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Other Logistically How does Apple iPhone upgrade program work?
- Thread starter gelie
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You’re eligible after 6 months but you must make at least 12 payments on your existing loan. The best way to order a new phone is through the Apple Store App from the App Store. You can select to make an appointment at an Apple Store to pick up your new phone. Bring your current phone (box, headphones, and charger NOT needed) with you to turn in at the same time. I would also bring two forms of ID to play it safe. You can also have the new phone shipped to your home and Apple will ship you an empty box as well a few days after you receive your new phone to put your current phone in and ship back to them.
As far as your current loan, the only thing you need to do prior is make extra payments that equal 12 months of payments if you haven’t made 12 payments by the time you’re ready to get the new phone. Once you order the phone, get it in your possession, and activate it, Apple will payoff the remainder of your existing loan to Citizens One. If you end up being in the middle of say your 13th month when you turn in your current phone, meaning you would have already paid for that month, Citizens One will automatically refund your account the remainder of that single payment for that month you already paid in full.
How about those of us who preorded the iPhone X last October/Nov on the Apple Upgrade Program? Assuming the new iPhone preorders will be in the middle of September - will we be able to upgrade that early?
Not sure if Apple will do anything for those customers (myself included), so just to be on the safe side, I called Citizens One and made an advanced payment and my 12th payment will automatically be paid on 9/2 well in advance of preorders for the new phone(s).
Citizens One #: 1 (888) 201-6306
It all depends on when you ordered. You may need to take it up with Apple and Citizen One.
For instance, last year, my 12th payment was right on the iPhone 8 Plus pre-ordering day, (15th), so Citizen one automatically charged me, but also when I went to pre-order, the system wasn't updated so I ended up paying another 12th payment plus the new one. But Citizen Loan ended up crediting back my credit card for the extra payment.
If you’ve paid 13 payments, and you only have the phone for 12 1/2 months when you select to upgrade, half of that 13th payment would get credited back to whichever form of payment you’re using to pay monthly for the IUP (credit card, bank account), and then separate automatic payments start on the new loan/phone.
It’s a 24 month loan.
It's 20 months (at least it is in the UK).
https://www.apple.com/uk/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program
When you say "tax on full retail", do you mean full retail of iPhone or iPhone + Apple Care?
Correct. iPhone/Apple Care. No option for Apple Care Delete in the Upgrade Program. I’m not certain if Apple Care is included at full retail, or if it’s less, or included in the price of the phone.
Just the iPhone. AppleCare is not taxed.
So in my case last November, I got the 256 GB iPhone X which retailed for $1,149. There’s 7% sales tax where I live so I paid $80.43 sales tax and my first payment of the 24 month loan which is $56.16/month. It’s two separate charges, so it shows up on your credit card/bank statement that way. AppleCare gets tacked on automatically with the IUP for $199 for 2 years. That is included in the $56.16/month, so if you only keep the phone for 12 months, you only end up paying for 1 year of AppleCare on that loan. You do not get refunded any of the sales tax though.
The program has gotten better/easier every year. My 2017 upgrade, we were able to place the order online and choose the AUP (vs carrier, full price, etc) and have it delivered vs having to go into the store to pick up. Apple sends the new iPhone and a box to return the old one. The switch from your old loan to the new loan is pretty seamless. You can just log into your Citizens One account and add the new loan number to manage it. You can, of course, choose to pick up your new phone if you like.
You can check your eligibility here as well as some additional information: https://www.apple.com/shop/iphone/iphone-upgrade-program/upgrade
I've only had a hard check on my credit the first time I joined the program in the first year. I haven't seen any checks since from Citizens One since so it's likely a soft check or they just approve it if you've been in the program for a while w/o missing payments but YMMV and the bank has a right to do hard checks if they choose. Others have seen hard checks every year. I think last year we were able to pre-qualify so that the process was smoother once the pre-order time frame was opened.
You can also request to get a refund for the remaining year of Apple Care on the old phone once it's been received and processed.
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Thanks I was under the impression it was in store only but it could have been because initially it wasn't available online.