Apple Reportedly Offering Gift Cards For Black Friday And Not Discounts

Last year for Black Friday, Apple offered discounts on its devices and computers, but it looks like this year the company will sell its products at full price, instead giving customers gift cards that can be used at a later date. The news comes from 9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman, who cites multiple sources and has a pretty good track record when it comes to predicting Apple’s plans.

Apple will reportedly offer $100 Apple Store gift cards with the purchase of a new Mac computer and $50 gift cards for iOS devices. The company may also extend the deal to third-party products, giving away $25 gift cards to customers who buy a DropCam and $50 for more expensive accessories. 9to5Mac doesn’t rule out the possibility of additional discounts, but seems certain that the main event on Black Friday will be gift cards.

The news is certain to disappoint consumers who hoped to save on Apple products this Friday, though there are plenty of third-party retailers offering upfront discounts on Apple devices. Then again, for die-hard Apple fans who plan to visit the store again in the near future there’s no real difference between saving money on Black Friday or at some point in the future.