When Steve Jobs announced that Apple was cutting the price of the first-generation iPhone by $200, people who lined up to buy the device on its June 29, 2007, release date were angry, feeling that they had been cheated by Apple. That feeling dissipated a lot just a few days later, when Jobs announced that early iPhones would receive a $100 Apple Store credit.
Who’s Eligible
IPhone owners who are eligible for the Apple Store credit program must:
- Have purchased the iPhone from Apple or AT&T before Aug. 22, 2007.
- Have not gotten any other price adjustment or relief surrounding the price cut.
- Apply for the credit before Nov. 30, 2007
Who’s Not Eligible
You’re not eligible to get the $100 credit if:
- You bought your iPhone between Aug. 22 and Sept. 4, 2007. In that case, your iPhone is covered by Apple’s price protection policy and you can get the full $200 price change refunded to you.
- You got any other price adjustment related to the price cut.
- You got your iPhone for free from Apple as an employee or reviewer
- You live outside the U.S.
Redeeming Your iPhone Apple Store Credit
Assuming you meet the criteria, getting your $100 Apple Store credit is simple. It took me about 2 minutes to complete. It works like this:
- Visit the Apple website for the Early iPhone Owner Credit program (now that the program has ended, Apple has removed the page from their site)
- Enter your iPhone phone number and serial number (your serial number can be found by going to your iPhone’s home screen and then to Settings -> General). Click “continue” on the Apple website.
- A text message from Apple will appear on your iPhone.
- On the Apple website, enter your phone number and the access code that was sent in the text message and click continue.
- The next page will feature your $100 Apple Store credit certificate. Print this out and you can use it to saved $100 on any Apple Store purchase, both online and in the physical stores.
