Juniper Visa

I'm planning on buying an iMac direct from apple and need to use the monthly payment option. So I was wondering if the Juniper Visa card is the only way to do this. If it is i would like some details on this.

bigmof said:

I'm planning on buying an iMac direct from apple and need to use the monthly payment option. So I was wondering if the Juniper Visa card is the only way to do this. If it is i would like some details on this.

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The Juniper Visa card is the Apple Store's only financing plan. It is a credit card, like any other that offers 90 days, same as cash (i.e. no interest) financing. For every dollar you spend at the Apple store, you earn two points toward a $25 iTunes gift card. It takes 2500 points to earn a $25 gift card, so if you spend $1250, you get it.

I'm a one credit card kind of guy, but I can't pass up a good freebie now and then. So, even though I intended to pay for my MacBook Pro in cash, I decided to do the financing. My MacBook Pro was $1200 ($1270 with tax), which netted me an automatic gift card. I applied online through the Apple store and obtained immediate approval. I then paid for the purchase with the Juniper Visa, waited to get my $25 gift card and then settled and closed the account, paying it online with my checking account.

Altogether, the process was painless and the customer service is just "OK" in my book. I sat on hold for longer than I like and the interest rate wasn't that great as I recall. You have to spend quite a bit to earn the iTunes rewards, so I wasn't interested in keeping the card. But I figured, hey, why pass up a free iTunes gift card, if you can get one basically for free.

I've been doing a lot of researching on Macs before buying one later this year.

I'm working from memory, so excuse me if I'm incorrect in any of this data. I found the following places will do interest free cards for longer than Juniper: CompUSA, BestBuy and MacMall.com. All three of them are authorized sellers of Macs.

I'm a no-credit-card kinda guy, but the Juniper card looks like a pretty crappy deal for the monthly-payment crowd.

If, like the original poster, I couldn't afford a Mac, I'd try for a card with my bank or credit union, and use the interest savings to buy my iTunes cards.

Like any loan, the question is whether it makes sense given your savings (if any) and what interest that savings is earning (if any) versus the interest of the loan (if any).

In this case, it's basically letting you collect interest for 90 days on the money you'd spend on your Mac. If you're buying a tricked out top of the line Mac Pro and you have your money in an account earning 5%, that's almost $200.

If you're buying a $599 mini, it's almost certainly not worth the bother.

I bought my wife a watch this weekend (Zenith Chronomaster Open El Primero, for you WIS's) and the store gave me 6 months same as cash if I signed up for their credit card. Someone is going to make interest on that money for the next six months. I figured it might as well be me.

I actually have a Juniper Visa Card. I don't really have anything to add to this thread other than the fact that I think it's the coolest looking card out there with its flat black finish.

ToddG said:

Like any loan, the question is whether it makes sense given your savings (if any) and what interest that savings is earning (if any) versus the interest of the loan (if any).

In this case, it's basically letting you collect interest for 90 days on the money you'd spend on your Mac. If you're buying a tricked out top of the line Mac Pro and you have your money in an account earning 5%, that's almost $200.

If you're buying a $599 mini, it's almost certainly not worth the bother.

I bought my wife a watch this weekend (Zenith Chronomaster Open El Primero, for you WIS's) and the store gave me 6 months same as cash if I signed up for their credit card. Someone is going to make interest on that money for the next six months. I figured it might as well be me.

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Excellent advice. My statement about being a "one credit card kinda guy" was mostly because I'm not usually the type to sign up for store credit cards - or to get one for a specific purchase, unless there's some sort of benefit (I've been known to sign up for a Sears card and take the free financing before paying it off to recoup some of the interest on my own money as ToddG mentioned). But otherwise, I keep one card open (that has its own benefits, like cash back) for emergencies or defer paying a purchase until the EOM.

I bought my MBP using the Juniper offer (make sure to read the fine print--the 90-days same as cash deal only applies for your first Apple Store order, & that must be made w/in 30 days of account approval). Only reason I signed up for the Juniper card was for the iTunes pts. (I just made my 2nd & final payment for this initial purchase).