In the US, extended service plans like this are regulated as insurance. Cancelling a plan because a customer is unprofitable or makes a claim will get them in deep trouble.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
AppleCare+ Renewable Monthly Payment Plans Now Available for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
In the US, extended service plans like this are regulated as insurance. Cancelling a plan because a customer is unprofitable or makes a claim will get them in deep trouble.
I am curious what happens when you purchase another Apple Watch or any Apple devices for that matter.
So based on that language, if you have an Apple Watch for 3 years and then purchase another one, you can keep paying the monthly fee and you would be covered?
Applecare+ is device specific.
If you choose to pay monthly for Applecare+ on an iPhone, Watch, or iPad, you will be automatically billed every month until you cancel it or Apple no longer services that model (becomes ‘vintage’). That Applecare+ plan is tied to that specific serial number and only that number. If you purchase a new watch, you would need to sign up for Applecare+ again for that specific device.
[doublepost=1568248899][/doublepost]
Yup, you can pay for the first two years upfront. At the end of those two years, you can roll into the monthly plan going forward from that point if you choose.
So essentially per the legal contract, if I want to keep my device for more than 2 years and potentially have more than 2 years of coverage, paying for the monthly one would be “better”?
Thanks for the response. The reason I ask, is that I have a friend trying to do financing monthly payments on the iPhone, and they are only seeing the per month AppleCare+, which they want to buy upfront. Do you know if it's still part of the checkout process, or should they buy it without AppleCare+ for now, and take it to an Apple Store once they get it to buy the AppleCare?
Without know exactly financing specifics, I'll assume your friend is trying to finance their iPhone through Apple (Apple iPhone Payments). Adding AppleCare+ at the time of financing will automatically add the cost of AppleCare+ to the payments. Going this route for monthly AppleCare+ is actually better than separately subscribing as there are no finance charges or price mark-up on the AppleCare+. For example, adding AppleCare+ to an iPhone XR is $149 if paid in full, $6.20/mo if added at the time of Apple iPhone Payments (totals $149 after 24 payments), or $7.99/mo if added separately as a monthly payment (total of $191.76 after 24 payments).
If they'd like to pay for AppleCare+ monthly while financing via Apple iPhone Payments, it'll be cheaper for the first 2 years if they add it as part of the financing purchase, though they will have to re-subscribe at the standard monthly rate after 2 years. If they prefer to just pay the full cost for 2 years up front, don't add the AppleCare+ as part of the initial purchase. They can add it anytime during the first 60 days after purchase right on the phone (new change as of iOS 12.3) in the Settings, either as pay in full or monthly at the slightly marked up rate.
Last edited:
Perfect response, thank you. That's very helpful. I was unsure myself as I'm so used to the iPhone Upgrade Program at this point. I will let them know.
Where on the iPhone can I purchase AppleCare? I’ve looked and for the life of me can’t find it.
Was the iPhone purchased new within the past 60 days? And are you on iOS 12.2 or newer? If so, you should see the option in Settings > General > About.
The first screenshot was taken from this article, while the second is from my phone showing this area in iOS 13.1.
I wanted to keep using my current iPhone X which I bought (via iUP) in Nov 2017 that had been covered by AppleCare+, and visited a local apple store yesterday since my coverage expires on 11/3/19 (today).
While talking to a technician about options I might have, I was informed that my iPhone X is still renewable under the new policy. When I saw this article on Macrumors, I thought that only new purchases could be enrolled with the monthly sub plan; however, according to the technician, the new renewal policy applies to current/existing AppleCare+ coverages.
That being said, when my coverage expires 11/3/19, I can call Apple support to get monthly sub plan thereafter, and keep covered until cancellation. I did not have exact information about price, though.
Also, I found this Apple support document.
support.apple.com
When I proceed with the step as informed on the document, my iPhone is still covered by AppleCare+, because its exp date is today, and does not have any renewal option or information. Probably, it will be changed as of tomorrow to show renewal option/purchase button. Under Settings\General\About, my coverage information just disappeared as of today.
I will keep posted here when I get any further info.
While talking to a technician about options I might have, I was informed that my iPhone X is still renewable under the new policy. When I saw this article on Macrumors, I thought that only new purchases could be enrolled with the monthly sub plan; however, according to the technician, the new renewal policy applies to current/existing AppleCare+ coverages.
That being said, when my coverage expires 11/3/19, I can call Apple support to get monthly sub plan thereafter, and keep covered until cancellation. I did not have exact information about price, though.
Also, I found this Apple support document.
Get new AppleCare coverage after your AppleCare plan expires - Apple Support
If your AppleCare plan expired recently, you might be able to start new AppleCare coverage for your device.
When I proceed with the step as informed on the document, my iPhone is still covered by AppleCare+, because its exp date is today, and does not have any renewal option or information. Probably, it will be changed as of tomorrow to show renewal option/purchase button. Under Settings\General\About, my coverage information just disappeared as of today.
I will keep posted here when I get any further info.
I wouldn't be surprised if this is yet another area where laws vary a lot. Your warranty laws are very different than those in the US (and mostly much more favorable). There may be hoops to jump through in the UK that Apple hasn't jumped through or perhaps doesn't plan to, though if there's money to be made from a subscription, Apple seems to be very eager to make things work...
They can't offer it in Australia, for example. Our consumer law is such that a very very simplified version is: "however long manufacturer offers warranty, that's how long you have warranty, whether you purchased it or not".