Intro to AppleCare+ for Business plans
Overview
Plans with AppleCare+ for Business include flexible device repairs, giving you peace of mind knowing that your iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV devices are covered. And with prioritised 24/7 access to phone support, guidance from trained Customer Success Managers and specialised training modules, AppleCare+ for Business makes sure you’re getting the most out of your plan subscriptions.
You can also mix and match plans based on the services you need for your organisation. For example, if you want all your employees to have device management for a single device and you want your sales team to have up to three devices, you can create multiple plans and assign them to the corresponding users or user groups.
After a plan is created with AppleCare+ for Business, Service & Support appears under Devices in the Apple Business web portal.
What are the AppleCare+ for Business plan types?
AppleCare+ for Business can be included with both Employee plans and Device plans:
Employee plan for one device, which includes one repair credit annually
Employee plan for up to three devices, which includes two repair credits annually
Device plan for one device, which includes one repair credit annually
To add a plan with AppleCare+ for Business, see Manage Apple Business AppleCare+ plans. To review how credits work, see How AppleCare credits work.
What is an employee plan?
With an employee plan, you can assign user groups and individual users to employee plans. Users then sign in with their Managed Apple Account on any of their devices in order to enrol their device. After that, you can deliver apps and settings, view critical device details and push device commands. Employee plans can’t be used with Apple TV.
To add users to employee plans, you can assign them directly or using user groups (Smart User Groups or manually created User Groups). If a user is assigned to multiple plans, either directly or using user groups, the plan that allows more devices and features takes precedence. Depending on the plan that’s selected, users can have either one device or up to three devices.
Users assigned to employee plans also automatically get the Apple Business app, which allows them to install apps assigned to them by their organisation. See the Apple Support article About the Apple Business app.
You can customize employee plans by selecting:
The number of devices that can be enrolled: One device or up to three devices per user.
AppleCare support: 24/7 support with an AppleCare+ for Business plan. Each plan with AppleCare+ for Business includes up to two repairs that refresh annually, but they’re not tied to any one device or user. You can apply them manually or automatically to any device associated with a plan with AppleCare+ for Business. This support is for:
Users whose role has permissions to create, edit and delete AppleCare repair requests.
Users associated with the device (signed in with their Managed Apple Account).
What is a device plan?
With a device plan, you can assign up to 1,000 individual devices and provide the same device management functionality as an employee plan. Device plans are useful where the device won’t have a dedicated user, like an iPad that’s used as a kiosk or an Apple TV in a conference room. If a device is assigned a plan, that device can’t be associated with a user-assigned plan.
Coverage for assigned devices begins immediately after the plan is assigned to the device. To add a device to the device plan:
The device needs to appear in the Devices section
The device needs to be enrolled in the built-in device management service using Automated Device Enrolment
You have the following options when adding devices:
Add the first 350 from your devices list that aren’t assigned to a device management service.
Search by device type (Results are limited to 350 per search).
Search by serial numbers (separated by commas), which can be pasted in from a list.
Important: Devices associated with device plans need to be added using Automated Device Enrolment. See Enrolment methods.
What happens when I upgrade a plan?
If a user’s plan is upgraded from a plan with one device to a plan with three devices, the first device remains covered by AppleCare. The user can then sign in to two more devices.
What happens when I downgrade a plan?
If a user’s AppleCare plan is downgraded to cover only one device, the device that was signed in first keeps coverage. Coverage is removed for any other devices and they remain enrolled into the built-in device management in Apple Business.
What do the plans cover?
For user plans, devices can be either be organisation-owned or personally owned and enrolled into the built-in device management. The first device or the first three devices (for plans covering three devices) are covered when the user initially signs in with their Managed Apple Account. If an AppleCare+ for Business plan is added for a user, the first (or the first three) signed in devices are covered by AppleCare.
For device plans, only organisation-owned devices are eligible. Coverage begins at the time the device is added to the plan.
AppleCare has two classifications for older hardware:
Vintage (five years after device introduction)
Obsolete (seven years after device introduction)
For a complete list, see the Apple Support article Obtaining service for your Apple product after an expired warranty.
Note: Neither vintage nor obsolete hardware is eligible for AppleCare+ for Business coverage and you can’t add an AppleCare+ plan to a device that was manufactured more than four years ago. If a device turns vintage while assigned to a plan, the device is no longer covered by AppleCare and there is no change to the subscription. Eligibility is based on when the model was released and not based on when the organisation purchased the device. Coverage for Apple Displays is covered only with the additional purchase of Apple Care+ and won’t be tracked by Apple Business.
What happens if device coverage changes?
Device coverage can be changed a few ways:
30 days after the first sign in to the device, any eligible device can take the coverage if the user signs out of the currently covered device and then signs in to the new device.
At any time, a new device that’s purchased in the last 60 days can take the coverage if the user signs out of the currently covered device and then signs into the new device.
If a plan already exists, coverage starts the day the device is signed in, for example, 13 April. One year after that day, for example, 14 April, that coverage can be moved to another device. Signing in and out of the device doesn’t change that date. For plans that are added or upgraded, coverage starts the day that plan is added or upgraded, not when the device is first signed in.
If plans with AppleCare+ for Business are unassigned from a user, coverage is removed for all of the user’s devices and the devices remain enrolled into the built-in device management in Apple Business.
Note: If a device is currently in repair, the repair needs to be completed before the device is removed from the plan.
Proof of Coverage
Proof of Coverage is made up of two downloadable documents that show AppleCare+ for Business user and device coverage. These documents are downloadable after the first device or user assignment to a plan with AppleCare+ for Business and remain downloadable if all plans are cancelled. The Proof of Coverage is two documents:
Current Coverage contains all users and devices currently covered by AppleCare+ for Business. After the document has been generated, you can download it from the Activity section.
Historical Coverage contains a historical log of AppleCare+ for Business coverage for users and devices over the last 10 years. After the document has been generated, you can download it from the Activity section.
Terms and Conditions
All details of AppleCare+ for Business are subject to the AppleCare+ for Business Terms and Conditions.