Very Specific iPhone Question

[OldGuy]

Our Great Niece college student wants to upgrade her 7 for an XR, and finance it interest-free, and she's with Cricket.

I did that at Apple online, only Cricket was not one of the carriers, but AT&T is.

I called Apple, and Kaitlin indicated it can be done, by selecting Unlock and SIM, but when I did that, it took the 24-month, interest-free payment plan away.

She wants the payment plan to help build her credit rating.

 

[Ken555]

Switch providers. T-Mobile is likely the least expensive. Consider purchasing at Costco for additional potential discounts.


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[OldGuy]

Switch providers.

Yeah, thanks, considered that. There's a reason why she wants Cricket, and the reason she doesn't want to do it through Cricket is because it would be done through a rip-off third party.

That's when I went to Apple, and saw that they do it, no-interest, and with a 2-year protection plan.

The buy-it-now price is $749.99, and her trade-in takes it down to $599, or $24.99/mo for 24 months "$599.76." I got as far as that with Kaitlin at Apple, and at that point it goes to credit-app, and would be with Barclaycard if accepted. They do the RCI Elite Reward Mastercard, so we have a lot of experience with them.

The 2-year protection plan is on top of that. It had a buy-it-now price, or ten bucks a month.

 

[Ken555]

Wait until the new phones are released in a few months. There will likely be better options. I bought my XR last year at Costco for almost nothing with a trade-in, and they tend to offer those deals for a week or two after the release of new models.


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[RX8]

I don’t think this specific financing is reported to the credit bureaus and if so it won’t help build their credit. My last iPhone was through the NEXT financing with AT&T and that wasn’t reported to the bureaus. However, if one defaults then the associated collection account will likely be reported.

 

[OldGuy]

I don’t think this specific financing is reported to the credit bureaus and if so it won’t help build their credit. My last iPhone was through the NEXT financing with AT&T and that wasn’t reported to the bureaus. However, if one defaults then the associated collection account will likely be reported.

She still wants a credit card account, to get that established, while, at the same time, wanting "no interest" on the phone purchase. We're not sure if she can get it, but the Apple>>>>>Barclaycard seems to fill the bill.

It also seems more re-assuring to do the upgrade directly through Apple, and have Apple contact the provider.

We have also look at the top ten student credit cards, and only one has a interest-free APR, and it's only for 6 months.

Amazingly most of student card interest rates are 20%-ish.

 

[RX8]

Is it a credit card with the Apple interest free? I don’t think so because it is only available with a service provider, which seems to me it is billed with the phone statement. I was told by Apple it isn’t available if you wanted to pay cash. When I financed with ATT Next I signed a contract and it was billed through the phone statement.

 

[RX8]

I don’t think this specific financing is reported to the credit bureaus and if so it won’t help build their credit. My last iPhone was through the NEXT financing with AT&T and that wasn’t reported to the bureaus. However, if one defaults then the associated collection account will likely be reported.

If one pays off each month, or doesn’t use it at all, they still get the benefit of building their credit all the same. If one does that, the interest rate doesn’t matter.

 

[Cornell]

Our Great Niece college student wants to upgrade her 7 for an XR, and finance it interest-free, and she's with Cricket.

I did that at Apple online, only Cricket was not one of the carriers, but AT&T is.

I called Apple, and Kaitlin indicated it can be done, by selecting Unlock and SIM, but when I did that, it took the 24-month, interest-free payment plan away.

She wants the payment plan to help build her credit rating.

Your niece is smart to use Cricket. I’ve had it for years and has been wonderful for me. Excellent coverage.

 

[OldGuy]

Your niece is smart to use Cricket. I’ve had it for years and has been wonderful for me. Excellent coverage.

Thanks.

Our Great Niece is smart even if she didn't use Cricket.

She was won awards, and $$$, for being smart.

 

[Ken555]

Is it a credit card with the Apple interest free? I don’t think so because it is only available with a service provider, which seems to me it is billed with the phone statement. I was told by Apple it isn’t available if you wanted to pay cash. When I financed with ATT Next I signed a contract and it was billed through the phone statement.

Apple offers promos for interest free if paid within a certain timeframe. ATT Next is a different program altogether. Apple offers their own agreement for phones where you may get a new phone every year as long as you renew the two year agreement, based on a monthly fee.


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[Sea Six]

I want to upgrade from my older iPhone 6S, but I am waiting for the 5G network and phones before I do. Can't complain though, my 4G is running 176 mb/s download and 12 mb/sec upload. Download the SpeedTest.net app and test your connection. I am using Xfinity. 2 lines of 4G cost me $16.76 per month. I am very happy with that.

 

[OldGuy]

Is it a credit card with the Apple interest free?

According to the online upgrade I simulated on Apple.com, and then the call I made to Apple (Kaitlin), once our Great Niece would do that herself online, and get to the place where the $599 price was determined, if she elected to go with the 24-month, interest-free plan (24 x $24.99), Kaitlin said if she was approved, Barclaycard would handle the financing. "Credit Card" was not mentioned.

I got as far as here online:

iPhone XR White 128GB$24.99/mo. for 24 mo. at 0% APR*
with iPhone Payments

I started here:

https://www.apple.com/shop/buy-ipho...837&cid=wwa-us-kwgo-iphone-slid---iphone+xr-e

If our Great Niece navigated all of that, Apple would send her to "next-day" pick up of her XR at the Provider's store, and she would turn in her trade in.

Two-hour delivery available in most metros. Free next-business-day delivery on in-stock iPhones ordered by 5:00 p.m.

BTW, it showed 4 providers, and if you did not select one of those, the 24-month payment plan went away, and it was a $599 cash purchase, but Kaitlin appeared to explain that was not the case, that you could get the payment plan with other providers (Cricket, for instance).

 

[Bucky]

When you click on the unlock sim it will give you the option of zero percent financing for up to 18 months through Barclays. We used this same promo through consumer cellular for two xr’s recently just because of the zero percent. This way we can move to any provider we so choose and not tied to C.C. is we should decide to change at some point in time.

 

[OldGuy]

When you click on the unlock sim it will give you the option of zero percent financing for up to 18 months through Barclays.

When I did it, and clicked on unlock SIM, financing went away altogether. It just showed $599 cash price, the price with trade-in.

I'll try it again.

 

[OldGuy]

When I did it, and clicked on unlock SIM, financing went away altogether. It just showed $599 cash price, the price with trade-in.

I'll try it again.

Unlocked and SIM-Free
$599.00*
$599.00with your trade-in*
iPhone (Unlocked and SIM-free)



To be clear, if I select one of the four providers shown, the financing plan is an option, but if I select Unlocked and SIM-Free, there's only the cash option.

On the phone, Kaitlin at Apple, indicated you could select other providers that way, so I just told our Great Niece that when she gets to there, she needs to call Apple and have them step her through it.

 

[Bucky]

Did you continue to follow it to check out? When I get to the
last page it shows $799 for the 128GB plus my local tax of $57.93 for a sub total of $856.93. Directly under this there is a link that says “up to 18 months of special financing”. When I click on that link it takes me to the BarclayCard financing page https://www.apple.com/shop/browse/financing

 

[OldGuy]

That's different than what we're seeing, let me go look at something . . . I went through the selections up to here, showing the payment plan:

Choose your carrier.

AT&T
$24.99/mo.
or $599.00*

Sprint
$24.99/mo.
or $599.00*

T-Mobile
$24.99/mo.
or $599.00*

Verizon
$24.99/mo.
or $599.00*
We’ll work with your current carrier to activate your new iPhone so you can keep your existing number and rate plan.
Unlocked and SIM-Free
$599.00*

But, when I select Unlocked and SIM-Free, it goes to this:

Wow! That was funny, it went to $599, with no financing option, and then I continued it on.

But, when I used the back browser to that page, it now reads:

$799.00 Up to 18 months of special financing(Opens in a new window)

and the only thing that can be clicked on is the 18 months of special financing.

She will definitely need Apple's assistance in navigating this. Maybe she'll get over needing an XR. Nah!
iPhone (Unlocked and SIM-free)

 

[Ken555]

Once again, I suggest waiting until they release the new phones as there will be deals at that time...and the phones will be better.


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[bogey21]

I know I am living in a different world but I don't understand spending $500 to $1,000 to upgrade a decent phone. Yeah, I know I am missing out on stuff but I get by just fine with my clam shell and ChromeBook...

George

 

[OldGuy]

I know I am living in a different world but I don't understand spending $500 to $1,000 to upgrade a decent phone. Yeah, I know I am missing out on stuff but I get by just fine with my clam shell and ChromeBook...

George

You're preaching to the choir.

I am not a 20-year-old college student who thinks they have to have an XR because their 7 just doesn't cut it, not that 20-year-old college students are the only ones who are that way.



For me a cell phone is a pocket watch. Also, I do not answer it when I drive, so I'm really, really in the minority.

 

[OldGuy]

Once again, I suggest waiting until they release the new phones as there will be deals at that time...and the phones will be better.


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I've shared that with her.

She and her Gran Gran just happen to be here today, down at the dock.

 

[Ken555]

I know I am living in a different world but I don't understand spending $500 to $1,000 to upgrade a decent phone. Yeah, I know I am missing out on stuff but I get by just fine with my clam shell and ChromeBook...

George

You are definitely not the target audience for this product.


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[OldGuy]

I cannot tell you how much I miss my flip phone.

My iPhone is a PITA.

 

[PigsDad]

I cannot tell you how much I miss my flip phone.

My iPhone is a PITA.

Well quit complaining and do something about it:

Flip Phones for Seniors

Kurt