Other iPhone Upgrade Program vs Apple Card Installments

[AbSoluTc]

I've never done either and I am curious what the cost/benefit to each would be. I have a few questions and would love to hear any comments/suggestions as well.

• iPhone Upgrade Program (IUP) - is AppleCare+ included/required?
• IUP - Does the phone have to be turned back in/can't be bought outright?
• IUP - Can I use my Apple Card to get 3% cash back?
• IUP - Cost for iPhone 12 Pro Max - 512 w/AC+ is $UNKNOWN??
• Apple Card Installments (ACI) - is the full amount charged and on my card until it's fully paid off?
• ACI - Cash back for the full amount is immediate?
• ACI - Cost for iPhone 12 Pro Max - 512 - is $58 and some change per month (no AC+)
• ACI - I keep the phone, pay off anytime?

Just trying to understand all the pros/cons.

 

[Shadowbech]

1. Applecare+ is required for the IUP.
2. You have to option to pay it off and keep it. Just need to contact Citizens One and pay them.
3. Yes
4. Actually it is $66.58 per month if you do IUP and that is with the AC+
5. Yes, the full amount goes on your card. but you just pay month with 0%
6. Yes
7.Yes.

 

[rebretz000]

1. Applecare+ is required for the IUP.
2. You have to option to pay it off and keep it. Just need to contact Citizens One and pay them.
3. Yes
4. Actually it is $66.58 per month if you do IUP and that is with the AC+
5. Yes, the full amount goes on your card. but you just pay month with 0%
6. Yes
7.Yes.

Can you really payoffs the phones early? I didn’t see that option but that would be nice.

 

[AbSoluTc]

1. Applecare+ is required for the IUP.
2. You have to option to pay it off and keep it. Just need to contact Citizens One and pay them.
3. Yes
4. Actually it is $66.58 per month if you do IUP and that is with the AC+
5. Yes, the full amount goes on your card. but you just pay month with 0%
6. Yes
7.Yes.

Thanks. So it seems the IUP is the better route honestly. No interest, my Apple Card isn't tied up with a balance.

 

[Shadowbech]

Can you really payoffs the phones early? I didn’t see that option but that would be nice.

You can pay off your phones early. If you are on IUP, all you need to do is contact citizen one (US) and tell them you just want to pay it off. Once you pay it off then it's yours to keep.

 

[Knowimagination]

Thanks. So it seems the IUP is the better route honestly. No interest, my Apple Card isn't tied up with a balance.

The only downside is the credit pull every upgrade cycle.

 

[4sallypat]

You can pay off your phones early. If you are on IUP, all you need to do is contact citizen one (US) and tell them you just want to pay it off. Once you pay it off then it's yours to keep.

I did that with Citizen's One loan this week and was on hold for 30 minutes to speak to a live person who you have to because you can't do it from your account webpage...
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The only downside is the credit pull every upgrade cycle.

Yes, the credit hard pull is a pain.
This time for the 12, I am going to use the Apple Card to avoid a credit pull.

 

[AbSoluTc]

It's very vague on how the Apple Card installments work.

Your monthly installment is automatically added to the minimum payment due on your Apple Card — including any associated AppleCare+ coverage. And if you’ve purchased multiple products, you’ll still only have one balance to pay.3

Doesn't say if the full amount is charged and removed from your card or if it's just the installment added monthly automatically.

 

[Knowimagination]

So I recently bought a MBP with the Apple Card installments and it does indeed take the full amount out of your available balance, in the wallet app it has a separate section for installment balance That it would show that purchase under.

this is one of the big reasons I’m still doing iUP for my phones.

 

[BigMcGuire]

So I recently bought a MBP with the Apple Card installments and it does indeed take the full amount out of your available balance, in the wallet app it has a separate section for installment balance That it would show that purchase under.

I bought my 2020 MBP on the Apple Card installment. I got it on Monday. It says it is going to take out the $ on the last day of the month or something like that. I really like how it has a separate section for installments - and the 0% interest. Just great!

But yes, you're right, my available balance shows a reduction based on what I owe.

Because of my experience with this, I am tempted to have my wife and I put our iPhones on this. It may help us keep our phones for 2 years (vs upgrading needlessly) - <cough> .


Currently we're on the iUP plan and have been for years and years. The pre-order approval and the ease of upgrading has had us upgrading every year. Not having the full iPhone taken out of a CC balance would be a plus too.

 

[lsh]

If you think you might upgrade every year and don’t want the hassle of selling your phone, I’d go IUP and keep the balance off your card. You can still choose to pay off the phone and keep it if you want. But preorder on IUP is easy.

If you decide to keep your phone, once you get your new phone, you have to call Apple to have them take the freeze payments off, then you call Citizens One to pay off the balance. THen you ignore the packaging materials Apple sends you to send the phone back.

I paid off a Citizen’s one phone NOT on IUP (I accidentally selected the other monthly option when I bought it last year) by calling and filling the automated instructions for making a payment for the full balance. I wish you could pay off online, but it didn’t take too long.

 

[hansenc]

Citizens only pulled my credit once for reach device (mine and my wife's) when I started the program. The upgrades after that were not credit pulls.

 

[jtrue28]

If you plan to upgrade every year, there’s really no reason to use ACI.

 

[Shadowbech]

Citizens only pulled my credit once for reach device (mine and my wife's) when I started the program. The upgrades after that were not credit pulls.

And this year you have not got a hard pull? There were quite a few people who reported that they were currently on iup and have been past years and they reported they got a hard pull this year. So it's a hit or miss. So far for 3 years I have not gotten a hard full after the start of the IUP.

 

[Gator5000e]

I do not have an Apple Card but am interested in the upgrade program. How would that work? Will I be getting an Apple Card if I try to join the upgrade program?

I had placed a freeze on my credit reports back a few years ago when Experian had the data breach. I never had the freezes removed. Will I have to do that or will my regular credit cards be sufficient?

Sorry for the questions but I find this all pretty confusing.

 

[Spizike]

So I wanna get some clarification-

IUP you pay monthly and then at 12mo payments I can upgrade and trade in the phone. I’m on this now.

ACI the total balance of the phone is charged to my Apple Card as if I was buying it outright, and I pay monthly no interest on the payments for it.. but what if I want to upgrade every year? Can I still do ACI?
I’m wondering if you can avoid the credit hit and loan with the ACI but still participate in the IUP at halfway thru the payments.

 

[Furman]

I do not have an Apple Card but am interested in the upgrade program. How would that work? Will I be getting an Apple Card if I try to join the upgrade program?

I had placed a freeze on my credit reports back a few years ago when Experian had the data breach. I never had the freezes removed. Will I have to do that or will my regular credit cards be sufficient?

Sorry for the questions but I find this all pretty confusing.

You will have to temporarily unfreeze your report. Hopefully, you still have the PIN they gave you at the time. FWIW, I have a banking background. I recommend everyone freeze their credit reports. You just have to make sure you can unfreeze it when needed. Simple process, as long as you follow the instructions.

 

[AbSoluTc]

So I wanna get some clarification-

IUP you pay monthly and then at 12mo payments I can upgrade and trade in the phone. I’m on this now.

ACI the total balance of the phone is charged to my Apple Card as if I was buying it outright, and I pay monthly no interest on the payments for it.. but what if I want to upgrade every year? Can I still do ACI?
I’m wondering if you can avoid the credit hit and loan with the ACI but still participate in the IUP at halfway thru the payments.

Yes. You have two options here. If your AC has the funds, you can do ACI for another phone in addition to the phone you already have on there. If it does not, you obviously need to pay it off first. It's funds based.

If you have 10K - that's the limit and you can do all the ACI you want within that limit.

 

[Spizike]

Yes. You have two options here. If your AC has the funds, you can do ACI for another phone in addition to the phone you already have on there. If it does not, you obviously need to pay it off first. It's funds based.

If you have 10K - that's the limit and you can do all the ACI you want within that limit.

I see. So I can’t trade the phone back in and relieve half the amount like on IUP?

 

[AbSoluTc]

I see. So I can’t trade the phone back in and relieve half the amount like on IUP?

You can but you're better off selling it outright and getting more. Still need to pay it off though. Apple doesn't give the best trade in prices on late model phones vs selling outright.

I am kinda in the same boat as yourself and I am going IUP. Just makes sense all around, doesn't tie up my Apple Card and I get AC+ included with just a tad more. Plus I can pay it off or just keep going another year if I don't like the 13 offerings. All at 0% interest. Can't beat it.

 

[Shadowbech]

So I wanna get some clarification-

IUP you pay monthly and then at 12mo payments I can upgrade and trade in the phone. I’m on this now.

ACI the total balance of the phone is charged to my Apple Card as if I was buying it outright, and I pay monthly no interest on the payments for it.. but what if I want to upgrade every year? Can I still do ACI?
I’m wondering if you can avoid the credit hit and loan with the ACI but still participate in the IUP at halfway thru the payments.

As long as you have available credits on your Apple card you shouldn't have issues. If you don't have an Apple Card, you'll definitely need to apply, which will then be a hard hit. But if you already have one and do th eACI, there is no credit pull.

I see. So I can’t trade the phone back in and relieve half the amount like on IUP?

ACI isn't IUP so you won't be able to trade your phone, that needs to be paid off. You can actually sell it to someone else but not through apple trade in as they will see that it's a financed phone.

 

[AbSoluTc]

As long as you have available credits on your Apple card you shouldn't have issues. If you don't have an Apple Card, you'll definitely need to apply, which will then be a hard hit. But if you already have one and do th eACI, there is no credit pull.

ACI isn't IUP so you won't be able to trade your phone, that needs to be paid off. You can actually sell it to someone else but not through apple trade in as they will see that it's a financed phone.

Ah yes, forgot about that. You can't trade in a ACI phone if it's not paid off. So yeah, third party.

 

[Spizike]

You can but you're better off selling it outright and getting more. Still need to pay it off though. Apple doesn't give the best trade in prices on late model phones vs selling outright.

I am kinda in the same boat as yourself and I am going IUP. Just makes sense all around, doesn't tie up my Apple Card and I get AC+ included with just a tad more. Plus I can pay it off or just keep going another year if I don't like the 13 offerings. All at 0% interest. Can't beat it.

Yeah I’m just nervous that I’ll get denied for IUP this year.. just bought a house so my credit is showing a new home loan. I had a friend apply for a $5k engagement ring loan right after buying his house and he got denied. I know $5k to $1.2k but still makes me nervous.

 

[Shadowbech]

Ah yes, forgot about that. You can't trade in a ACI phone if it's not paid off. So yeah, third party.

TBH, don't quote me on that. I could be wrong. It's not like carrier financing.

 

[AbSoluTc]

Yeah I’m just nervous that I’ll get denied for IUP this year.. just bought a house so my credit is showing a new home loan. I had a friend apply for a $5k engagement ring loan right after buying his house and he got denied. I know $5k to $1.2k but still makes me nervous.

You have a plan so seems like you're good either way. One fails, fall back to the other.