Rogers again offering free watch or tablet data plan when you finance

Rogers is once again offering a free smartwatch or tablet data plan for customers who finance one of those devices, but as usual, conditions apply.

This time around, the offer appears to be limited to Rogers’ ‘Ultimate’ plan, which costs $95/mo after a $10 autopay discount and another $5/mo discount. One of the perks listed for the Ultimate plan is the $0/mo smartwatch/tablet plan for customers who finance a device from Rogers.

However, it’s worth noting the offer only removes the cost of the data-only plan for the financed smartwatch of tablet. Customers still need to pay the monthly financing cost, which varies based on the device, as well as the price of the monthly plan. Tablet plans cost $20/mo while smartwatch plans cost $15/mo, according to the Rogers website.

For smartwatches, the cheapest financing options are about $20/mo ($19.39 for the Apple Watch SE or $19.58 for the Pixel Watch 2), while the cheapest tablet appears to be the 10th-gen iPad for $15/mo financing.

So, totalling it all up, you’re looking at roughly $110 (cheapest tablet) to $115 (cheapest watch) per month for 24 months, not including tax or other fees like financing costs for your smartphone. After 24 months, the financing for the device is paid off, but you also stop getting the free plan. That means if you financed, your price would actually drop as the $20 financing fee is replaced with the $15/mo smartwatch plan, while tablet owners would see an increase as the $15/mo financing cost is replaced by the $20/mo tablet plan. (This all assumes you go for the cheapest option and not one of the more expensive devices.)

With this offer, you’ll save between $360 and $480 over two years, which isn’t bad if you were planning to get a smartwatch or tablet anyway.

However, it sucks that this time around, the offer is tied to the most expensive Rogers mobile plan. Back in April, Rogers had a similar deal with a free watch or tablet plan that seemingly worked with other Rogers mobile plans instead of being tied to the most expensive option. You do get a lot of stuff with the $95 plan, including 275GB of data (thanks to a recent boost to data buckets) and unlimited talk, text, and data use in Canada, the U.S., and Mexico. The plan includes several other features like 1,000 international minutes, free Sportsnet+ for three months, and discounted roaming costs.

Another upside here is that it looks like Rogers is no longer tacking on an extra $10/mo to its plans for customers who finance devices. Now, the listed prices on the company’s website for both new activations and bring your own phone customers.

You can learn more about the deal on the Rogers website.