Report: Apple to offer new Apple Card customers AirPods Pro 3 via cash rewards

Apple is reportedly preparing a large in-store promotion for new Apple Card customers that could effectively give them a free pair of AirPods Pro 3, as soon as next week. Under the plan described by multiple accounts, shoppers who sign up for a new Apple Card at Apple retail stores in the United States and then buy AirPods Pro 3 priced at $249 would receive $249 back in cash rewards, making the earbuds free or near-free for eligible buyers.

The promotion has not been officially announced by Apple, and details including eligibility rules, timing of the reward, and whether taxes or additional fees are covered have not been published. Still, reports say the incentive would be tied specifically to purchases made at Apple stores rather than through online channels, and would be available only to people opening a new Apple Card account.

If the offer works as described, the value would come through Apple Card’s cash-back feature, Daily Cash. Apple Card rewards are generally managed in the iPhone Wallet app, and cash back can be deposited into an Apple Cash account or an Apple Card savings account. The exact schedule for when the $249 would appear for recipients was not fully clarified...