After launching a new trade-in scheme without needing to buy a phone, Samsung has announced a new Galaxy S25 subscription initiative with an eye watering 50% money back promise.
The new ‘Galaxy AI Subscription Club’ launched last week in Korea and appears to be an extension of the ‘AI Subscription Club’, which rolled out in Korea last December.
In essence, customers who pay a monthly fee to Samsung will receive a selection of benefits, the most intriguing being up to 50% of their money back when returning a used Galaxy S25.
The leasing program was announced just days before the launch of the Galaxy S25 last week. Perks include:
- Up to 50% money-back if the Galaxy S25 is returned to Samsung after 12 months, or 40% after 24 months.
- Relaxed return policy with no conditions for new purchase after returning the old device.
- 50% off select accessories.
The subscription costs 5,900 KRW (4.11 USD) per month, which entitles shoppers to access to these perks. This isn’t the price of leasing a phone from Samsung, as some had speculated. Galaxy S25 buyers will still have to pay full price to receive the phone, alongside paying for the subscription. That means Korean Galaxy S25 buyers will get back $573 from their purchase in January 2026.
Samsung doubles down on trade-in promotions
Samsung has made several moves to extend the longevity of its phones in the last two years, with the most significant being promising seven years of software support and giving old Galaxy phones wildly high valuations when traded-in. That has yielded results as data shows Samsung phones are becoming increasingly valuable.
But this new scheme would appear to encourage the opposite, prompting people to swap in a relatively new phone with years of updates left.
A key detail in the translated Samsung Galaxy AI Club press release explains that no purchase of a new phone is necessary to get that 50% back. Typically, Samsung’s high trade-in prices require purchasing a new phone. This AI club scheme basically acts as a guarantee to first time Galaxy buyers, or iPhone users who switched over, a group Samsung has long courted.
Back in 2015 Samsung launched its “Ultimate Test Drive” scheme that let iPhone users borrow a Galaxy Note 6 or Galaxy S6 Edge. I wrote at the time that the opinion of those who took up Samsung’s offer was a mixed bag.
The scheme didn’t make a comeback for future releases, so perhaps it wasn’t as popular as the Korean company expected. This new subscription scheme has a similar flavor. It is offering a financial escape hatch for regretful Galaxy buyers. Or keeping people on the upgrade hamster wheel.
For now, the scheme is only available in Korea. It may be that the economics do not work in other countries to offer a 50% refund for all purchases. Or, it could be that Samsung is planning a wider roll out down the line, just as it did with its latest trade-in scheme that made its way to European shoppers after being trailed in Korea first.
