You can now purchase a sim-free iPhone and pay over time with Apple Card

Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2020
You can now snag yourself a brand new SIM-free iPhone and pay over time with no interest -- if you have an Apple Card, and existing wireless service.

Buying a sim-free iPhone over time with the Apple Card


Apple is coming up with new ways to incentivize Apple Card cardholders to head to the Apple Store. For a limited time only, buyers can purchase a new sim-free iPhone and pay over time with their Apple Card. Before, users would need to pay the full retail price upon purchase or utilize another credit card. With the Apple Card, users will get 3% cash back on their purchase.

In order to view the option, you'll have to be using the Apple Store app, have an Apple Card already associated with your Apple Account, and have wireless service through a carrier on an iPhone associated with your Apple ID. Otherwise, you'll still have to buy an iPhone at the full retail price with no financing. You must use the Apple Store app as the option is not available in-browser at this time.

AppleInsider has confirmed with Apple that this is a limited time offer and must be completed through an existing iPhone with the Apple Store app.

Those on a major four carrier, such as Verizon or T- Mobile, have been able to enjoy interest-free financing on their iPhones since December of 2019.

The Apple Card monthly installment plan allows users to purchase an iPhone with their Apple Card interest-free for 24 months, rather than paying the full price up front. Customers are also able to make overpayments towards the installment plan itself. Contributing more money to a plan can help reduce the overall number of payments needed, however customers are still required to pay their regular installment plan payment the following month.

Apple is continuously looking for new ways to boost sales of its most important product, from the iPhone Upgrade Program and other strategies, and the Apple Card feature appears to be another avenue for growth.

Not only does the program incentivize Apple Card cardholders to buy new Apple gear, but it also encourages people to apply for and use the Apple Card. The Apple Card has had the most successful U.S. credit card launch ever, as stated by Tim Cook and Goldman Sachs.

Presently, only iPhones are available to purchase with this special financing, and it remains to be seen if Apple will will extend the program to other devices.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    coolfactorcoolfactor Posts: 2,239member
    Come on AppleInsider.... "SIM" is an acronym... so should be written uppercase.... Subscriber Identification Module. I don't know why stuff like this bothers me. There seems to be a constant degradation of quality editing in today's "quick publish" world. It's mildly annoying.

    ... and this only applies to the US, correct? That should be made clear at the top of the article. The US is not the whole world.


    MintzMplsPstevenozunbeliever2Anilu_777muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 2 of 18
    jcs2305jcs2305 Posts: 1,336member
    Come on AppleInsider.... "SIM" is an acronym... so should be written uppercase.... Subscriber Identification Module. I don't know why stuff like this bothers me. There seems to be a constant degradation of quality editing in today's "quick publish" world. It's mildly annoying.

    ... and this only applies to the US, correct? That should be made clear at the top of the article. The US is not the whole world.



    This is presented as an incentive to Apple card holders.

    Apple is coming up with new ways to incentivize Apple Card cardholders to head to the Apple Store. For a limited time only, buyers can purchase a new sim-free iPhone and pay over time with their Apple Card.

    Is Apple card available to the world, or just the US currently?

    fastasleepdoozydozen
  • Reply 3 of 18
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    This makes perfect sense and was pretty much expected but it’s still good to see. 3% isn’t a ton, but it’s still $30-45, depending on what model you get. I’ve always either paid for my phones straight out or gone through T-mobile, but as the article points out, you have to have a contract to take advantage of carriers’ interest free financing so this program gives a double bonus. 

    Now if Apple would just make the Apple Card compatible with financial software...
    doozydozenGeorgeBMac
  • Reply 4 of 18
    apple ][apple ][ Posts: 9,233member

    ... and this only applies to the US, correct? That should be made clear at the top of the article. The US is not the whole world.


    It does say Apple Card in the headline, so that should've made it clear. And this is also a US site of course.
  • Reply 5 of 18
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    Come on AppleInsider.... "SIM" is an acronym... so should be written uppercase.... Subscriber Identification Module. I don't know why stuff like this bothers me. There seems to be a constant degradation of quality editing in today's "quick publish" world. It's mildly annoying.

    ... and this only applies to the US, correct? That should be made clear at the top of the article. The US is not the whole world.
    This is somewhat a technical site so expecting that industry terms, acronyms, and initialisms relevant to Apple be used properly is not an unreasonable request. It's not like they're parroting Apple's usage.


    PS: Did you know that with every iPhone purchase with your Apple Card you get several MACs for free?
    edited January 2020
  • Reply 6 of 18
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Apple is also rolling out Mac Pros... configurations with wheels.
  • Reply 7 of 18
    jcs2305 said:
    Come on AppleInsider.... "SIM" is an acronym... so should be written uppercase.... Subscriber Identification Module. I don't know why stuff like this bothers me. There seems to be a constant degradation of quality editing in today's "quick publish" world. It's mildly annoying.

    ... and this only applies to the US, correct? That should be made clear at the top of the article. The US is not the whole world.



    This is presented as an incentive to Apple card holders.

    Apple is coming up with new ways to incentivize Apple Card cardholders to head to the Apple Store. For a limited time only, buyers can purchase a new sim-free iPhone and pay over time with their Apple Card.

    Is Apple card available to the world, or just the US currently?

    +1 for the lowercase “sim-free” :)
  • Reply 8 of 18
    rain22rain22 Posts: 132member
    I remember when Apple used to focus on cutting-edge innovation in software applications and hardware design for computers...
    But yay financial / health services - I guess. 

  • Reply 9 of 18
    Catch-22  There's no way to get an Apple Card without an iPhone. 
    doozydozen
  • Reply 10 of 18
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    vtvita said:
    Catch-22  There's no way to get an Apple Card without an iPhone. 
    How is that a Catch-22? There is no mutually conflicting condition because the ability to use an Apple Card to purchase an iPhone is not dependent on it being the first iPhone that one has ever purchased.
  • Reply 11 of 18
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    rain22 said:
    I remember when Apple used to focus on cutting-edge innovation in software applications and hardware design for computers...
    But yay financial / health services - I guess. 

    What does this have anything at all to do with buying an iPhone?
    mwhite
  • Reply 12 of 18
    SoliSoli Posts: 10,035member
    rain22 said:
    I remember when Apple used to focus on cutting-edge innovation in software applications and hardware design for computers...
    But yay financial / health services - I guess. 
    What does this have anything at all to do with buying an iPhone?
    I think the OP was first latching onto this including the Apple Card (i.e.: financial, as if buying Apple products haven't always revolved a financial transaction or that they hadn't already had a partnership for an Apple CC with Barclays) and then decided to lump in their progress with wearable tech's natural push into health-related features that itself has evolved naturally form the iPhone which evolved from the Mac and iPod.

    My feeling is the OP just doesn't like that Apple changes as technology changes. There are a lot of people here that seem to wish that Apple was only building the Mac seem to hate that they ever moved to Intel chips to make them better.
  • Reply 13 of 18
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    Soli said:
    rain22 said:
    I remember when Apple used to focus on cutting-edge innovation in software applications and hardware design for computers...
    But yay financial / health services - I guess. 
    What does this have anything at all to do with buying an iPhone?
    I think the OP was first latching onto this including the Apple Card (i.e.: financial, as if buying Apple products haven't always revolved a financial transaction or that they hadn't already had a partnership for an Apple CC with Barclays) and then decided to lump in their progress with wearable tech's natural push into health-related features that itself has evolved naturally form the iPhone which evolved from the Mac and iPod.

    My feeling is the OP just doesn't like that Apple changes as technology changes. There are a lot of people here that seem to wish that Apple was only building the Mac seem to hate that they ever moved to Intel chips to make them better.
    I mean, yeah, I get all that. This particular user literally just stops by to complain, possibly with every comment they've made here. This is just so off topic it's ridiculous, which is what I was pointing out — not that I didn't understand.
  • Reply 14 of 18
    rain22 said:
    I remember when Apple used to focus on cutting-edge innovation in software applications and hardware design for computers...
    But yay financial / health services - I guess. 

    What does this have anything at all to do with buying an iPhone?

    Nothing at all. rain22 needs to rain on 22 parades a day to feel good about himself/ herself/ itself. A constant stream of negativity.
  • Reply 15 of 18
    I wish Apple would have these kinds of things running in more countries. In Canada we still don’t have Apple Cash so a Card is even further away. New Maps update US only again. There’s a lot less to map in Canada as our population is spread out around the southern border. We’re your next-door neighbour you know!!
  • Reply 16 of 18
    fastasleepfastasleep Posts: 6,408member
    Anilu_777 said:
    I wish Apple would have these kinds of things running in more countries. In Canada we still don’t have Apple Cash so a Card is even further away. New Maps update US only again. There’s a lot less to map in Canada as our population is spread out around the southern border. We’re your next-door neighbour you know!!
    You're America's hat.
  • Reply 17 of 18
    omasouomasou Posts: 562member
    Finally a way around the carrier "activation" fee and having to call customer retention to request a credit. The 2 hours of my life that I will get back with each new iPhone purchase will make this feature well worth it!!
    edited January 2020
  • Reply 18 of 18
    kenckenc Posts: 195member
    Tempting, but I'm waiting for the SE2, cause I really need to buy two of them.
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