Apple Imposes New Limits on iPhone Sales

Apple Inc. no longer accepts cash for iPhone purchases and now limits sales of the cell phone to two per person in a move to stop people from reselling them.

The new policy started Thursday, according to Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris. Before then, there was no cash restriction and the purchase limit was five per person.

"Customer response to the iPhone has been off the charts, and limiting iPhone sales to two per customer helps us ensure that there are enough iPhones for people who are shopping for themselves or buying a gift," Kerris said. "We're requiring a credit or debit card for payment to discourage unauthorized resellers."

More than 1.4 million units of the hybrid cell phone-iPod have been sold since it debuted on June 29, according to Apple. It is expected to be a hot gift for the holidays.

Apple thinks some people already have purchased multiple iPhones to resell, including those looking to modify or 'unlock' the phones so they work on networks other than AT&T, Apple's carrier partner in the US.

Apple estimates that buyers of 250,000 of the iPhones sold so far intended to unlock them, Apple COO Tim Cook said in a conference call with analysts this week.

Apple's attempts to prevent that 'unlocking' activity, which included a software update that blocked hackers' workarounds, have frustrated users – and sparked two lawsuits.