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Laptops have become essential tools for both professionals and students. Since it’s a major expense, here are our tips to help you save on your purchase and earn the most rewards points possible!
Annual sales events are the best times to score major savings on your laptop purchase. These periods include:
Be sure to watch for special promotions during these key periods to maximize your savings. Stay on the lookout!
Apple offers student discounts and a program called Trade In. Students, teachers, and staff can take advantage of educational pricing when purchasing a new MacBook or iPad.
What’s more, Apple offers the possibility of exchanging your old device for a discount on a new one, or having it recycled free of charge.
We recommend that you regularly check the offers available on the Apple website, especially during the back-to-school period when additional offers are regularly proposed. For example, for back-to-school until September 30, 2025, Apple is offering up to $249 in rebates on the purchase of an iPad or Mac.
If you’re an American Express cardholder, check the online offers available to you regularly. At the moment, Statement credits are available for purchases from Dell, HP and Lenovo.
Another budget-friendly strategy is to buy refurbished or open-box items. Often these products are almost new, having been returned by customers for various reasons. These items are inspected and tested by the manufacturer or seller for resale at a reduced price.
Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart offer a wide range of refurbished laptops and open boxes. On Amazon, these items are identified as Warehouse Deals or Amazon Renewed. They are often in perfect condition, with only a few cosmetic defects on the box.
You can also find offers on sites like eBay and Computers Canada. However, be sure to check the manufacturer’s warranty conditions for these items.
Apple also sells refurbished items with a one-year warranty. I’ve often bought refurbished Apple products and have always been satisfied.
To earn extra points when buying a laptop, use the gift card strategy at grocery stores or convenience stores. You can find gift cards:
The downside of buying your laptop with gift cards is that you forgo the purchase insurance and extended warranty provided by some credit cards. However, the manufacturer’s warranty remains valid.
You can earn 5x points on your purchase with:
Normally, these “other” category purchases at electronics stores would only earn you one point per dollar spent.
By registering on these platforms, you can earn money in the form of cashback or points when you make online purchases on partner sites, including stores from Apple, Dell, HP, Acer, Lenovo, etc. Popular portals include:
Also, keep an eye out for promotions, as bonus cash back or points multipliers are offered frequently throughout the year. Read our guide to online shopping rewards to master the art of multiplying your points at key moments.
The best way to maximize the value of buying a laptop is to use this significant expense to meet the minimum spend requirement on a new credit card and unlock a welcome bonus.
These bonuses are often very generous for new cardholders, but they require spending a few hundred to several thousand dollars. Buying an expensive laptop can help you reach this threshold more easily.
Here are a few examples of cards that offer excellent welcome bonuses:
Finally, you can combine all three strategies to triple your rewards. For example, you could:
A $1,000 purchase could earn you 22,000 Aeroplan points in one fell swoop – a 44% return! (22,000 points x $0.02 per Aeroplan point = $440)
Most credit card mobile device insurances exclude laptops from the scope of coverage. However, these same credit cards offer purchase insurance and extended warranties.
In general, the entire purchase must be charged to the card for protection to apply. In some cases, insurance may apply when part of the purchase is charged to the card.
If you want to use the gift card strategy, be sure to read the details of the insurance policy. In many cases, using gift cards cancels the purchase insurance and extended warranty offered by your credit card.
If you’re buying a refurbished item, be sure to also check whether this type of item is excluded from the insurance policy.
Here are some examples of good credit cards that offer insurance on purchases (including the Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card, which has no annual fee!):
Before buying a new computer, take the time to look for the best deals, and wait for strategic moments like back-to-school or Black Friday to take advantage of discounts.
Take advantage of this purchase to unlock the welcome bonus of a new credit card, and check if your valuable device is covered in any way by your card before signing up for the manufacturer’s extended warranty.
If you can’t pay for your new computer in full, consider financing options. Many retailers offer affordable monthly payment plans, while credit cards often offer interest-free repayment periods for large purchases.
To buy a computer at the best price, target promotional periods such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday in November, Boxing Day on December 26, the back-to-school season in August and September, and Amazon’s Prime Day in July.
You can also take advantage of summer and winter sales in January and July, and discounts on older models when new models are released in autumn and spring.
When buying a laptop, it’s crucial to consider processor power, RAM memory, storage capacity (SSD for fast start-up), screen size and resolution, battery life, portability and connectivity (USB, HDMI ports). Unless you want to play very demanding games, the graphics card is less important.
The budget for a good laptop in Canada varies according to your needs:
Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):
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