Apple has ended its iPhone Upgrade Program in the United Kingdom, replacing it with a new financing setup that costs more and drops the bundled AppleCare coverage.The tech giant is ditching its partnership with Barclays Bank and switching to Creation, a Belfast-based consumer finance company, for its revamped “Flexible Finance Account.” Existing program members don’t need to do anything immediately—they’ll just keep making payments until it’s time for their next upgrade.
The change means UK customers will pay slightly more for similar service. A Pro Max 256GB with AppleCare theft and loss protection now costs £71.90 monthly under Creation, compared to £68.45 under the old Barclays program, according to user reports.
New plans offer different trade-offs
The Flexible Finance Account comes in two flavors: a 20-month plan letting you upgrade after 11 payments, or a 30-month plan with upgrades after 23 payments. Both offer zero percent interest, but neither includes AppleCare automatically—you’ll need to add that separately.There’s one notable improvement: customers can now apply online instead of trekking to an Apple Store. Under Barclays, you had to apply in person on an iPad, endure a lengthy application, and repeat the entire process—including hard credit checks—each year when upgrading.The program continues unchanged in other markets, including the United States. Creation and PayPal Credit now handle all Apple device financing in the UK, fully replacing Barclays across Apple’s lineup.For shoppers who relied on the old program’s simplicity and included AppleCare, the switch represents a step backward. The modest price bump and unbundled coverage might push some toward standard interest-free credit cards instead.
