Unlocked iPhone Apple Card Financing

You do have to pick a provider among AT&T, t-mobile and Verizon), or purchase an unlocked iPhone. Picking a provider does not require an account or activation and the device will not be locked. If you go this route I recommend purchasing t-mobile. When you start the process you’ll see an activation screen. Your choices are to activate or later. Press later. This process will repeat 2 more times. Each time press later. After 3 attempts the system bypasses the activation screen and you can have the device activated on the network of your choice as long as they support eSIM.

Another option is to purchase the iPhone unlocked and upon getting home call an Apple Card Specialist at Goldman Sachs Bank and request the device be added to an ACMI.

You can still buy a phone through the Apple Installment Plan. Just go through the purchase process and select a carrier. Once you get home with your phone, contact your carrier and request an e-sim for your new phone.

The >problem< with being a time traveler is what was true (or believed to be true) may not be the actual state of affairs today.

Let’s look at this and see what we can maybe accomplish. So, Apple Card is a co-branded card. Apple isn’t really a bank and your Apple Card Mastercard was issued by Goldman Sachs Bank. They also are the ones financing all the ACMI plans. Did it occur to you to call their support team and talk to them about your frustrations?

Now, we’ve got a plan. How about you call (no chatting) and ask if you purchased an iPhone in full, could they set it up on interest free installments after the transaction is no longer pending? What have you got to lose? The worst thing they can do is say no. Well that was door number 1 to begin with. Next worst thing is you and support team member become friends (door number 2) and the least worst thing is they say sure, no problem (door number 3). At that point, ask for a name and implement your plan.

What happens if they can’t after I purchased the item? You have 14 days to return the item for a full refund.

Questions? OK, what’ll it be, door number 1, 2 or 3?

Okay Jeff

While I appreciate your workaround--the issue itself still stands.

Consumers shouldn't be required to perform workarounds and Apple should provide some context as to why they would just (seemingly) randomly do something like this and ensure it was timed right before iPhone 15 launched. Otherwise, people are left to guess as to what the reason is. Right now, the prevailing theory is that somehow, the "Big Three" are involved and basically influencing business decisions at Apple. This has pretty terrible optics.

It should be noted that none of their other products have this issue. I can buy a souped-up MacBook Pro for 4x the amount of money as my iPhone and still finance it on the card--which to me, kinda rules out any "loss" based reason and lends even more credence to the theory of the "Big Three" being involved when they arguably shouldn't be.

I suspect it was not a money making opportunity for either Apple or Goldman Sachs and it was simply a business decision to discontinue the financing. The 3% Daily Cash back is still available.

I am also very disappointed Apple remove the financing option for unlocked phones. That was the main reason I got an Apple card but now I have to find a better solution for it and is not as viable to buy the whole upfront value for the phone to get it unlocked. I don't use the main carriers and also love having the flexibility to change carrier whenever I want. Hope this can get reinstated so we can buy unlocked phones with the financing option soon.

Thank you, I Just did this..... Approved on the spot, on line, added to my apple wallet. Instantly, after downloading the app.... The whole point of getting the Apple card was to finance Phones for free, the 15 Pro Max would have been my third one, Along with the cash back for accessories, and my Mac mini, But my next phone is going on Wells Fargo, along with my Cricket Payments. You also get $600 a cell phone additional insurance, available twice a year, if you pay your cell bills with it. You Just saved me $35 a month in interest. I might even do away with apple care +

Thanks. I'll consider this. I currently pay for AC+, but the $600 coverage would cover a good portion for free and save me $13.49/mo = $162/yr of AC+.

I'm guessing Apple got some money from the carriers for this, but I wonder if it will be enough to replace the lost revenue. I was going to for sure get a 15 Pro Max with the 0%, but now I'm wondering if I want it at all. Losing out on the 0% direct and the convenience via Apple Card, and having to open yet another card account... Might just wait until savings accounts aren't paying 5%.

I am honestly turned off to Apple. I can afford to shell out the cost of a new iPhone or Watch, but have no desire to do so.

I would much rather pay $50 a month for 2 ish years than a single payment of $1000.

its basic pricing psychology. That $50 a month makes the perceived cost if the phone … $50 and not $1000.

I’d love to grab a iPhone15 but I’m seriously thinking that instead I’ll simply save up and wait two ish years assuming that’ll get me over shelling out $1000 all at once. It may or may not.

Brilliant move Apple. Simply brilliant.

What a phenomenal way to *NOT* sell devices.

Upon the change to the buying of an iPhone unlocked with same as cash to be limited to those who use the 3 big carriers….you are discriminating against those of us who choose an alternate carrier due to costs. Not everyone needs a “big” plan with a high cost. We are a small business that switched to consumer cellular with half the costs for a sufficient plan. In coordination, not all of us can easily just lay out 1000.00 whether it be planned upgrade, or replacement due to damage or phone failure. Apple just isolated those who need a payment plan in order to be affordable. The timing couldn’t be worse when prices of necessities are at an all time high. Smart phones used to be an option, but they are becoming a necessity in life and business. Yes you can live without, but the world revolves around them now. Extremely disappointed in Apple. I actually called and canceled my Apple Card bc of this poor decision. No reason for it now. I hope many others do the same and they realize the dollars they stand to lose. I’ve never had anything but an iPhone, but it may be time to change.

Abuelmousa wrote:

I’m on not on the big three so guess what it is gone!

Again, it is not. You don't need to be on one of the big three. Have you actually read the replies in the thread you posted in, or are you just assuming things?

See Jeff Donald's post just above yours.

Jeff Donald wrote:

Now, with that said, when you purchase an iPhone on installments, it

does not come activated or eSIM locked. The easiest to bypass is

T-Mobile. The iPhone will ask for your T-Mobile credentials and just

pick the option to >Continue< three times and you can then

activate the iPhone on any carrier that supports eSIM. You’ll probably

have to call their support team or visit a carrier retail location to

activate. Generally all they need is your IMEI number in Settings >

General > IMEI. It’s also print on the box the iPhone comes in.

You can still buy a phone through the Apple Installment Plan. Just go through the purchase process and select a carrier. Once you get home with your phone, contact your carrier and request an e-sim for your new phone.

Apple is more secretive about many business decisions and that’s just how they operate. If that runs counter to your needs and goals, find another manufacturer that better telegraphs their business decisions.

The workaround, since you want to call it that, really opens iPhone up to more merchants. Now you can easily get Apple Card financing from literally any merchant and not just Apple.com/store and Apple Retail stores. This can easily be interpreted as making it easier to use Apple Card for iPhone purchases and thousands of more merchants.

Some Apple Card holders would need to drive 100’s of miles to an Apple Store if they wanted to see the phones first. Now, they can make a purchase at local retailers/carriers that carry iPhones, including Best Buy,

Target, WalMart etc.

Really simple would have been to leave it as it had been. What’s not really simple is having customers jump through hoops to buy an Apple product from Apple with an Apple Card. It’s nonsensical.

I can’t recall another financial transaction which required a customer support call to make requests for one specific transaction. And because it is merely a request, it can be denied. It all feels more like requiring a secret paraphrase to enter a speakeasy, than a simple purchase. At the end of the day, adding barriers and frustrating customers @ point of purchase is never a good business strategy.

Judging from the number of posts here and elsewhere, an appreciable number of customers and potential customers feel disenfranchised. And they are valid to feel that way particularly given the process is entirely unreflective of Apple’s ‘it just works’ ethos.

You can still buy a phone through the Apple Installment Plan. Just go through the purchase process and select a carrier. Once you get home with your phone, contact your carrier and request an e-sim for your new phone.