Thanks to this post: https://www.macrumors.com/2021/11/29/apple-macbook-upgrade-program-businesses/ I filled out the application and was put in touch with a CIT rep via email. It looks like they put you with someone in your region as this individual was in New Hampshire like me which is pretty odd given how small our state is.
Anyway, about me. I purchase a $4500 Macintosh 2 out of every 3 years. My iMac is on its 3rd year so I'll replace it in March then one year later, I'll buy a new MacBook Pro then I'll take 1 year off and start the process all over again. If I divided the $9,000 over 36 months, I'm spending about $250 a month on my computers but I do buy them all up front and then have to deal with selling them.
Some more math for you, I end up taking a 50% or more depreciation over 3 years. My $4500 iMac will end up selling for $1800-$2000 with one month left on the AppleCare warranty in February. So while monthly is around $250, the fact I can get about $4,000 of my $9000 back every few years just having to deal with eBay sellers, shipping, etc really puts my monthly cost to around $125 to own two top of the line Macs and replace them every 3 years. I think $125 a month for two top of the line Apple computers is a price I can stomach as I sit at my computers about 12 hours a day.
----
CIT's program is pitched at lease that costs 3% of the total costumer month and every 3 months, you're eligible to swap if you would like. I thought about maybe using the program to lease a top of the line MacBook Pro for only about $180 a month. Sounded like a great deal! then in 12 months when an M2 Pro comes out, I can just upgrade or if the new iMac Pro comes out and it blows my MBP away, I could just swap it to that for the Summer.
A few things I learned:
So the 3% MSRP a month requires a minimum order every time. it's not that I'd have to apply for $10,000 worth of credit and use what I needed. I'd have to get a MacBook Pro + a Pro Display. XDR and if I wanted to swap out for a new iMac Pro in March, I'd have to also add something else. Effectively, the minimum lease price is actually $300 a month (3% of $10,000) no matter what your needs actually are because that's the minimum they want you to lease to consider it worth their time.
They then told me about a more traditional lease:
I sent them a $4900 MacBook Pro Build with an M1 Max, 64GB of RAM and 4TB SSD. They came back with this:
It looks like I'd save some money by doing 2 devices but still, my current schedule being 36 months of in-use time per computer would mean two $4900 machines would equal $250 a month and I'd have no issue dealing with eBay or trying to figure out the tax stuff of buying an asset then selling it and how that all works. I'd have a fixed monthly cost forever and always have hardware that was about 3 years old before being swapped. I'd also have the hassle of let's say I lose or damage the computer on the 35th month, likely having to pay the full depreciated value of it as a term of the lease versus a machine I own where the money is spent and I can just have apple repair it for a set fee as a part of AppleCare+ damage claims
So on paper, I'd still be spending the $9,000 I do every 3 years on Apple computers but instead of being able to sell those at about 50% depreciation after 3 years, I'd be setting the money on fire and returning the computer back to CIT.
After doing all of the math, I decided to pass on Macintosh business leasing with CIT. While selling my computers on the internet after 3 years is a pain in the butt, I always roll that cash I make into a new purchase so it feels like I'm getting a new computer for 50% off every 3 years. That's how I've been doing it since 2002 and I'll continue doing that.
but, it sounds to me CIT is truly for small businesses. Independent content creators or photographers who have maybe 1-2 people on staff wouldn't' qualify for that new plan mentioned on Macrumors a few days ago where you can "lease for 3% a month" it's not too good to be true but if you're not ordering $10,000 worth of machines at a time, they won't offer you that program.
I'm waiting for a consumer friendly program from Apple. If Apple lease me a MacBook Pro for $200 a month, I'd consider it but this CIT program is for large business who are going to need $10K worth of computers or more.
Anyway, about me. I purchase a $4500 Macintosh 2 out of every 3 years. My iMac is on its 3rd year so I'll replace it in March then one year later, I'll buy a new MacBook Pro then I'll take 1 year off and start the process all over again. If I divided the $9,000 over 36 months, I'm spending about $250 a month on my computers but I do buy them all up front and then have to deal with selling them.
Some more math for you, I end up taking a 50% or more depreciation over 3 years. My $4500 iMac will end up selling for $1800-$2000 with one month left on the AppleCare warranty in February. So while monthly is around $250, the fact I can get about $4,000 of my $9000 back every few years just having to deal with eBay sellers, shipping, etc really puts my monthly cost to around $125 to own two top of the line Macs and replace them every 3 years. I think $125 a month for two top of the line Apple computers is a price I can stomach as I sit at my computers about 12 hours a day.
----
CIT's program is pitched at lease that costs 3% of the total costumer month and every 3 months, you're eligible to swap if you would like. I thought about maybe using the program to lease a top of the line MacBook Pro for only about $180 a month. Sounded like a great deal! then in 12 months when an M2 Pro comes out, I can just upgrade or if the new iMac Pro comes out and it blows my MBP away, I could just swap it to that for the Summer.
A few things I learned:
So the 3% MSRP a month requires a minimum order every time. it's not that I'd have to apply for $10,000 worth of credit and use what I needed. I'd have to get a MacBook Pro + a Pro Display. XDR and if I wanted to swap out for a new iMac Pro in March, I'd have to also add something else. Effectively, the minimum lease price is actually $300 a month (3% of $10,000) no matter what your needs actually are because that's the minimum they want you to lease to consider it worth their time.
They then told me about a more traditional lease:
I sent them a $4900 MacBook Pro Build with an M1 Max, 64GB of RAM and 4TB SSD. They came back with this:
It looks like I'd save some money by doing 2 devices but still, my current schedule being 36 months of in-use time per computer would mean two $4900 machines would equal $250 a month and I'd have no issue dealing with eBay or trying to figure out the tax stuff of buying an asset then selling it and how that all works. I'd have a fixed monthly cost forever and always have hardware that was about 3 years old before being swapped. I'd also have the hassle of let's say I lose or damage the computer on the 35th month, likely having to pay the full depreciated value of it as a term of the lease versus a machine I own where the money is spent and I can just have apple repair it for a set fee as a part of AppleCare+ damage claims
So on paper, I'd still be spending the $9,000 I do every 3 years on Apple computers but instead of being able to sell those at about 50% depreciation after 3 years, I'd be setting the money on fire and returning the computer back to CIT.
After doing all of the math, I decided to pass on Macintosh business leasing with CIT. While selling my computers on the internet after 3 years is a pain in the butt, I always roll that cash I make into a new purchase so it feels like I'm getting a new computer for 50% off every 3 years. That's how I've been doing it since 2002 and I'll continue doing that.
but, it sounds to me CIT is truly for small businesses. Independent content creators or photographers who have maybe 1-2 people on staff wouldn't' qualify for that new plan mentioned on Macrumors a few days ago where you can "lease for 3% a month" it's not too good to be true but if you're not ordering $10,000 worth of machines at a time, they won't offer you that program.
I'm waiting for a consumer friendly program from Apple. If Apple lease me a MacBook Pro for $200 a month, I'd consider it but this CIT program is for large business who are going to need $10K worth of computers or more.
Last edited:
