Best Buy's 'Upgrade+' Program Lets Customers Get a New Mac Laptop Every Three Years With Monthly Financing

Best Buy today announced a new financing and upgrade program called "Upgrade+." The program involves a combination of interest-free financing through Citizens Pay and an option to upgrade to a new Mac laptop after three years.

As an example, Best Buy cites a base M1 MacBook Air priced at $999.99. Through the Upgrade+ program, a customer can pay $19.99 per month for 36 months toward the machine. At the end of 36 months, the user has the option to make the remaining $280.35 payment and keep the machine, return the machine and leave the program, or upgrade to a new Mac laptop. If they return the machine, either to leave the program or upgrade to a new Mac, no final payment is required.

Examples of base Mac laptop configurations with Upgrade+ pricing terms:

• ‌M1‌ ‌MacBook Air‌ ($999.99): $19.99/month with final payment of $280.35
• M2 ‌MacBook Air‌ ($1,199.00): $25.98/month with final payment of $263.78
• ‌M2‌ 13-inch MacBook Pro ($1,299.00): $28.15/month with final payment of $285.78
• M1 Pro 14-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ ($1,999.00): $43.32/month with final payment of $439.78
• ‌M1 Pro‌ 16-inch ‌MacBook Pro‌ ($2,499.00): $54.15/month with final payment of $549.78

AppleCare+ and select Apple accessories can also be folded into the program and financed over the 36-month term. Members of the Best Buy Totaltech program (priced at $199.99 per year) will also receive their normal membership benefit of ‌AppleCare‌+ at no cost for up to 24 months while participating in the Upgrade+ program.

Best Buy notes that Best Buy Totaltech member pricing and other promotional discounts may not be used with the Upgrade+ program, but it may still be a reasonable option for customers who prefer a small monthly payment to spread out the cost of the machine over three years rather than having to pay for it entirely up front.

Customers may also be able to obtain more money for their used Mac after the three-year period by selling it through other channels rather than accepting the forgiven final payment from Best Buy, but customers who wish to do that could simply make that final payment and then sell the machine on their own.

Best Buy says the Upgrade+ program will also help to reduce e-waste, as Mac laptops returned at the end of the program will find their way to Best Buy's other programs for giving used machines second lives.