📱 Phone Save & Return Calculator
Carrier “Save & Return” and “Bring-It-Back” offers are phone leases with a balloon payment. Enter the numbers to see whether returning the phone actually beats owning it.
Your offer
What the carrier charges to keep the phone at the end
What the phone will be worth used at the end of the term
Owning the phone is cheaper by about $50
Skip Save & Return, or take it and buy the phone out at the end — it will be worth more than the buyout.
The rule of thumb
Returning the phone beats owning it by exactly the gap between the buyout and what the phone is really worth. Here that is $450 buyout vs. $500 resale.
Because the phone is worth more than the buyout, buying it out at the end is the better end-of-term move — you would be paying less than the phone is worth.
Cost over 2 years
Save & Return
$750
real cost of the phone
- Monthly
- $31/mo
- Upfront
- —
- Total paid
- $750
- At the end
- No phone
Standard financing
Cheapest$700
real cost of the phone
- Monthly
- $50/mo
- Upfront
- —
- Total paid
- $1,200
- At the end
- Keep it ($500)
Buy outright (BYOD)
$700
real cost of the phone
- Monthly
- —
- Upfront
- $1,200
- Total paid
- $1,200
- At the end
- Keep it ($500)
Real cost compared
Before you sign
- Returning only makes sense if you were upgrading anyway. If you would normally keep a phone for four or five years, a two-year lease resets your clock and costs you more.
- Damage is the hidden risk. Rogers, Fido, Telus, and Koodo all charge the credit back if the returned phone fails inspection. A cracked screen can erase the entire saving.
- This compares the device only. Canadian carriers bill the device separately from the plan, so plan cost is left out. A cheap BYOD plan on a flanker brand or MVNO saves you more than any device deal.
- Assumes 0% device financing, which is standard in Canada. If a carrier quotes interest, add it to the retail price.
Estimates for educational purposes only. Buyout amounts vary by device and promotion — use the figure on your own agreement. Consult a financial professional for personalized advice.