Apple offers a 10% discount to current and Veteran members of the US Military, National Guard and Reserve. This includes members of the Air Force, Space Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, U.S. Public Health Service, and NOAA Corps. Immediate family members who reside in the same household are also eligible.
In the past, the discount only applied to older merchandise, not newly released products. But now, the discount is for all merchandise, even for pre-orders. For instance, on the day the Mac Studio was announced for $1,999, the military store had it to order for $1,799.
How to Access the Veterans and Military Purchase Program
To get to the Military Store, first, open apple.com. Click on the search icon on the upper right of the screen and search for “military.” Click on the quick link that appears for “Veterans and Military Purchase Program.”
Update: Thanks to Jarrod Blundy in his blog post for pointing out that, “you can also scroll to the bottom of any page on apple.com and click the ‘Shop for Veterans and Military’ link in the ‘For Government’ section.”
Alternatively, you can start the process by going directly to the Veterans and Military Purchase Program by entering https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/home/veterans_military into your web browser. I recommend you bookmark this address for easy access later.
Apple uses a third-party military verification service used by many other major retailers (Lowe’s, etc.). To access the Apple military discounts, you will need to have a verified account with ID.me.
Click on the “Verify with ID.me” button. This brings you to a screen that allows you to either enter your email and password for your ID.me account or create a new ID.me account.
If You Already Have an ID.me Account
If you already have an ID.me account, enter your email and password. At the next screen, click on the “Allow” button so the ID.me can share your verified identity with Apple.
After you click on “Allow,” you are transferred to the Apple Veterans and Military Purchase Program website. You can purchase merchandise on this site with a 10% discount.
If You Don’t Have an ID.me Account
If you don’t already have an ID.me account, instead of entering your username and password, click on “Create an ID.me account.” This takes you to a screen where you can enter your email, a password, confirm your password, and agree to the site terms.
The site will walk you through the process of selecting an option to verify your status, entering your full name, date of birth, the branch of service, and rank. Once you’ve filled in all of the requested information the site will let you know if you are confirmed as verified as not.
Once you are verified, you can go directly to the Apple Veterans and Military Purchase Program website by entering the website address, clicking the “Verify with ID.me” button, and filling in your email and password.