Best Buy's 'Upgrade+' Program Lets Customers Get a New Mac Laptop Every Three Years With Monthly Financing

Best Buy today announced a new financing and upgrade program called "Upgrade+." The program involves a combination of interest-free financing through Citizens Pay and an option to upgrade to a new Mac laptop after three years.

best buy mac upgrade program
As an example, Best Buy cites a base M1 MacBook Air priced at $999.99. Through the Upgrade+ program, a customer can pay $19.99 per month for 36 months toward the machine. At the end of 36 months, the user has the option to make the remaining $280.35 payment and keep the machine, return the machine and leave the program, or upgrade to a new Mac laptop. If they return the machine, either to leave the program or upgrade to a new Mac, no final payment is required.

Examples of base Mac laptop configurations with Upgrade+ pricing terms:

  • ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ ($999.99): $19.99/month with final payment of $280.35
  • M2 ‌MacBook Air‌ ($1,199.00): $25.98/month with final payment of $263.78
  • ‌M2‌ 13-inch MacBook Pro ($1,299.00): $28.15/month with final payment of $285.78
  • M1 Pro 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ ($1,999.00): $43.32/month with final payment of $439.78
  • ‌M1 Pro‌ 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ ($2,499.00): $54.15/month with final payment of $549.78

AppleCare+ and select Apple accessories can also be folded into the program and financed over the 36-month term. Members of the Best Buy Totaltech program (priced at $199.99 per year) will also receive their normal membership benefit of ‌AppleCare‌+ at no cost for up to 24 months while participating in the Upgrade+ program.

best buy upgrade
Best Buy notes that Best Buy Totaltech member pricing and other promotional discounts may not be used with the Upgrade+ program, but it may still be a reasonable option for customers who prefer a small monthly payment to spread out the cost of the machine over three years rather than having to pay for it entirely up front.

Customers may also be able to obtain more money for their used Mac after the three-year period by selling it through other channels rather than accepting the forgiven final payment from Best Buy, but customers who wish to do that could simply make that final payment and then sell the machine on their own.

Best Buy says the Upgrade+ program will also help to reduce e-waste, as Mac laptops returned at the end of the program will find their way to Best Buy's other programs for giving used machines second lives.

Popular Stories

Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's 'CarPlay Ultra' Experience Now Available

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:07 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its next-generation CarPlay experience, now dubbed "CarPlay Ultra" begins rolling out today, starting with Aston Martin vehicles. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. CarPlay Ultra is now available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the U.S. and Canada. It will also be available for existing models that feature the brand's next-generation ...
Apple CarPlay Ultra instrument cluster themes 01

Apple's CarPlay Ultra Is Here – Does Your iPhone Support It?

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:17 am PDT by
Apple's recently announced CarPlay Ultra promises a deeply integrated in-car experience, but not all iPhone users will be able to take advantage of the new feature. According to Apple's press release, CarPlay Ultra requires an iPhone 12 or later running iOS 18.5 or later. This means if you're using an iPhone 11, iPhone XR, or any older model, you'll need to upgrade your device to access...
CarPlay Ultra Climate Controls

Apple Says These Vehicle Brands Plan to Offer All-New CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 8:13 am PDT by
Apple today announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust...
iPhone 12 Made in India

Trump Tells Tim Cook to Stop Building iPhones in India

Thursday May 15, 2025 2:21 am PDT by
President Donald Trump has asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to halt the company's manufacturing expansion in India, in a potential disruption of Apple's plan to shift iPhone production away from China. "I had a little problem with Tim Cook yesterday," Trump said during his state visit to Qatar, according to Bloomberg. "He is building all over India." "They [India] have offered us a deal where...
apple music

Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Wednesday May 14, 2025 5:17 pm PDT by
Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music. The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced...
maxresdefault

Here's the First Real-World Look at Apple's CarPlay Ultra

Thursday May 15, 2025 5:52 am PDT by
The first videos of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience are now available, providing a never-before-seen look at the long-anticipated iPhone-linked infotainment software. British automaker Aston Martin today shared the first video of Apple's CarPlay Ultra experience in-action, followed by a detailed walk-through of the CarPlay Ultra system on Top Gear's YouTube channel, which provides the...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.5 With New Wallpaper, Screen Time Changes, Carrier Satellite Support for iPhone 13 and More

Monday May 12, 2025 10:06 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5, the fifth updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.5 and iPadOS 18.5 come a little over a month after Apple released iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. The iOS 18.5 update has a...
fortnite apple logo 2

Epic Resubmits Fortnite to U.S. App Store After Not Hearing From Apple for 120+ Hours

Wednesday May 14, 2025 1:01 pm PDT by
On Friday, Epic Games submitted Fortnite to the U.S. App Store, and since then, we've been waiting to see if Apple would approve the game and allow it back on the iPhone and the iPad. There's been no word from Apple so far, but Epic Games opted to pull its first App Store review request, and has now resubmitted Fortnite. Fortnite leaker Shiina shared the news, with the information reposted by...

Top Rated Comments

steve217 Avatar
34 months ago
The road to the poorhouse is paved with easy payment plans.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheYayAreaLiving ?️ Avatar
34 months ago

Ah yes, encouraging students to get into debt early. What student needs to upgrade a laptop after 3 years?

Sometimes, Macrumors, I think you guys post this stuff to wind us up.
It's a good option to have for students to get through college tho. Many don't have the funds right away to pay off the new Mac. Especially the fact, Apple will be raising the prices for the new upcoming Mac's in the future.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
34 months ago
Options are good. I don't see why anyone is mad about this. They aren't making this the only way to buy MacBooks or anything.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TwistedGleam Avatar
34 months ago

Ah yes, encouraging students to get into debt early. What student needs to upgrade a laptop after 3 years?

Sometimes, Macrumors, I think you guys post this stuff to wind us up.

Sounds like a good way to never get out of debt... maybe buy what you can afford and move on.

The road to the poorhouse is paved with easy payment plans.
The forgiven final payment for trade-in is a ripoff, but interest-free financing is a perfectly fine option, even for people who have the cash. especially if you consider the time value of money. A $30 monthly payment today is worth more than your 36th monthly payment of $30.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
34 months ago

I hope that Macrumors would venture into responsible journalism and add a note on whether this is a good deal or not
That would be called an editorial, which is not what this is. When presenting news, you're supposed to leave your own opinions out of it.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Cole82 Avatar
34 months ago
Sounds like a good way to never get out of debt... maybe buy what you can afford and move on.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)