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.

apple card feature2
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.

Popular Stories

iphone 16 pro ghost hand

5 Reasons to Skip This Year's iPhone 17 Pro

Thursday July 10, 2025 4:54 am PDT by
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series in two months, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive. If you're thinking of trading in your iPhone for this year's latest, consider the following features rumored to be coming...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says iPhone Driver's Licenses Will Expand to These 8 U.S. States

Tuesday July 8, 2025 11:26 am PDT by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, providing a convenient and contactless way to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. Unfortunately, this feature continues to roll out very slowly since it was announced in 2021, with only nine U.S. states, Puerto Rico,...
macbook pro blue green

M5 MacBook Pro No Longer Coming in 2025

Thursday July 10, 2025 12:38 pm PDT by
Apple does not plan to refresh any Macs with updated M5 chips in 2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Updated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models are now planned for the first half of 2026. Gurman previously said that Apple would debut the M5 MacBook Pro models in late 2025, but his newest report suggests that Apple is "considering" pushing them back to 2026. Apple is now said to be...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

Leaker Reveals Amount of RAM in iPhone 17 Through iPhone 17 Pro Max

Wednesday July 9, 2025 8:08 am PDT by
Three out of four iPhone 17 models will feature more RAM than the equivalent iPhone 16 models, according to a new leak that aligns with previous rumors. The all-new iPhone 17 Air, the iPhone 17 Pro, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max will each be equipped with 12GB of RAM, according to Fixed Focus Digital, an account with more than two million followers on Chinese social media platform Weibo. The...
iPhone 17 Pro in Hand Feature Lowgo

iPhone 17 Pro to Reverse iPhone X Design Decision

Monday July 7, 2025 9:46 am PDT by
Since the iPhone X in 2017, all of Apple's highest-end iPhone models have featured either stainless steel or titanium frames, but it has now been rumored that this design decision will be coming to an end with the iPhone 17 Pro models later this year. In a post on Chinese social media platform Weibo today, the account Instant Digital said that the iPhone 17 Pro models will have an aluminum...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Foldable iPhone Display Production Begins Ahead of Launch Next Year

Wednesday July 9, 2025 10:59 pm PDT by
Production of foldable OLED displays for Apple's first foldable iPhone have begun ahead of its expected launch next year, Korea's ETNews reports. The first foldable iPhone's displays are being produced by Samsung Display, who are establishing a production line dedicated to the upcoming Apple device its A3 factory in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. The production line will make displays exclusively...
apple tv 4k new orange

New Apple TV Expected Later This Year With These New Features

Saturday July 12, 2025 3:09 pm PDT by
A new Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Rumors Faster Wi-Fi Support The next Apple TV will be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. He said the chip supports ...
iphone 16 pro pro max

iPhone 17 Pro Models With BOE Displays Will Be Sold in China Only

Thursday July 10, 2025 11:59 pm PDT by
iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max models with displays made by BOE will be sold exclusively in China, according to a new report. Last week, it emerged that Chinese display manufacturer BOE was aggressively ramping up its OLED production capacity for future iPhone models as part of a plan to recapture a major role in Apple's supply chain. Now, tech news aggregator Jukan Choi reports...

Top Rated Comments

stark93 Avatar
25 months ago
wtf … Why? This was almost the only reason I have an Apple Card.
Score: 42 Votes (Like | Disagree)
BreakingKayfabe Avatar
25 months ago
Crazy that the carriers have this much pull with Apple.
Score: 33 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AlinomyTomy Avatar
25 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
25 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
25 months ago
That’s a really stupid move, have been buying unlocked phones for a long time…
Score: 24 Votes (Like | Disagree)
xxray Avatar
25 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)