Apple Card Monthly Financing No Longer Available for SIM-Free iPhones

Apple today updated its U.S. Apple Card Monthly Installment plan to require those who use the feature to purchase an iPhone that is linked to AT&T, Verizon, or T-Mobile. With this change, the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment plan can no longer be used to purchase a SIM-free ‌iPhone‌.

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All iPhones purchased through the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment plan are unlocked so carrier switching is available at any point, but at purchase, customers will need to have a plan with a supported carrier. Buying a SIM-free ‌iPhone‌ and linking it to a carrier like Mint Mobile will no longer be possible using installments.

Apple announced these changes in an updated support document back in June, and the monthly installment plan has officially been updated. Prior to now, ‌Apple Card‌ installments could be used to purchase an ‌iPhone‌ online with the option to connect to a carrier at a later date, which allowed customers to buy an ‌iPhone‌ and then link it to any carrier of their choosing.

Apple already required customers using ‌Apple Card‌ installments to choose one of the main three carriers when in stores, and now the online policy matches the in-store policy.

With the ‌Apple Card‌ Monthly Installment plan, ‌Apple Card‌ holders can pay for their devices over a 24-month period with 0% APR and 3% Daily Cash back on payments.

Apple today is also changing the monthly installment term for the Apple Watch, and customers will be required to pay off the device over 12 months instead of 24 months. Apple now uses a 12-month term for Apple Watch, Macs, displays, and iPads, with the 24-month term limited to the ‌iPhone‌.

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Top Rated Comments

stark93 Avatar
28 months ago
wtf … Why? This was almost the only reason I have an Apple Card.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BreakingKayfabe Avatar
28 months ago
Crazy that the carriers have this much pull with Apple.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlinomyTomy Avatar
28 months ago
Jesus, I’m sitting here with my Apple Card anxiously awaiting the new phones to replace a backup 6 I’ve been on for the last month, and Apple pulls this? The Apple Card just lost a ton of value to me, personally.
Score: 26 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macizcool Avatar
28 months ago
I started an “Apple Savings Account” which is an account setup just for buying Apple products. I have $40 transferred to it every paycheck. This is my own way of doing 0% financing.
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jz0309 Avatar
28 months ago
That’s a really stupid move, have been buying unlocked phones for a long time…
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
28 months ago
This is really frustrating. Us prepaid users always get the bottom of the barrel when it comes to stuff like this. Reminds me of when sim-free iPhones weren’t available until a month or two after launch. What’s the logic behind this move?
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)