AirPods Pro
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New Apple Card applicants can now, in effect, get a free pair of AirPods Pro 3, but the headline offer hides a long-term catch: the full rebate only arrives if customers hit a rolling monthly transaction target for nearly three years.

The incentive is designed to pull in new credit card users by tying the deal to Apple's flagship wireless earbuds, which currently carry a retail price of $249. However, securing the maximum $250 return requires the cardholder to keep spending on the card over an extended period that runs well into early 2027.

Earning the AirPods Pro 3 Cash Rebate

Under the newly announced terms, consumers who successfully open a financial account and buy the earbuds directly from Apple by 15 June will qualify for the programme. Instead of issuing a single lump-sum refund at the point of sale, the technology giant has opted to pay out the money in $25 monthly increments through its 'Bonus Daily Cash' reward system.

This distribution phase officially starts on 1 July and will run continuously until 30 April 2027. To unlock each $25 payment, the account holder must complete at least ten separate transactions on their new credit card during that specific month. Because the minimum spend for a qualifying purchase is set at just a single cent, routine daily payments such as transit fares or digital subscriptions will easily clear the hurdle.

Eligibility for the New Apple Card Promotion

The transaction criteria come with specific operational guidelines. Most importantly, the initial hardware purchase does not count as one of the ten required transactions for the month in which it is made. If a cardholder misses the ten-transaction mark during any given month within the promotional window, they simply forfeit the $25 Bonus Daily Cash for that specific period. They can, however, still earn the rebate in the following months until the April 2027 deadline is reached.

Apple has limited the promotion entirely to new applicants. Anyone who already holds an active card or currently has a credit application pending is firmly excluded. This ensures the deal acts strictly as a tool to acquire fresh financial accounts, rather than serving as a loyalty perk or retroactive reward for the existing user base.

AirPods Pro 3 Purchase Exclusions and Rules

To trigger the offer, the earbuds must be bought directly through official channels, meaning either the main Apple website or a physical Apple Store location. Buying the hardware from a high-street retailer or an online third party will void the deal entirely. Furthermore, the promotion's fine print explicitly rules out refurbished models, international transactions and bulk corporate orders.

Buyers are prohibited from covering the entire retail price using an Apple Gift Card or an existing account balance, but they do have flexibility when it comes to standard payment methods. Applicants can pay for the hardware outright in one go or utilise the Apple Card Monthly Installments plan to spread the initial cost. Applying an older device as a trade-in to drop the upfront price is also permitted and will not void the promotion.

Shoppers should also note that returning the hardware puts the rebate at risk, potentially cancelling out any unpaid cash rewards. The deal itself is tied exclusively to the AirPods Pro 3, the wireless earbuds Apple introduced alongside the iPhone 17 range in September 2025.

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