Apple Credit Card
Rick Zaccone
Apple/CITIBANK credit card. The card is good for "rebates of up to 5%
- good toward the purchase of Apple products." The application
contains a fair amount of small print that doesn't answer some of my
questions about the card. Usually, when I detect a lot of worthless
fine print I just throw something like this away. However, this card
has potential.
Is is possible to use the rebate on any Apple products? Is the rebate
good at any Apple dealer? Could I take the rebate on my university
discount?
Does anyone know the answers to these questions?
Rick Zaccone
--
zac...@bucknell.edu
conr...@yvax.byu.edu
> The November 1994 issue of MacWorld contains an application for an
> Apple/CITIBANK credit card. The card is good for "rebates of up to 5%
> - good toward the purchase of Apple products." The application
> contains a fair amount of small print that doesn't answer some of my
> questions about the card. Usually, when I detect a lot of worthless
> fine print I just throw something like this away. However, this card
> has potential.
>
I have and use a Citibank Apple card. I like it. Let me see if I can answer
some of your questions...
> Is it possible to use the rebate on any Apple products?
Yes, although you need to have a product number. So far it looks like I was
successful in using some of my rebate to cover the cost of upgrading my
original Newton MessagePad. This upgrade did not have a product number, but I
provided a heap of documentation.
> Is the rebate good at any Apple dealer?
Yes, originally the plan was to buy everything through the now defunct Apple
Catelog. In fact the Apple catalog is mentioned in most of the information
and the Citibank reps will still try to transfer you to the catalog when
you have questions.
Right now the way it works is fairly straightforward. You make your purchase
at the dealer, or catalog dealer of your choice. You charge the purchase on
your Apple Citibank card. You then call Citibank and request a reimbursement
voucher. When you receive the voucher you fill in a little information about
the purchase and send it back to Citibank. Citibank then credits your account,
hopefully before the bill comes due.
On purchases less than $3000 you earn 2.5% toward Apple equipment. On
purchases over $3000 you earn the legendary 5%. Computer purchases count
of course, so that $3000 is not impossible. In any given year you cannot
redeem more than $1,500. So if you make a lot of small purchases you only
need to charge $60,000 to max out. Of course if you make a lot of large
purchases (>$3000) then you only need to make 10 purchases at a total
value of greater than $30,000.
If you are buying a lot of equipment this could work out to be a complete
system. Of course you can buy your freebie from any authorized dealer,
including a campus reseller.
Now that limit of $1,500 is per card as far as I can tell. If you are
going to buy $300,000 worth of stuff for your company you could try
getting 10 Apple Citibank cards...
> Could I take the rebate on my university discount?
Yup.
For more information you can call Citibank. You do not need to have
the official signup sheet. Just tell the rep what you want and they
can send you the form. If you already have any Citibank card you can have
this changed over by just calling in. (1-800-950-5114)
Like I said, I really like getting money back toward equipment. I figure
that I may never make a lot of $3000 purchases, but I will make one when I
get my PowerMac next spring, and $150 back will get me closer to the extra
RAM I want...
JonathanC
Not affiliated with Citibank, although I do own them some money. :)
David Gutierrez
zac...@bucknell.edu wrote:
> The November 1994 issue of MacWorld contains an application for an
> Apple/CITIBANK credit card. The card is good for "rebates of up to 5%
> - good toward the purchase of Apple products." The application
> contains a fair amount of small print that doesn't answer some of my
> questions about the card.
If it's like the Ford/Citibank card, I believe you must pay a "processing"
or "handling" fee each year if you want to carry forward any credits
earned but not spent in the previous year.
--
David Gutierrez
d...@biomath.mda.uth.tmc.edu
"Only fools are positive." - Moe Howard
Jason Untulis
: Right now the way it works is fairly straightforward. You make your purchase
: at the dealer, or catalog dealer of your choice. You charge the purchase on
: your Apple Citibank card. You then call Citibank and request a reimbursement
: voucher. When you receive the voucher you fill in a little information about
: the purchase and send it back to Citibank. Citibank then credits your account,
: hopefully before the bill comes due.
I'm a new card owner, so I may wrong about this, but my understanding was
you could buy it via any purchase method. You then got a voucher from
Citibank to send to Apple with your proof of purchase, then you got a
rebate back from Apple. It certainly makes sense to use the A/C card (more
rebate money), but I don't think it's necessary. It sounds like the rebate
process is also easier when buying the Apple product w/the A/C card, so
that should probably be your first choice (although depending on credit
limit and balance, it might not be an option...) (I ALWAYS pay my credit
card bills. 8-P)
BTW, you cannot use credit from an Apple purchase on the A/C card for a
rebate on that same purchase... (i.e. I can't use my Power Mac purchase
rebate on my PowerMac)
: On purchases less than $3000 you earn 2.5% toward Apple equipment. On
: purchases over $3000 you earn the legendary 5%. Computer purchases count
: of course, so that $3000 is not impossible. In any given year you cannot
: redeem more than $1,500. So if you make a lot of small purchases you only
: need to charge $60,000 to max out. Of course if you make a lot of large
: purchases (>$3000) then you only need to make 10 purchases at a total
: value of greater than $30,000.
My understanding of this was the first US$3000 per year earned 2.5%, while
any subsequent activity was at 5%. Thus, you would need to charge US$11,500
in a year to earn US$500 credit, which is the maximum you can earn in a year.
Over a three year time you can accumulate US$1500, which is the maximum that
can be accrued in the program.
: Now that limit of $1,500 is per card as far as I can tell. If you are
: going to buy $300,000 worth of stuff for your company you could try
: getting 10 Apple Citibank cards...
Wrong. I accidentally applied twice and my second application was denied.
While this possibly could be because I was a college student (8-P), most
likely they do not allow you to have more than one card under one name.
You could certainly try aliases (although those may only work under version
7 of the card 8-P)
: Not affiliated with Citibank, although I do own them some money. :)
Me too.
--
-------
#include <std/disclaimer> (C) 1994. All rights reserved.
Jason Untulis Join alt.destroy.the.internet!!!
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Dan Bammes
The application
>contains a fair amount of small print that doesn't answer some of my
>questions about the card. Usually, when I detect a lot of worthless
>fine print I just throw something like this away. However, this card
>has potential.
that their customer service is really good. Amazing that to get good service
you have to go to one of the biggest credit card outfits in the country.
Regular Citibank accounts accumulate something called "Citidollars" which are
essentially worthless. They can only be spent in Citibank's catalogs, which
offer the same merchandise you can get at your local discount store. The
Citidollar discount brings the price down from list to ordinary retail. Big
Woop.
So -- upside & downside. If you can actually spend those credits on Apple
computer gear, you'll at least like the way the company treats you.
Dan Bammes
Tom Dolezal
conr...@yvax.byu.edu writes:
> On purchases less than $3000 you earn 2.5% toward Apple equipment. On
> purchases over $3000 you earn the legendary 5%. Computer purchases count
> of course, so that $3000 is not impossible. In any given year you cannot
> redeem more than $1,500. So if you make a lot of small purchases you only
> need to charge $60,000 to max out. Of course if you make a lot of large
> purchases (>$3000) then you only need to make 10 purchases at a total
> value of greater than $30,000.
You're on the right track, but missed one critical thing - the $3000
charge amount is CUMULATIVE. You are credited 2.5% of TOTAL purchases
until you charge $3000 in a year. Any additional charges in that year
are credited at 5%. So, if I charge $5000 to my card in a year:
All charges up to $3000 @ 2.5% = $ 75.00
Amount over $3000 ($2000) @ 5% = $100.00
-------
$175.00 total rebate credit
You can accumulate up to a $500 rebate credit in a year. These can be
accumulated for up to 3 years, for a total rebate ceiling of $1500.
--Tom
----------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Dolezal dole...@txpcap.hou.xwh.bp.com
Macintosh and Network Systems Consulting (713) 496-5594
"The opinions and reality I dispense are mine alone."
Greg Vaughn
card I've had for several years? I guess about a year or so ago they made
a deal with Ford and a percentage my purchases get me a discount if I buy
a Ford automobile. Will I have to give up my Ford rebates to get Apple
rebates?
______ | Greg Vaughn G.Va...@ttu.edu
/\__ _\ | Physics Doctoral Candidate
\/_/\ \/ exas | Insulator Research Lab
\ \_\ ech University | Finger: gr...@scm41-2.phys.ttu.edu
\/_/ Lubbock, Texas | Alt. E-mail: ri...@ttacs.ttu.edu
Mark Isfeld
>The November 1994 issue of MacWorld contains an application for an
>Apple/CITIBANK credit card. The card is good for "rebates of up to 5%
>- good toward the purchase of Apple products." The application
>contains a fair amount of small print that doesn't answer some of my
>questions about the card. Usually, when I detect a lot of worthless
>fine print I just throw something like this away. However, this card
>has potential.
>Is is possible to use the rebate on any Apple products? Is the rebate
>good at any Apple dealer? Could I take the rebate on my university
>discount?
You can use the rebate for any Apple products purchased from an Official
Apple Dealer. You may or may not be able to use them for Apple products
purchased from unofficial apple Dealers such as the grey market. I presumed
you could not when I just bought my Powerbook.
I don't know where university dealers sit, but I've heard of other students
who plan on getting a rebate.
The rebate is for 2.5% of the first $3000, and 5% after that to maximum
of $500 each year. On the 13'th month the rebate goes back to 2.5% and
repeates this process annually. You can accumulate up to $500 each year,
and $1500 total. After 3 Years rebates start expiring, so you have to time
things carefully to really get $1500 rebated. You have to spend $11,500
each year to get
a $500 rebate credit (not hard for some of us). After purchasing an apple item,
you phone in to get an application for the rebate. You send in the app
with the original receipts, and they credit the amount to your charge card.
Apple can cancel the program whenever it wants with a 90 day notice. This
is the only real gotcha I can find in the fine print. You have to trust
that Apple won't cancel when you don't really feel like buying an Apple
product.
On the other hand, the first year is free. If you avoid paying more for
things to use the card, and you avoid interest payments, then your first
year cost for using the card is zero. The annual fee is something like
$20 starting the second year. Even that is modest if you are accumulating
significant rebate credit.
All the above from the Apple disclosure. I am about to call in for my
rebate app, but have not completed a rebate.
--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Mark Isfeld | 3Com Corporation
| Mark_...@3Com.com | 5400 Bayfront Plaza
| 408-764-5167 | Santa Clara, CA 95052-8145
James Conklin
>On a related note, is this Apple Citibank card different than the Citibank
>card I've had for several years? I guess about a year or so ago they made
>a deal with Ford and a percentage my purchases get me a discount if I buy
>a Ford automobile. Will I have to give up my Ford rebates to get Apple
>rebates?
You can keep your Ford rebates. They will send you a coupon when you
convert to the Apple card. The coupon does expire, though
I don't recall how long it is good for.
The rest of the card's specifics are the same.
James
--
Christopher Colby
: If it's like the Ford/Citibank card, I believe you must pay a "processing"
: or "handling" fee each year if you want to carry forward any credits
: earned but not spent in the previous year.
: David Gutierrez
: d...@biomath.mda.uth.tmc.edu
: "Only fools are positive." - Moe Howard
They must be really desperate for applicants. I received not one, not
two, not three, but FOUR Apple/CitiBank credit card applications. And
what is REALLY ironic is (major news flash here) I'M NOT OLD ENOUGH TO
HAVE A CREDIT CARD. <hillarious laughter....> Chris Colby
--
______ Christopher Franklin Colby
_-' . .`-_
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\|/ |: . ._|_ .. . | \|/
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