If you are like me you always think, “Wouldn’t it be great to get Apple’s latest new device?” but then you stop at the thought of paying full price. Whether you’re looking for a great deal on an iPad for your CityGro kiosk system or you want one to support your growing mobile business, today’s post is going to go over some simple tricks on how to get apple products cheaper.

Volume Discount

The biggest secret in getting a discount on Apple products is buying a lot of them! Apple is generous with their volume discounts by offering up to 3% off hardware if you buy a high enough volume within the trailing 12-month period. The hard part about this is you have to pay full price until you reach the first benchmark and then you only get 2% until you hit the next benchmark.

Purchasing Incentives

Another tip is to snatch up deals when you see them. With the holidays upon us, many big-box retailers or other Apple-authorized dealers are offering specials and incentives. These might not be an actual discount, since Apple has matte pricing on their products, but these stores will many times offer a gift card or other incentive if you buy the product from them. I have seen in past years as much as a $100 gift card with purchase of the latest Apple product.

Purchase Last Year’s Product

If you aren’t necessarily looking at having the newest or greatest iPad, you may want to look into buying last year’s product. You can often find mark-downs on older models. Keep in mind that these are still excellent products, though they don’t have the hype of being “the latest” with the newest features.

Pre-owned

The absolute cheapest price you can find is if you use local classified site like Craigslist or a news outlet to find a pre-owned iPad. I have seen these sites carry Apple products for as much as 50% off retail for any iPad 2 or newer. Sometimes these may even be brand new items.

You do run a risk of buying a stolen product, though. One word of caution if you take this approach is make sure that the device is powered on, and the Apple ID has been logged out of. Many times when you go to meet the seller they will tell you the battery died or some other excuse. If the previous owner doesn’t log out of their Apple ID account, you’re basically paying a lot of money for something that you will never be able to use, since Apple’s iOS has been designed to prevent thieves from being able to sell stolen Apple products. Keep in mind that if you decide to go with a local classified site, your device won’t have any kind of warranty with it.

Another cheap option that many of us don’t consider is your social media accounts. A simple post asking if anyone is selling their iPad or other Apple product may land you just what you need. You never know if your best friend or your long-lost friend has been considering upgrading or selling an Apple product.

If you are buying a big enough quantity, my recommendation would be a 3^rd party company for pre-owned and off-lease products like NuVida or something similar. These companies buy large quantities of gently used iPads, bring them into their facilities, take them through a rigorous test making sure they work properly, fix any issues they may have, and then sell them at a competitive rate.

They take out a lot of the tedious leg work of bartering with your local classified ads. They even stand behind the products that they sell and offer a limited warranty.

Whichever way you find to source your iPad, the important thing to consider is the risk vs. cost that fits in your budget. Only Apple or a certified retailer will offer Apple’s manufacture warranty. Just be careful that the device is working and in sound condition before you buy it. Now you know how to get apple products cheaper.