Will joining the Apple upgrade program make it harder to successfully?
When you join the Apple iPhone Upgrade Program, you are applying for a loan for the cost of the phone from Citizens One bank (in the US). This will impact your credit in two ways: The initial credit inquiry to determine creditworthiness is recorded in your credit file. If you have more than just a few inquiries within a short period of time, some lenders will view that negatively (it smells desperate and risky). Your new account and associated outstanding balance will be added to your credit file at one or more of the big three credit bureaus. This adds to your total indebtedness, which is also considered by lenders in your overall risk score. Both of these factors will impact your credit score (e.g. FICO), but probably by a fairly small amount. It shouldnt affect your ability to get a car loan or lease, unless youre right at the bottom end of financeability with a low credit score. If thats the case, Id recommend ensuring your financial priorities are straight before taking on new debt.