The Surface Plus Program financing program, which Microsoft announced a year ago to help US customers and businesses get a Surface device with low monthly payments, will no longer accept new enrollments starting today, August 31. In a dedicated FAQ, the company also explained that the Surface Plus Portal will also disappear on September 30.
The company didn’t explain its decision to end new enrollment into the program, which allowed US customers to get a Surface device with a 24-month payment plan at 0% APR financed by Klarna. This won’t impact the financing plans of existing Surface Plus customers though, and current members will still be able to keep their Surface device and its accessories after the 24 month period. It’s also worth noting that Microsoft will still allow existing customers to upgrade to a newer device after 18 months, in exchange for returning their original device and accepting a new 24-month payment plan and credit agreement with Klarna. Once the online portal shuts down though, customers will have to contact a Microsoft customer service representative directly for information.
Microsoft’s Surface Plus for Business program, which also launched last year in partnership with LiftForward will apparently continue to exist in the US. Small and medium sized-businesses can still pick up any Surface device (including the new Surface Go) or a HoloLens headset on the dedicated website, and also add an optional Office 365/Microsoft 365 subscription to get the complete package.
Anyway, it’s interesting to see Microsoft ending its Surface Plus program for consumers while announcing at the same time a similar Xbox All Access offer for Xbox enthusiasts. This time though, the company said right away that Xbox All Access would be a limited-time offer that will be available through December 31, 2018, while supplies last.
