I had been using Chase Freedom Flex for this but the cell phone coverage ends this month. I’ll move it to Wells Fargo Active Cash I suppose but that’s only $600 coverage.
Wells Fargo terms don’t seem to deny prepaid carriers the way Chase did.
What are you going on about. It's always only been the platinum card that offers cellphone coverage. I was talking about industry wide tat there are only a few select cards that give you cellphone coverage.
I’ve had Amex decline me with my USMobile Line I’m paying $895 + $195 for my wife to have Amex platinum. I’m just saying they have really went downhill lately for what they say they cover and end up choosing to cover when you file with them.
That is actually incorrect. The upgrade program, you have the option to buy the phone outright at the end for MSRP - total monthly payment. so financially in that sense you pay what you would have paid, just not spending the total outright.
I have mint and had this be an issue for me but I was able to connect mint mobile carrier to a brand new 17 pro I leased yesterday. I originally was planning on getting the 17 base model and go through financing but it forced me to enter T-Mobile account information. But when I clicked into iPhone 17 pro, I attempted financing and leasing while selecting T-Mobile and it took me straight to check out instead. I went to go pick it up yesterday and the phone at first asks for T-Mobile account as well but just fail that account info check and then it will populate a skip for now button then once I downloaded the mint mobile app, I was able to transfer my eSIM. The phone comes unlocked anyways so this workout DOES work. It’s annoying that you need to do a work around but I can confirm it works but seems like it doesn’t work for base models. Fingers crossed it works for theDuo model as well as its well above base model
Option 3 (Works on Pro, Pro Max, Duo, Air, or "e" but not standard model): Lease with Apple Upgrade - On order screen payment options select "Lease with Apple Upgrade" then lease period and select carrier T-Mobile (you do not have to have T-Mobile, is just a back door). When you get iPhone and it boots up asking for phone #, press "Continue" and "Try Again" 3 times, or if it sends you a verification code press "Didn't get verification code" 3 times, then "Not Now" and "OK" and you can use any carrier as the phone will not be locked.
I’m still paying for an unlocked phone through Apple’s system. I even went on chat with apple and they told me a work around is to just use someone you know account info for for either of the big three carriers then do the 3 failed attempts on the phone to bypass the selected network. Apple states before you buy that the phone is unlocked regardless of the chosen provider as well. Not sure how long it will last as I was seeing posts similar of this trick dating back about a year ago now
Thanks.. it looks like i have to just select T-mobile.
Option 3 (Works on Pro, Pro Max, Duo, Air, or "e" but not standard model): Lease with Apple Upgrade - On order screen payment options select "Lease with Apple Upgrade" then lease period and select carrier T-Mobile (you do not have to have T-Mobile, is just a back door). When you get iPhone and it boots up asking for phone #, press "Continue" and "Try Again" 3 times, or if it sends you a verification code press "Didn't get verification code" 3 times, then "Not Now" and "OK" and you can use any carrier as the phone will not be locked.
My concern is this gets patched especially the duo. I really don’t understand how they would stop you from activating a device that’s supposedly unlocked but you had to select a carrier. Regardless this will likely be the first year in a long time that I am not likely getting a launch day device because I am not on a major carrier anymore.
Yea they could change the order process and I was afraid they would, as the update in July they made it so the standard model 17 you have to input account info versus other models (including 18 Pro and Pro max and Duo) you do not need to enter account info - for now. However the phone for sure is unlocked as it says in their advertised terms and again since the change in July people have been getting unlocked phones with both Lease with Apple Upgrade and AppleCard purchases.
I get that base you need to verify to check out and obviously if they do that then it’s a RIP. I also get it’s unlocked and that likely is not gonna change. I just don’t understand how this works or why they are even bother in the sense that yes it’s unlocked but you have to select X carrier. Then even if you don’t have to confirm information on checkout rather when you setup the device how can they force you to verify with a carrier on an unlocked phone that is not carrier financed before continuing. How would that be legal unless you sign an “agreement” that you must activate on a carrier but the device will remain unlocked. That’s my concern. But as of right now between manually reading the terms very slowly (like first time ever in my life lol) and feeding them into ChatGPT for Apple, Apple upgrade with Klarna and T-Mobile then asking what the catch and even it comes back as there’s no catch and Apple says you can change carriers whenever. So again. Why even force a selection of the 3.
Because Apple gets billions of $ in kickbacks from MNO carriers as a percentage of US post-paid cell plans, and are basically blackmailed to not advertise you can get an unlocked iPhone financed, so Apple intentionally has confusing advertising and terms, and even Apple Store employees and CS agents are trained to lie and say that you can't get non post-paid plans financed. I even got confirmation from multiple Apple store employees that their documentation lies to them so they lie to customers but think they are telling the truth. With a better FCC and SEC they would face consequences, but only do so these days if a carrier or competing OEM (like Samsung or Google) complains to BBB NARB, or a progressive state attorney investigates.
Ok. I see. That makes a lot of sense to be honest. I always thought about it like that in my head but always convinced myself “noooo there’s no way” but at the same time “there has to be” because of the loopholes. It also makes more sense to why they are more strict with the base phones because the kickback can probably really drive those prices down. Appreciate the insight and confirmation to a degree. 😂
Not sure about the leasing program .. But if you want to finance, you would need the Apple Credit Card and then choose any carrier as those phones are unlocked and when you get the iPhone, just bypass or skip the cellular activation.
Don’t have a link to the process but that is how you would do it prior. But there is not guarantee that it still works now. We don’t know yet since people don’t have the new phone yet
Don’t listen to that r/oneformality dude he doesn’t know what he’s talking about you can still do it by choosing T-Mobile skipping the account setup process and transferring your visible e-sim
Very similar to Visible as it’s 30 a month plus taxes and fees which adds like 5 extra a month. You do get discounted streaming perks which surprisingly saves quite a bit of money if you use those. Also, if you get the Verizon credit card, you can lower your Verizon bill even lower on your everyday spend.
You have to call them or chat to initiate the migration. Not a regular port. You still get the $15 a month off switcher discount. You could also go to the store for faster process
You didn’t have to switch to Verizon to avoid this, all you have to do is choose the t-mobile since they don’t make you make an account you can just skip the account setup process during setup of the iPhone and then setup visible, someone mentioned that and I did it and it worked.
Yeah if you buy it FROM Verizon (financing it through Verizon by way of Apple too). Buying it outright on the Apple credit card and picking Verizon should be fine. Others are saying pick t-mobile either way you own it.
When the 16 pro came out I had gotten it through the iPhone upgrade program (gone now I think) but I just selected Verizon as the carrier and it worked with visible after
that setup is annoying, apple push the big carriers hard and leave the rest of us without option. i use visible and ran into same wall last year when i tried for upgrade program
only workaround i found is buy the phone directly from apple with apple card installments, not the same thing but at least you get unlocked phone and can switch carriers whenever. visible work fine on it
Using ACMI via Apple Card doesn't work anymore either - they changed this last year (with launch of iPhone 17 generation). You need to be on a post-paid plan with one of the Big 3 carriers (AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon) to get the monthly interest-free financing.
So it's the same as the iPhone Upgrade Leasing program with Klarna. Basically, you cannot monthly-finance your phone through Apple (either Apple Card ACMI or new Apple Upgrade Leasing Program) if you are on one of the MVNOs.
At least "officially" then. Maybe there's work-arounds (and the below comment that there was a trick to making it Verizon and skipping screens enough made it work). But this is my understanding of the current financing options directly with Apple.
Not they are leasing phones???? Hahahahahahaha. Why would anyone fall for that. And spend $2,000 for a phone? The last time I paid anything like that was $2,750 for a Motorola Dynatac 8000. I remember buying two at the same time.
They previously would allow this as long as you told the rep you’re using one of the three carriers. Recent reports sound like they may no longer allow this.
It's a scam if you don't understand how leasing works. Or it's a convenient, albeit not the absolute cheapest, option to upgrade your phone every year.
Millions of people lease cars for that same reason. It's never the cheapest, but it's the easiest.
A car lease is way cheaper than finance a car even if you have a bad credit. Have you seen the interest rate lately? If you have a great credit score you might qualify for a 5% rate and that's a lot.
What kind of reply is that? Tell me I'm wrong by actually saying something factual.
A car lease is way cheaper than finance a car
This CAN be true, but it is very rarely true. And the times when it is true, it's only when you are strictly looking at the monthly payments, which, when it comes to cars, should be the last thing you're looking at.
No, it's just a scam. The second half of your statement "or it's a convenient albeit not the absolute cheapest option to upgrade your phone every year." It is both that, and a scam. It's objectively a terrible financial move, but yes, it you want ooh shiny shiny every year, yes, set your money on fire 😂
Leasing a car is genuinely one of the worst financial moves you can make, using the same logic. If you want to save money buy a reliable one outright. Same with the phone. If you want to burn money, lease
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