Apple has opened a new sign-up promotion that gives fresh Apple Card customers a pair of AirPods Pro 3 for free, then pays out up to $250 in Bonus Daily Cash over 12 months. The deal is only for new Apple Card users, who must open an account and buy the earbuds directly from Apple during a short window this spring.
The qualifying purchase period runs from May 18, 2026, through June 15, 2026, and the monthly rewards period runs from July 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. Existing Apple Card holders are shut out. Customers still have to pay applicable taxes on the AirPods Pro 3 purchase, and Apple says the cost covered by the offer does not include taxes, fees or other charges.
Apple is pitching the promotion as its most generous sign-up bonus yet for Apple Card, a product with no annual fee. The structure is unusual: instead of one instant rebate, the cardholder must keep using the card month after month to unlock the reward. Each month, a customer can earn $25 in Bonus Daily Cash after making at least ten purchases of any amount that post to the account in that month. Over a full year, that tops out at $250.
The earbuds themselves are the latest AirPods Pro model Apple released last year. AirPods Pro 3 feature a slightly different in-ear design, 2x better Active Noise Cancellation, improved audio quality and a built-in heart rate monitor. For the promotion, the purchase has to be made directly from Apple online or in an Apple Store using the new Apple Card. All payment options Apple offers for AirPods Pro 3 through Apple Card qualify, including paying in full or financing through Apple Card Monthly Installments.
Apple drew a bright line around what counts. Refurbished products, other AirPods models, international purchases, purchases from third-party retailers and purchases for business purposes are excluded. The qualifying AirPods Pro 3 purchase also cannot be made entirely with an Apple Gift Card or Apple Account balance. And Apple says the AirPods Pro 3 purchase itself does not count toward the ten qualifying purchases needed in any month during the offer period.
That detail matters because the reward depends on behavior after the earbuds are bought, not just the purchase itself. A customer who opens the card for the headphones still has to keep swiping, tapping or buying with the card ten times a month for the rest of the offer window to collect the monthly cash. Returning the qualifying AirPods Pro 3 may also lead to losing eligibility for the deal.
Apple says the offer may be modified at any time and is not available to applicants who already have the card or who have another pending or approved application. Daily Cash can be deposited into an Apple Cash account or an Apple Card Savings Account. For now, the company is using one of its best-known products to pull in new cardholders, while making the real reward contingent on months of repeat spending.
