The SIM Free, Unlocked version does not qualify for the 0% financing. You just get the 6% back upfront.
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Apple Card Monthly Installments: How the Interest-Free iPhone Financing Plan Works
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Appreciate the info. That’s unfortunate. I could easily purchase this outright but would like the option of spreading out the total over 2 years.
They aren’t sales people. They’re just presenting all the options available. They don’t work on commission so it doesn’t matter how much of what they push. Now I will say they were probably pushing AppleCare to meet a broader quota for the company (and to help you not come back in the store angry when/if your device breaks). But they don’t have to push anything on people. I never did, but you may have been dealing with an annoying employee too.
-former Apple store employee
Okay, this sounds pretty good, but I have a couple questions.
1. With most credit cards that offer special financing, they will keep that specific purchase at 0% interest BUT any new purchase immediately begins accruing interest (no grace period). Is that different in this case?
2. The Citizen One loan is not reported to credit companies. This is probably because when you finance a phone through your wireless company, they don’t report it either. Now, if I were to get the phone with the Card, would that installment loan be reported? It sure seems like it would since it is subtracted from the max balance available. And I prefer it not be. 😁
1. With most credit cards that offer special financing, they will keep that specific purchase at 0% interest BUT any new purchase immediately begins accruing interest (no grace period). Is that different in this case?
2. The Citizen One loan is not reported to credit companies. This is probably because when you finance a phone through your wireless company, they don’t report it either. Now, if I were to get the phone with the Card, would that installment loan be reported? It sure seems like it would since it is subtracted from the max balance available. And I prefer it not be. 😁
For the love of God Apple ... please bring Apple Cash and Apple Card to Canada already will you? Please?! while you're at it please being the Apple upgrade program to Canada as well.
The one thing I wonder is if you fail to pay the required amount in a month, does the rest of the installment instantly appear of the card and accrue interest normally? Or even worse, does all the accrued interest up to that point appear also?
Apple Card Monthly Installments is not actually available to customers OR is not ready for the public.
Unfortunately, the published information about it is not accurate. No one at apple knows how to sell you a phone using Apple card monthly installments. They don't know the difference between Apple iPhone payments (financed by citizens bank) and Apple card monthly installments (financed by your apple card through goldman sachs).
I wanted an unlocked iPhone 11 with applecare and apple card monthly installments. Apple iPhone payments do not include AppleCare UNLESS you sign up for their iPhone upgrade program. There is no option to select monthly installments when using your apple card.
I did an online chat with apple; they told me to select one-time payment and then use my apple card, but there was no installment option. So, I didn't do it. Went to the apple store; they had no clue how to do installments with the apple card; didn't even know what I was talking about. Called the Apple support line and they told me to use one time payment and it would automatically do installments because it was a December promotion on any purchase of an iPhone with the apple card. It was a LIE.
The published apple web information does say that my older IOS phone will not display the installments but it also says that the apple card monthly statement will show the installments. Not true. Now, I get my December statement without any installment information and I'm stuck with a large one time payment.
Maybe it only works if you are already on upgraded technology and IOS versions...but they don't say that, they just say installments won't display.
Just go through your carrier and if you want monthly payments like I did. The carrier will unlock it after it is paid off. Otherwise, if you want AppleCare+, apple forces you to sign up for their upgrade program or do a one-time payment.
Unfortunately, the published information about it is not accurate. No one at apple knows how to sell you a phone using Apple card monthly installments. They don't know the difference between Apple iPhone payments (financed by citizens bank) and Apple card monthly installments (financed by your apple card through goldman sachs).
I wanted an unlocked iPhone 11 with applecare and apple card monthly installments. Apple iPhone payments do not include AppleCare UNLESS you sign up for their iPhone upgrade program. There is no option to select monthly installments when using your apple card.
I did an online chat with apple; they told me to select one-time payment and then use my apple card, but there was no installment option. So, I didn't do it. Went to the apple store; they had no clue how to do installments with the apple card; didn't even know what I was talking about. Called the Apple support line and they told me to use one time payment and it would automatically do installments because it was a December promotion on any purchase of an iPhone with the apple card. It was a LIE.
The published apple web information does say that my older IOS phone will not display the installments but it also says that the apple card monthly statement will show the installments. Not true. Now, I get my December statement without any installment information and I'm stuck with a large one time payment.
Maybe it only works if you are already on upgraded technology and IOS versions...but they don't say that, they just say installments won't display.
Just go through your carrier and if you want monthly payments like I did. The carrier will unlock it after it is paid off. Otherwise, if you want AppleCare+, apple forces you to sign up for their upgrade program or do a one-time payment.
Well, it worked great for me last Thursday.
I went into the Apple Store App on my Xs Max and bought an iPhone 11 Pro Max > I selected the Apple Card monthly installments and hit continue, then I took the option for the Apple Care+ with loss and theft, and it put it all (iPhone and AC+) on the installment plan for 24 months, with store pickup. Got my 6% cashback too, which almost covered the taxes.
I had no issues at all, and I did not need to go through my carrier or do the upgrade program - see image below where I had all three options. If I went through the carrier I would not get the 6% cash back and I'd be locked to AT&T until it was paid off. And I didn't want to apply for the "upgrade" program since I've never used it before.
Now I'm ready to sell my 512GB Xs Max - I didn't do the trade-in because it's paid off and worth more than $600 with 9 months of AC+ left on it, plus I wanted to be sure that I liked the 11 Pro Max before I gave up the Xs Max. I wanted the improved battery life and camera, but if it didn't work as well as I'd have liked, then it was going to be returned and I would have still needed my Xs Max (can't do that if it's been traded in).
@HeadphoneAddict
You did exactly what I wanted to do but the option for Apple Card Monthly Installments did not display on my phone (or in Safari from my MAC)...it displays as Apple iPhone payments instead which is a different payment plan using Citizens Bank and does not give AppleCare as an option.
I have my Apple card as my default payment option on my phone but maybe it is not an option because I have an old iPhone 6 which cannot run the latest OS. They say you need the latest OS to "display" the monthly installments in your wallet BUT no one at Apple said the latest OS is required to BUY with the monthly installments.
Since you had an XS and maybe were running IOS 13 then that could be the reason it is an option for you. Of course, if that is the reason then Apple is missing the whole point of using monthly installments to upgrade a phone...not everyone is running on the latest when they want to upgrade.
The other oddity is why isn't the option available via the Apple website.
It is clear from your screenshot that the option is available under some condition. Problem is that no one at Apple support or at the store seems to know especially since they told me to go ahead and select one-time payment and they would "automatically" break it into payments. Clearly not true given your screenshot.
Bottom line, Apple is not ready to support this payment option if it is not obviously displayed as indicated in your screenshot; they don't know under what conditions it will be available on your phone or in Safari.
SO, if Apple Card monthly installments isn't displayed as an explicit payment option, you cannot buy it that way; and, don't believe anyone at apple who tells you otherwise just go with your carriers payment option and get it unlocked after it is paid off if that is important to you.
You did exactly what I wanted to do but the option for Apple Card Monthly Installments did not display on my phone (or in Safari from my MAC)...it displays as Apple iPhone payments instead which is a different payment plan using Citizens Bank and does not give AppleCare as an option.
I have my Apple card as my default payment option on my phone but maybe it is not an option because I have an old iPhone 6 which cannot run the latest OS. They say you need the latest OS to "display" the monthly installments in your wallet BUT no one at Apple said the latest OS is required to BUY with the monthly installments.
Since you had an XS and maybe were running IOS 13 then that could be the reason it is an option for you. Of course, if that is the reason then Apple is missing the whole point of using monthly installments to upgrade a phone...not everyone is running on the latest when they want to upgrade.
The other oddity is why isn't the option available via the Apple website.
It is clear from your screenshot that the option is available under some condition. Problem is that no one at Apple support or at the store seems to know especially since they told me to go ahead and select one-time payment and they would "automatically" break it into payments. Clearly not true given your screenshot.
Bottom line, Apple is not ready to support this payment option if it is not obviously displayed as indicated in your screenshot; they don't know under what conditions it will be available on your phone or in Safari.
SO, if Apple Card monthly installments isn't displayed as an explicit payment option, you cannot buy it that way; and, don't believe anyone at apple who tells you otherwise just go with your carriers payment option and get it unlocked after it is paid off if that is important to you.
It does suck that your only option now to get the monthly payments is to return the phone for a refund but buy another with the new phone before you return it. But you’ll lose the 6% cashback and only get 3%, but that may still be worth it to lose the extra 3% as the cost of getting monthly payments.
Thanks for the clever suggestion. The phone I bought was a gift for my wife. I've already migrated her over to the new phone and my Apple Card is on my phone. Too much hassle for my wife. But, I wish I could follow your suggestion just to confirm if the problem is related to having the iPhone 6 and older IOS. Especially because I'll have the same issue again when I try to get a new phone for myself in a handful of months. I really wish they'd fix the website to allow the Apple Card Monthly Installments as an option.
If I pay it of in 6 months or less then the interest cost will the same or less than the cash back I earned. I'll just have to take my medicine for not following my gut in the first place.
A lot of the stuff we do with Apple is a compromise. I didn't know if I'd like the 11 Pro Max more than my Xs Max, so I didn't choose trade-in for my old phone. Now, I can only get a $550 Apple gift card for my Xs max to spend on something else at Apple (but can't spend anywhere else), rather than the $600 they originally offered to use as credit towards my new phone. Maybe I'm better off selling it for $750 with 9 months of remaining AppleCare+ and a case, plus all the unused accessories still in the box. With my luck I'll find a buyer to scam me.
I thought I would share what I have learned about Apple Card Monthly Installments. I spent a lot of time on the phone with Apple support folks from 5 different departments.
First, HeadphoneAddict was correct, once I purchased the phone the only way to get the Apple Card Monthly Installments on what I purchased would be to return the phone and re-purchase it.
No one at Apple could specifically tell me how to purchase a phone with the Apple Card Monthly Installment plan BUT the last person I spoke with did lead me to the answer, finally!
They sent me the following list of requirements;
• iOS 132 or above on the Apple Store app (When possible, customers should be encouraged to complete their purchase using the Apple Store app.)
• iOS 12.4 or above using Safari
• Mac OS 10.14.6 or above and using Safari.
I run Mac OS 10.15.2 on my Mac but when I use Safari to go to the apple.com website this way, this payment option is not available. When I asked Apple about this, this finally told me that you cannot get the Apple Card Monthly Installment plan from your Mac, You have to be using your phone because it is tied to your Apple Wallet.
But, what I discovered based on the above is that since have an iPhone 6 and can't run anything above IOS 12.4, the Apple Store App on my phone won't display the option to purchase with Monthly Installments option like it does in the screenshot in a previous post.
Instead, I have to use the Safari browser on my phone to go to the Apple.com website. When I do this, the option for Apple Card Monthly Installments is available to me. Apple support kept telling me to use the app and it just didn't occur to me to use the browser on my phone instead.
So, if you are using an older phone that is running IOS 12.4 or below and you want to upgrade to a new iPhone using the Apple Card Monthly Installment payment option, you must use your phone's Safari browser to order via the Apple.com website. Don't use the Apple store app unless you are on IOS 13.2 or above.
Hope this helps someone down the road; I paid a hefty price for this little gem of information.
First, HeadphoneAddict was correct, once I purchased the phone the only way to get the Apple Card Monthly Installments on what I purchased would be to return the phone and re-purchase it.
No one at Apple could specifically tell me how to purchase a phone with the Apple Card Monthly Installment plan BUT the last person I spoke with did lead me to the answer, finally!
They sent me the following list of requirements;
• iOS 132 or above on the Apple Store app (When possible, customers should be encouraged to complete their purchase using the Apple Store app.)
• iOS 12.4 or above using Safari
• Mac OS 10.14.6 or above and using Safari.
I run Mac OS 10.15.2 on my Mac but when I use Safari to go to the apple.com website this way, this payment option is not available. When I asked Apple about this, this finally told me that you cannot get the Apple Card Monthly Installment plan from your Mac, You have to be using your phone because it is tied to your Apple Wallet.
But, what I discovered based on the above is that since have an iPhone 6 and can't run anything above IOS 12.4, the Apple Store App on my phone won't display the option to purchase with Monthly Installments option like it does in the screenshot in a previous post.
Instead, I have to use the Safari browser on my phone to go to the Apple.com website. When I do this, the option for Apple Card Monthly Installments is available to me. Apple support kept telling me to use the app and it just didn't occur to me to use the browser on my phone instead.
So, if you are using an older phone that is running IOS 12.4 or below and you want to upgrade to a new iPhone using the Apple Card Monthly Installment payment option, you must use your phone's Safari browser to order via the Apple.com website. Don't use the Apple store app unless you are on IOS 13.2 or above.
Hope this helps someone down the road; I paid a hefty price for this little gem of information.
Just for the sake of accuracy, I want to clarify something about purchasing using Apple Card Monthly Installments on a Mac.
If you have a Mac which supports Touch ID (not sure what models), the Apple wallet app is something that is available on your Mac. Therefore, running Mac OS 10.14.6 or above and using Safari on these specific models probably allows you to purchase using this payment method.
I run a Mac Mini so now it makes sense why this purchase option was not available when I went to the website with my Mac.
One thing I like about Apple Support is that you get to talk to a real person who doesn't just read from a script. But, in this case, it seems like they could have just walked me through a quick checklist of my tech to see which of the three options would allow me to access the Apple Card Monthly Payments method.