Microsoft is offering up to $1,000 in cash back to people who buy a Surface Laptop Ultra and trade in an eligible MacBook Pro. The promotion runs from October 7 to November 23, 2026, through the Microsoft Store online in the U.S. and Canada. The payout depends on the trade-in’s value and inspection, so it is not an automatic $1,000 discount at checkout.
Microsoft opened preorders for the Surface Laptop Ultra at $2,599. The laptop becomes available on October 16. Its official announcement gives the full terms, including the trade-in process and condition requirements.
The trade-in must pass inspection
Buyers must submit an online trade-in claim and proof that they purchased a qualifying new Surface Laptop Ultra during the promotion. They then have 15 days after completing the claim to mail in the MacBook Pro. Teladvance inspects it, and the final cash-back amount varies based on the Surface model and the condition and value of the trade-in.
The MacBook must power on, hold a charge, and be fully functional. Microsoft says it cannot have missing or broken parts, a cracked screen, liquid damage, modifications, or a broken warranty seal. It also cannot be password protected, and the original charger, accessories, and hard drive must be included. If the device fails inspection, it may be returned or recycled, but recycled devices do not qualify for cash back.
The offer is limited to one per customer, cannot be combined with other promotions, and does not apply to previous purchases. Buyers need to complete the online process through Microsoft Store in the U.S. or Canada by November 23. The promotion is not available through retailers that sell the laptop.
The Surface is aimed at demanding workloads
Microsoft positions the Surface Laptop Ultra for creators, developers, and people who want to run AI models locally. The 15-inch touchscreen laptop uses NVIDIA’s RTX Spark platform, with an NVIDIA Blackwell GPU, a Grace CPU, and up to 128GB of unified memory. Microsoft says it can run models with more than 120 billion parameters locally and cites up to one petaflop of AI performance based on theoretical FP4 performance with sparsity.
The laptop also has a broad port selection: three USB-C ports, HDMI, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. One USB-C port supports Microsoft’s built-in magnetic charging connection while remaining available for data and video.
Those specifications help explain why Microsoft is pitching the laptop at people with demanding creative and AI work. They also make the $2,599 starting price a major part of the decision. The trade-in offer may reduce the eventual cost, but buyers still need to pay for the Surface and wait for their MacBook to pass inspection. Anyone weighing that switch against Apple’s current line can compare the 14-inch M5 MacBook Pro or review which MacBook to buy before sending in an older machine.
