy Kreme. They’re those merchants’ perks, not Apple’s.
Q: Is there a real way to get money back on Apple purchases?
A: Yes. Fluz lists Apple gift cards with 5% cashback. TopCashback’s rates cover only Beats and refurbished products.
Q: Does Apple Card give a birthday bonus?
A: No. Apple Card pays Daily Cash of 1%, 2% or 3% depending on how you pay, and its page mentions no birthday perk.
Q: What is Apple’s return window?
A: 14 days from the date you receive the product, with a receipt.
Compare This To
Samsung has birthday vouchers in several other countries, though not in the US. Google Store ran a sale for Google’s own anniversary that didn’t include your birthday either.
To see where Apple stands next to the others in its group, our guide to big tech brand birthday freebies puts them side by side.
More Information:
Verified against Apple’s own store, Apple Card, Apple Pay, returns and account support pages, plus Apple’s 2001 retail announcement. Cashback checked on Fluz, TopCashback and Price.com.
