Other iPhone Upgrade Program

[SuperMatt]

Another thing to note: iPhone upgrade program includes AppleCare+. So if you don’t need/want that, you might not want to choose the program.

 

[conan-kun]

Same situation here!
I can trade in or not since my 11 and XS Max are paid for....
Not happy with carrier 30 months trade in offers.....

I do wish Apple Card would give an option for 12 months so that I would own it by the time the next model comes up...

IUP is an option but I don't feel I need AC+ since the phone is under warranty for 12 months and I never beat up my phones....

You can do the Apple Card option and just pay off the phone early at 12 months.

 

[lsh]

Here’s a question. I have iUP on my phone. My wife wants to get a new phone Friday and sign up with iUP. I’m the ATT account holder for the family. Does she sign up for iUP on her Apple store app or do I sign up for a new device on mine? I’m not upgrading right now my device I just want to get another phone on the iUP program. What’s the best way to do this?

I don’t think it matters. I have adult kids (student and teacher) on my plan and I upgrade theirs. They are on my family plan. I can also upgrade them on IUP. But they could also do it themselves if they wanted to.

You might need the serial number and IMEI for her phone for you to do it.

 

[Roller]

I finally got things straightened out after speaking with an Apple rep this morning. Hopefully this information will be helpful to others trying to get pre-approved:

1. The IUP option didn't appear for me because I indicated I wanted to trade in my current phone, which was on the IUP but had been paid off.
2. The IUP requires AppleCare+.
3. The biggest advantage of the IUP, in my opinion, is the ability to upgrade to a new iPhone after 12 payments, so you can keep going year after year if you like.
4. For non-IUP purchasers, there are three choices: pay full up front, pay in installments without Apple Card, or pay with Apple Card. All provide a trade-in credit for your current phone, though you may be able to sell your device for more on your own.
5. The Apple Card payment option includes the advantage of cash back for purchases, but you'll have to apply for the card if you don't already have it, which is a hard credit report pull.
6. I usually avoid extended warranties like AppleCare because my Amex card extends warranties. But if you purchase on installments, the amount you'll get if you make a claim will depend on how many installment payments you've made to date.

After considering, I decided to go with the Apple Card, non-IUP options.

 

[jokerz126]

I’ve done the IUP the last few years...i do it with my wife where i upgrade my phone every year, and then when I upgrade she takes over my last phone and we sell the one she’s been using (ie. i get a new phone, she gets the 1yr old phone and the 2yr old phone gets sold privately)...We haven’t ever really needed AppleCare so far...wondering if you guys think this is still the best option or if the carrier deals are better?...we’re on T-Mobile

 

[ZipZap]

I've gone through 2 cycles of being on the iPhone Upgrade Program (IUP). It is through Citizens bank. You're basically taking out an interest free 24 month loan for the amount of your phone. You pay for taxes up front. You can make payments to Citizens on your Apple Card and Apple will give you the 3% Apple Cash back. Then, after 12 months/payments, you're eligible to upgrade to a new phone. Buy the new phone, send/take in your original one. The difference between the IUP and the new 24 month interest free loans on your Apple Card is that 1) the IUP price includes 2 years Apple Care+ in the monthly payment (no savings, it's just required) and 2) you're guaranteed a "trade in value". Example: I bought the 11 Pro on the IUP last year. I'll have $550 left on my loan when I trade it in for the 12 Pro on 10/23. So in essence, my trade in value for the 11 Pro is $550. If I had purchased the 11 Pro on a program like the 24 month Apple Card plan and wanted to sell it to buy the new 12 Pro I, 1) wouldn't have been required to include Apple Care+ and 2) would be looking at resale in values of ~$420 (looking at third party companies like Gazelle).

If you want to do the IUP program, you can get pre-approved for it (remember, it's basically taking out a loan) by starting the buy process in the Apple App. Once you selected the model, etc, it will ask if you want monthly or one time payment. Choose monthly and the IUP will come up as an option (note: it seems like this doesn't show up as an option if you choose the SIM free model). Choose that you want to newly start the program and it will take you through the page to get pre-approved. Then, you'll all ready to make your purchase on pre-order day. This is the confirmation I got once I went through it:
View attachment 966204

Can you do the Pro Max (11/6) now or do you need to wait?

 

[ZipZap]

I'm definitely not seeing the IUP as a separate choice. That may be because my iPhone was in the IUP and I paid it off. When I search for my phone in the upgrade program, that's what it says and gives me the same choices as I see in the Apple Store app. If I choose Apple Card Monthly Installments, I have to apply for an Apple Card as part of the process, which I don't want to do. So I may just end up using Apple iPhone Payments and not get AppleCare. Still very confusing.

Using the App?

 

[Catul]

Considering IUP for a 12 Pro 256Gb which is $1099 or $45.79/month for 24 interest-free months. The IUP is $54.08/month, basically accounting for the $200 AppleCare+ that is included. So where's the big benefit that IUP gave you free AC+?

 

[Knowimagination]

[/QUOTE]

Considering IUP for a 12 Pro 256Gb which is $1099 or $45.79/month for 24 interest-free months. The IUP is $54.08/month, basically accounting for the $200 AppleCare+ that is included. So where's the big benefit that IUP gave you free AC+?

it’s never been advertised as free Apple care +

 

[Phone Junky]

Considering IUP for a 12 Pro 256Gb which is $1099 or $45.79/month for 24 interest-free months. The IUP is $54.08/month, basically accounting for the $200 AppleCare+ that is included. So where's the big benefit that IUP gave you free AC+?

IUP has never given free AppleCare+. It's always been baked into the price.

 

[nrvna76]

Considering IUP for a 12 Pro 256Gb which is $1099 or $45.79/month for 24 interest-free months. The IUP is $54.08/month, basically accounting for the $200 AppleCare+ that is included. So where's the big benefit that IUP gave you free AC+?

It doesn't give free AC+. The benefit is the guaranteed trade in value after 12 payments. If you don't want the option to upgrade next year and don't want AC then the IUP is likely worse for you than just making the 24 payments.

 

[SisterBlue22]

Can you do the Pro Max (11/6) now or do you need to wait?

You need to wait.

 

[Roller]

Using the App?

Yes, but it was the same online.

 

[Catul]

Hmm, guess I misunderstood. I thought when people spoke of AppleCare+ being "included" I just assumed they didn't mean the actual price of AC+ was just added onto the price of the iPhone

So the only difference in going with IUP versus a typical carrier interest-free monthly payment is being able to trade-in hassle-free with Apple next year basically getting 50% of MSRP for your year-old device.

 

[nrvna76]

Hmm, guess I misunderstood. I thought when people spoke of AppleCare+ being "included" I just assumed they didn't mean the actual price of AC+ was just added onto the price of the iPhone

So the only difference in going with IUP versus a typical carrier interest-free monthly payment is being able to trade-in hassle-free with Apple next year basically getting 50% of MSRP for your year-old device.

Exactly.

 

[NJRonbo]

Hmm, guess I misunderstood. I thought when people spoke of AppleCare+ being "included" I just assumed they didn't mean the actual price of AC+ was just added onto the price of the iPhone

So the only difference in going with IUP versus a typical carrier interest-free monthly payment is being able to trade-in hassle-free with Apple next year basically getting 50% of MSRP for your year-old device.

That may be the reason to go with the upgrade program. It's tough to get 50% for your phone through most online sellers. Maybe privately, but that's even a bigger hassle.

Wonder if the 50% trade-in almost cancels out the extra cost of Apple Care

 

[iNICK20]

I tried doing IUP, but I was denied due to "Applicant's identity cannot be verified". So he put in a request, to have someone manually go in and look over it. CS is currently at 700. I know a few other people had this issue. What did you do to get it fix? I would like to get approved and onto the upgrade program. But, I don't know what else to do at this point?

If I went and used my Apple Card to do the 0% option, and they somehow approved me. What would happen then? Can I cancel my Apple.com order? Or have them switch my payment option to IUP with my current order?

I would like to get this on launch day, Which is my main concerns at this moment.

 

[Wolfs]

Very long time lurker, first time poster. So appreciative of all the insight I have gleaned over the years.

I have a question for the group. Trying to use iUP for the 3rd time this year. 4 phones in our household, 2 originally ordered under my Apple ID, 2 under my husband’s. Preapproved for all 4 earlier this week.

Yesterday, when ordering went live I was able to order the 2 under my ID without difficulty, but we are still unable to order the 2 on my husband’s ID. We select the preapproved phone, get to the “place order” screen, prompted to save payment info, hit save. Arrow spins once and payment page remains. Apple support has been no help. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

We have also tried this on a different phone with the same error, so it seems tied to the Apple ID. There also doesn’t seem to be anywhere to cancel the preapproval to start over. Just stuck in a loop...

 

[dyfine]

Very long time lurker, first time poster. So appreciative of all the insight I have gleaned over the years.

I have a question for the group. Trying to use iUP for the 3rd time this year. 4 phones in our household, 2 originally ordered under my Apple ID, 2 under my husband’s. Preapproved for all 4 earlier this week.

Yesterday, when ordering went live I was able to order the 2 under my ID without difficulty, but we are still unable to order the 2 on my husband’s ID. We select the preapproved phone, get to the “place order” screen, prompted to save payment info, hit save. Arrow spins once and payment page remains. Apple support has been no help. Does anyone have any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

We have also tried this on a different phone with the same error, so it seems tied to the Apple ID. There also doesn’t seem to be anywhere to cancel the preapproval to start over. Just stuck in a loop...

Hmmm....not sure. However, I do know that you can’t cancel the preaporoval but you CAN start over -try that! I had preapproved for IUP last week and was with ATT at the time. Made the mistake of switching to Verizon early this week - should have waited to switch. Called CS to see about changing the preaporoval phone to Verizon. They couldn’t and also couldn’t cancel my preaporoval. They suggested to just do a new preaporoval, which worked out fine! The original ATT one is still sitting there and will disappear tomorrow.

 

[Wolfs]

I would love to try that? Just not sure where to go to do that? Any time I try to select the 11s to upgrade they are already showing preapproved.

 

[Roller]

I would love to try that? Just not sure where to go to do that? Any time I try to select the 11s to upgrade they are already showing preapproved.

Are you doing this in the Apple Store app? IIRC, if you select an already-pre-approved device there, you get the option of canceling the pre-approval and starting again. I almost did that yesterday because I had second thoughts about the color and memory, though I ended up going with what I originally selected.

 

[Wolfs]

Thank you dyfine and Roller.

I will give that a shot once the phone gets home from work in a few hours. I don’t remember seeing any option to cancel the order/preapproval though. We are trying to order through the Apple Store app on the iPhone. Trying to do anything via the website or iPad app just tells us to complete order on iPhone. Incredibly frustrating!

 

[nrvna76]

Hmmm....not sure. However, I do know that you can’t cancel the preaporoval but you CAN start over -try that! I had preapproved for IUP last week and was with ATT at the time. Made the mistake of switching to Verizon early this week - should have waited to switch. Called CS to see about changing the preaporoval phone to Verizon. They couldn’t and also couldn’t cancel my preaporoval. They suggested to just do a new preaporoval, which worked out fine! The original ATT one is still sitting there and will disappear tomorrow.

Did you just switch using the BYOD deals?

 

[Wolfs]

To give an update on the iUP fiasco we were on the phone with Apple support 8+ hours yesterday. They escalated us up the chain, and sent us from support to sales to Apple care, back to sales. We even screen shared with them. Their only suggestions finally were to pay off the entire loans, trade in or sell the phones and start over (wrong answer!) or “Try again tomorrow”. They were unable to cancel the preapprovals and we are currently unable to start over in any way.

We decided that we will wait until the preapprovals expire, then I will try and preorder my daughter’s through my Apple ID while my husband tries again with his phone on his Apple ID. Really disappointed in the whole process this year, as we ordered the other 2 right when preorders opened up and still got Nov 6-12 delivery dates and the 2 we can’t order are now pushed to mid November.

 

[Catul]

Trying to sign up for IUP for the first time. If I add a trade-in, it doesn’t give me the option for IUP, strange!