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T-Mobile has a payment program in which consumers can upgrade their phones anytime, instead of waiting for a specific timeframe. The program, called JUMP! On Demand, also allows people to avoid sales taxes and fees. In a sense, it’s a leasing program occurring over an 18-month timeframe.
People who use the program will make payments over the course of 18 months, each payment equal in value. They’ll also have the opportunity to upgrade to a new phone as often as once every 30 days. They don’t have to hit any benchmarks or wait a specified amount of time before deciding to upgrade, either. All users have to do is trade in their current phone and receive a new one. Then the 18-month cycle will refresh. Check out current T-Mobile plans that offer JUMP! On Demand.
People who qualify for the program must have good credit. Signing up for the program doesn't cost a single penny. Once your JUMP! On Demand membership starts, you pay the first of your new and equal payments, which are divided over 18 pay periods. The payments are structured like T-Mobile’s equipment installment plans. However, members will not have to pay a $10.00 fee each month that people pay for T-Mobile’s other JUMP! upgrade program.
After someone has joined the plan and they want to upgrade their device, they simply take their old phone to a T-Mobile store and exchange it for a new phone. Their old phone must be in good condition, and working, and they must restart the 18-month plan.
Since this is a lease program, a member must return their phone at the end of the 18-month cycle if they choose not to upgrade to a new device. If at the end of the cycle, they want to start over, they can sign up for the plan again and receive a new phone. Either way, their payments for their existing phone cease. If, on the other hand, they like their current phone, they can opt into paying a final purchase price and keep it. This amounts to the difference between the original price of the phone and the 18 payments they’ve already made toward it.
People have two options to end their participation in JUMP! On Demand. They can return their phone to T-Mobile, but they’ll still have to make the remainder of the 18 payments. Another alternative is to purchase the phone—but to successfully leave the program, they’ll have to purchase the phone and make the remainder of their 18 payments. People who choose one of these options are not barred from joining the program again without suffering any fines or penalties.
Related: What is T-Mobile Protection 360?
The 18 monthly payments are priced between 20 to 30 dollars. Prices may vary in accordance with the kind of phone a member chooses to lease. They also won’t have to pay the 10 dollar monthly fee users of the traditional JUMP! plan must pay. It should be noted that JUMP! On Demand doesn't include premium insurance. If users want, they can pay 8 dollars per month for insurance in addition to their monthly JUMP! On Demand payments.
Members of T-Mobile’s traditional JUMP! plan can switch to JUMP! On Demand only when they’re allowed to upgrade to a new phone. People who upgrade from JUMP! can even expect T-Mobile to pay as much as 50% of the value of their old phone at the moment they exchange it. If they don’t want to go this route and want to keep their old phone, members can pay off the phone and then switch to T-Mobile’s JUMP! On Demand plan.
One of the many plans T-Mobile offers is its equipment installment plan. Members who have already signed up to one of those plans can still switch to JUMP! On Demand. Similarly to switching from JUMP, people who are on an equipment installment plan must pay off the remainder of that plan before switching to JUMP! On Demand. If they choose to trade in their old phone, T-Mobile will apply its value toward a trade for a new phone.
Companies pitch the best possible deals in ways that imply everyone qualifies for them. That’s not necessarily the case. While salespeople will promote the notion that the program requires no down payment, potential members should read the fine print before taking the plunge. Only people will great credit can qualify for no down payment. Everyone else will have to pay an initial fee. Since the 18 monthly payments are structured, however, everyone, despite their credit, will pay the same for their 18 monthly installments.
How much people will initially pay depends on the phone they choose. If they choose a 700 dollar phone, for example, their upfront fee might be around 200 dollars. Potential customers should keep in mind, though, that making such a high down payment will reduce their overall cost, resulting in a lower monthly payment.
People with good credit who qualify for no down payment will also avoid paying an activation fee and sales tax. This only applies to signing up for the program. They will have to pay applicable taxes on their monthly installments as well as the Simple Choice plan, which is required, as we mentioned above.
What about people who have damaged phones? They can still either upgrade from an existing plan or end their JUMP! On Demand plan, but T-Mobile will force them to pay a 250 dollar fee. Anyone who has a phone that won’t turn on, has suffered significant damage from water or other liquids, or even has a cracked screen must pay this fee.
People who choose to upgrade by returning a broken phone might not get to keep the phone if the damage fee is greater than the cost of the phone. They can, however, end their plan by paying off the phone—if they want to keep it—and signing up for JUMP! On Demand again. This will allow them to select a new device then start their 18-month payment cycle over again.
At the outset of the program, T-Mobile offered Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus for a tantalizing price. People who chose to exchange their old devices for an iPhone 6—available as 16GB, 64 GB, or even 128GB received a monthly credit of 12 dollars on all of their 18 monthly payments.
People who chose the smallest, 16 gig, iPhone 6 only had to pay between 15 and 19 dollars a month after receiving the monthly credit. Everyone who stuck with the plan without upgrading could save 216 dollars over the 18 month period. This deal had its drawbacks, however. People wouldn’t receive any value for trading in their current devices. If, however, their phone’s value was more than the 216 dollars in savings, they received a credit on their bill which equaled the difference of their phone minus 216 dollars.
JUMP! On Demand didn't apply to all phones offered by T-Mobile. Instead, the selection included the iPhone 6 and 6 plus, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge, the Samsung Galaxy Note 4, and the LG G4.
On its launch, JUMP! On Demand was only available in certain T-Mobile stores with plans to possibly expand online in the future.
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