Apple Introduces New MacBook Upgrade Program for Business Partners

In association with CIT as the financing partner, Apple has launched a new Mac Upgrade Program for small businesses and Apple business partners that allow companies to easily distribute and upgrade their fleets of MacBooks at an affordable price to all of their workers.

Mac Notebook Upgrade Program
As outlined on CIT's website, shared by Max Weinbach, Apple Business Partners can distribute the 13-inch MacBook Pro, 13-inch MacBook Air, 14-inch MacBook Pro, and 16-inch MacBook Pro to their staff for only 3% of their retail list prices as monthly installments.

The new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros are offered at $60 and $75 per month, respectively, while the 13-inch MacBook Pro and ‌MacBook Air‌ are offered at $30 and $39 monthly payments. No Mac desktop is provided as part of the program.

While details are scarce, CIT's website says that small businesses can apply for the program through the website, and if approved, Apple will process and ship the Mac orders.

A similar program exists for regular customers with the iPhone Upgrade Program, where customers can get the latest ‌iPhone‌ for one monthly price. The program has been a popular financing option for customers. A Mac Upgrade Program is not offered publicly to regular customers, and it's important to note that customers less often upgrade their Mac computers, so a program in that regard may make less sense.

Related Forums: MacBook Air, MacBook Pro

Top Rated Comments

webkit Avatar
30 months ago
Two years ago, a 16" MacBook Pro started at $2,399 which would be $72/month under this program. If we assume the device is worth at least $1,000 (?) wholesale/trade today, the company would've ended up having spent $1,399 net or $58/month. The balance is interest and other costs of $336. $336 interest on a 2 year $2,399 loan is about 13% APR.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
adamjackson Avatar
30 months ago
I really want Apple to bring this to everyone. I've long wanted that because for many years, before Apple's pricing became too rich for my blood, I was an annual upgrader. I'd love to give Apple something like $350 a month for a Mac, AirPods, iPad, iPhone, AppleTV all with AppleCare on an annual upgrade path. Let them handle the refurbishment and save me time having to sell stuff on eBay to recoup 50% of the cost after 12 months.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
willsh Avatar
30 months ago
Very good news. However 2 things that would make this more appealing to me (and most likely countless others around the world):
1. Expand the 'Upgrade Programme' concept to retail-consumers for a greater array of Apple products that have established regular release cylces e.g. Watch, iPad; and
2. Do deals in other markets with financing companies. Don't limit these types of arrangements to just the US market. Apple is everywhere, so these types of arrangements should be more global.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
itsmaxk Avatar
30 months ago
Hi, I used to be an Apple Small Business Account Manager in San Francisco.

This really isn't very new. My main job was to get business customers to sign up for leases that would allow them to pay monthly and then return the devices every 2 or 3 years. CIT was the finance then and still is.

We would highlight the tax savings, as there is no sales tax (in California) when one leases the equipment and we would ask the customers, "How many old devices do you have and how do you deal with getting rid of them?" They normally would say that they have a closet and found that it was difficult to legally transfer ownership to the employee. All that makes a lease pretty enticing.

Cheers,
Max
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Shirasaki Avatar
30 months ago
The only question is: when will this be introduced to customer base? Or is this business-only?
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
laurim Avatar
30 months ago
I wonder how small is too small? I’m an incorporated freelancer in a computer-intensive field (design and operate large resolution content for live events) so want to upgrade my Macs often.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 16 Camera Lozenge 2 Perspective Gray

Five Key Upgrades Coming to iPhone 16

Friday March 15, 2024 1:45 pm PDT by
The iPhone is Apple's top-selling product, and it gets an update every year. In 2024, we're expecting the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro lineup, with an arguably more interesting feature set than we got with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Capture Button All four iPhone 16 models are set to get a whole new button, which will be...
When To Expect New iPads Feature 1

Apple to Announce New iPads on March 26, Rumors Claim

Monday March 18, 2024 4:02 am PDT by
Apple is widely expected to release new iPad Air and OLED iPad Pro models in the next few weeks. According to new rumors coming out of Asia, the company will announce its new iPads on Tuesday, March 26. Chinese leaker Instant Digital on Weibo this morning 日发布%23">claimed that the date will see some sort of announcement from Apple related to new iPads, but stopped short of calling it an...
airpods 3 orange

Two New AirPods 4 Models Expected to Launch in September or October

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:56 am PDT by
Apple suppliers will begin production of two new fourth-generation AirPods models in May, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Based on this production timeframe, he expects the headphones to be released in September or October. Gurman expects both fourth-generation AirPods models to feature a new design with better fit, improved sound quality, and an updated charging case with a USB-C...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 Expected to Depreciate Heavily

Tuesday March 12, 2024 9:04 am PDT by
Resale value trends suggest the iPhone SE 4 may not hold its value as well as Apple's flagship models, according to SellCell. According to the report, Apple's iPhone SE models have historically depreciated much more rapidly than the company's more premium offerings. The third-generation iPhone SE, which launched in March 2022, experienced a significant drop in resale value, losing 42.6%...
iOS 17 Passkey With Apple ACCOUNT Feature

'Apple ID' Expected to Change to 'Apple Account' Starting With iOS 18

Sunday March 17, 2024 7:13 am PDT by
MacRumors was first to report that Apple was planning to rebrand "Apple ID" to "Apple Account" across its software platforms and websites like iCloud.com as early as this year, and now Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has corroborated this change. A mockup of the new Apple Account branding In his Power On newsletter today, Gurman said the new "Apple Account" branding will start to be used later this...
General iOS 17 Feature Orange Purple

iOS 17.4.1 Update for iPhone is Imminent

Monday March 18, 2024 5:27 am PDT by
iOS 17.4.1 and iPadOS 17.4.1 should be released within the next few days, with a build number of 21E235, according to a source with a proven track record. MacRumors previously reported that Apple was internally testing iOS 17.4.1. As a minor update for the iPhone, it will likely address software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. It is unclear if the update will include any other changes. ...
M3 iPad Feature 3

New iPads Likely to Begin Shipping in April

Monday March 18, 2024 9:52 am PDT by
Apple's new iPad Pro models with OLED displays will likely begin shipping to customers in April, according to information shared today by Ross Young, CEO of display industry research firm Display Supply Chain Consultants. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also said the new iPad Pro models might not ship until "deeper" into April in his Power On newsletter on Sunday:I've repeatedly said that new...