Best Buy CC & Iphone 11 pro

[Anonymous]

So here is what I am thinking.... Best Buy recently offered 24 month financing on anything over $799. My current phone (iphone 8plus) is paid off completely and the iphone 11 pro is intriguing. I am thinking about just buying the phone at BB instead of financing through apple or verizon. This would result in no hard inquiry for financing, I could make additional payments on the phone and I would still be able to trade in my current phone to decrease the balance as well. Seems like win to me. Another option would be just to finance with apple and use the apple card for the 3% back for 24 months. But that would result in a hard pull on credit. 

Thoughts?

[NRB525]

Is there a HP if you finance through Verizon? I don’t think my ATT account had any HP on the 11 or the XS last year. I do have over 20 years on the same ATT account so that may have something to do with it.

If there is a HP, that fades in 6 months and is nothing in a year, is that a problem?

[Anonymous]

you don't want to do the trade in?

a HP is not something so evil that one should sacrifice hundreds of real money for.

personally, Im just sticking to my $185 Mi8 Lite, lol

[Anonymous]

It isn't a problem. My experien score is 829. I just don't know if I can justify a hard pull for a cell phone. 

[Anonymous]

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@Anonymous wrote:

you don't want to do the trade in?

a HP is not something so evil that one should sacrifice hundreds of real money for.

personally, Im just sticking to my $185 Mi8 Lite, lol

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I would just trade in the phone to best buy and get $300 off of the new phone. 

[Anonymous]

If you can justify 500 for a cell phone, yes, you can justify a HP,

[Shadowfactor]

If you have an exisiting phone line, it never used to be a hardpull to finanace a phone. Its been 2-3 years since I've done it but I did it almost every year when I was in college.

It was always a HP to start a post paid account, but once you had the account you could do the 24 month payment option.

[imaximous]

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@Shadowfactor wrote:

If you have an exisiting phone line, it never used to be a hardpull to finanace a phone. Its been 2-3 years since I've done it but I did it almost every year when I was in college.

It was always a HP to start a post paid account, but once you had the account you could do the 24 month payment option.

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No HP if you get a phone through the cell phone carrier as long as you're a customer already and in good standing. 

But Apple has its own upgrade program for the iPhone, which unfortunately, continues to use Citizens Bank for the financing. Every year you want to upgrade, it requires a credit check. Citizens "reserves" the right to perform or not a new hard inquiry every time you want to upgrade, so you basically roll the dice after the initial purchase. The first one is a definite HP.

I thought that the new Apple Card would become a financing option to avoid a HP, but nope, it works in addition to Citizens financing plan where you make the monthly payments on the Apple Card to earn 3%. It's annoying, but I can see why Apple wouldn't want to get their hands dirty collecting payments, so they let the banks deal with that and the potential defaults too.

Depending on the carrier and other retailers, it could still make sense taking a HP through Apple's plan because of the current trade-in offer. I get more on the trade from Apple for my XS Max than Verizon. Apple is offering $600 for my trade vs $200 from Verizon for upgrades. I'll take a HP all day long to save $400 and avoid the hassle of having to sell it on my own to get more than $200 for it.

[M_Smart007]

I used to go the HP route and pay over time. ..Nowaday's ..I buy a new unlocked phone through "Google" I pay with a CC

and purchase a MVNO, I am currently using Mint Mobile (T-Mobile's Network) It has been the best for My Area,

also has many of The T-mobile network features. I pay for 1 year at a time. $180 = $15 per month. Unlimited talk & Text

+ 3gb of data per month. I rarely use more than 1 gb per. also WiFi text & Calling with supported phone.

I buy through "Google" as They add an extra year of updates ..past the normal other's period.

also if you have any issues, they overnight you a replacement cell phone. Then you send the other back.

I am currently using The LG-V35 ThinQ and it has been flawless, Instant security rollouts and updates.

and The battery life is simply amazing!

If you Travel abroad, Project "fi" service works in 200+ countries. also works on 3 carrier's at once.

Sprint, T-Mobile & US Cellular. I have tested this extensively. Amazing Service!. IMHO

also if you have project fi, you get always on VPN when you are connected to WiFi,

an added layer of security,  ..as no one can "sniff" your internet traffic, in a Airport, Coffee shop and such.

one thing I really like about Google's fi unlocked phones they work with GSM & CDMA carriers.

plug in any SIM card, set it up, and you are good to go!

No Bloatware on their phones either.

[CreditCuriosity]

Just echoing no HP for financing through Verizon if you are already a customer.  Just did an apple XR when price dropped a week ago on announcement of the 11's