Microsoft Sticks A Fork In Surface Plus Financing Program For Consumers
Microsoft launched a program back in August 2017r called Surface Plus that allowed consumers to lease a Surface device with a 0% interest payment plan. One of the coolest things about the Surface Plus plan was that it allowed you to pay all 24 months of payments and keep the device or you could give it back to Microsoft in good working order in 18 months and upgrade to a new device. It sounded like a good deal for lots of people wanting an expensive Surface device without needing to shell out big money and then be stuck with a machine that was obsolete.
If you have been thinking about trying it out, you have waited too long. Microsoft has quietly announced that it has decided to end the Surface Plus lease program, which had financing provided by Klarna. Microsoft gives no clear indication as to why it decided to end the program.
All Microsoft says is that it ended the program "after much thought and consideration" on August 31, 2018. If you are already a member of that finance program, you will still get all the benefits that you expected when you signed up according to Microsoft's FAQ. Namely, you will be allowed to upgrade in your 18th month if the Klarna account is in good standing. The catch is that users will have to reach out to a Microsoft customer service representative for help with their upgrade when eligible.
The termination of the Surface Plus program doesn't impact the warranty on devices purchased under the plan. For users who purchased a Surface device in the last 30 days and no longer want to participate in the program now that the program ended, Microsoft is offering to allow returns of the device and any accessories if there is no damage or alteration of the device.
The discontinuation of Surface Plus for consumers could mean that the program found few takers as it didn't offer the best terms when it came to trading your device in for a new one at the 18-month mark. Reports indicated the trade in offer only gave 25% of the device's value when you could sell the device for more than that on the open market
Microsoft's Surface Plus plan for Business is still underway.