Best Buy on Monday announced a new MacBook buying plan that lets users finance a laptop for 36 months and at the end of the term, customers have the choice of upgrading to a new laptop, paying off the current laptop, or returning it and ending the program. Best Buy’s plan, called Upgrade+, is similar to Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program.
When a customer enters the Upgrade+ program, the price of the MacBook is spread over 36 months, with the final payment due at the end of the plan. For example, an M1 MacBook Air at $999.99 would have payments of $19.99 per month for 36 months. At 37 months, a final payment of $280.35 can be made to purchase the laptop outright. But customers can also choose to return the laptop and walk away, or return the laptop in exchange for a new model with its own 36-month payment plan.
Customers can also invest in AppleCare+ and “select Apple accessories,” with the price of those items spread out over the 36 monthly payments. If you do not buy AppleCare+ at the time of the MacBook’s initial purchase and decide to buy it later, you’ll have to pay for AppleCare+ separately.
The Upgrade+ plan is available with any new MacBook Air or MacBook Pro from Best Buy in the U.S. Plan participants can pay off the balance before the term is up, but participants cannot upgrade to a new laptop before the 36 months term ends. MacBooks purchased through the plan can be returned as long as they are in accordance with Best Buy’s return policy. It’s a bit like Apple’s iPhone Upgrade Program, where the full cost of an iPhone with AppleCare+ is spread out over 24 months. After 12 payments, customers can choose to upgrade to a new iPhone or keep it and continue to make monthly payments for another year.
Upgrade+ is now available as a purchase option at Best Buy. To learn more, visit the Best Buy Upgrade+ website.