What the iPhone 18 Preorder Weekend Revealed About Global Spending

Apple launches are some of the biggest consumer events globally, typically leading to a sharp increase in consumer spending.

When preorders for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max opened last weekend, KAST saw Apple Store card spending rise sharply above its normal level. The biggest spike came on Sunday, September 13, when KAST’s card transaction volume on Apple Store reached 42.3 times above the average daily level from September 3 to 9.

That surge offers a useful look at how people make high-value purchases today, and why payment reliability, cashback, and access to money all matter when a product launch becomes a global event.

The iPhone 18 preorder surge

KAST saw Apple Store card spending begin to rise after Apple’s September 9 announcement. The data appears to show two distinct phases:

Phase 1: September 10–11 - Announcement hype and anticipation

• September 10: 2.8× the September 3–9 baseline
• September 11: 5.5× the baseline

These early increases likely reflected excitement around the announcement, before preorders for the new iPhone lineup opened.

Phase 2: September 12 onwards -Preorder-driven spending conversion

• September 12: 11.4× the baseline, as preorders opened
• September 13: 42.3× the baseline, which is the peak
• September 14: 16.2× the baseline

The pattern suggests that initial interest converted into high-value spending once customers could actually place their orders. The peak also came on a Sunday, showing how digital consumers can make major purchases whenever a product becomes available. It is not confined to traditional retail hours.

What the Apple Store data tells us

To estimate how many of these purchases were likely connected to the new iPhone launch, we looked at Apple Store-related merchant descriptors and high-value transactions.

The iPhone 18 Pro started at $1,199 while the iPhone 18 Pro Max started at $1,299.

This does not allow us to identify the exact product purchased or count confirmed iPhone sales. Apple Store transactions can include other hardware and products. However, the close alignment between the transaction timing, announcement, preorder opening, merchant descriptors and transaction size makes the pattern consistent with iPhone-related preorder activity.

How much could buyers get back?

High-value purchases also make rewards more tangible.

KAST users receive between 1.5% and 3% cashback, depending on their membership tier. On a starting-price iPhone, that could mean approximately:

• $17.99 to $35.97 back on a $1,199 iPhone 18 Pro
• $19.49 to $38.97 back on a $1,299 iPhone 18 Pro Max

These amounts are illustrative and subject to eligibility, program terms, reward caps, and redemption timing.

The appeal of cashback becomes especially clear on purchases above $1,000. A percentage that may feel small on an everyday purchase can become a meaningful amount when applied to a new phone, laptop, flight, or other high-value item.

What a shopping surge reveals about modern payments

A major product launch creates a practical test for any modern money app: can the payment experience keep up when demand arrives all at once?

When Apple Store spending on KAST reached 42.3 times its normal daily level, the event showed what consumers increasingly expect from financial products:

• Reliable access to usable balances
• Payments that work across borders and outside traditional banking hours
• Clear fees and transaction details
• Rewards that are easy to understand

For KAST, high-value purchases are about more than card acceptance. They bring together funding, authorization, security, spending, and cashback in one connected experience.

Consumers are paying closer attention not only to what they buy, but also to how they pay and what they earn back. During moments like the iPhone 18 launch, that everyday utility becomes especially visible.

Note on methodology:

KAST analyzed anonymized Apple Store card transactions from September 3 to 14, 2026. Apple and Apple Store-related merchant descriptors were used to identify relevant transactions, while purchases above $1,000 served as a proxy for iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and other high-value Apple hardware purchases.

The spending comparisons use the average daily card TTV from September 3–9 as the baseline. On September 13, Apple Store card TTV reached 42.3 times that baseline.

Because merchant descriptors do not identify the exact product purchased, these transactions should be understood as an estimate of iPhone-related preorder activity. Percentages and cashback examples are based on anonymized, aggregated data and may be subject to eligibility requirements, program terms, and reward caps.