Apple Officially Accepts In-Store Mac Trade-Ins

Previously, Mac users who wanted to trade in their desktop computers in order to get some credits when buying a new Apple device were limited to online trade-ins. Those who are trading-in their iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches, on the other hand, can trade them in either online or physically via an Apple Retail Store.

This is about to change as Apple has changed its policy to now accept Mac trade-ins via any retail store. The change in Cupertino's trade-in mechanics was first spotted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Last week, Gurman tweeted that Apple is “launching an in-store Mac trade-in program” this week in the U.S. and Canada. More recently, Gurman tweeted that Apple had removed one detail from the Frequently Asked Questions of its trade-in page.

Previously, the answer for the question “Can I see what my device is worth online, then bring it with me when I buy a new device in the store?” goes this way: “Yes, the Apple Trade-In program is available on apple.com as well as in all our retail stores. The only exception is that Mac trade-ins are only available online.”

Now, the answer to that same question has been edited to remove the part that talks about the Mac as only available for online trade-ins.

“Yes, the Apple Trade-In program is available on apple.com as well as in all our retail stores,” it now reads.

The removal of that line indicates that Apple will now start accepting Mac trade-ins via any retail store, in addition to accepting other iDevices such as iPhones, iPads and Apple Watches. Macs, whether portables like MacBooks or desktop models like the iMac and Mac Pro, can now be traded for Apple Store Gift Cards or credits toward new purchases.

It's worth noting, however, that although Macs are now accepted for trade-ins at any retail store, not all of Apple's retail stores have reopened. Some of them, 9To5Mac reported, are still limited to certain services. While not all Mac owners will be able to take advantage of the new trade-in mechanic at the moment, they will soon – if and when Apple's retail stores resume full operations.