TL;DR
John Hancock’s Vitality Plus life insurance program now includes the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3 as reward-eligible devices. Members pay an initial $25 plus tax, then reduce monthly installments by earning activity points tracked through the watch.
What happened
John Hancock expanded its Vitality rewards offering to cover the Apple Watch Series 11 and Apple Watch Ultra 3. Eligible Vitality Plus life insurance customers can register for a Vitality member account, complete the Vitality Health Review (VHR), and order a watch after making an initial payment of $25 plus tax. The remaining balance is divided into 24 monthly installments, and the amount due each month is reduced according to points earned through regular exercise. Points are tracked via the Apple Watch across workout categories such as walking, running, biking and swimming. A standard workout is worth 20 points per day and an advanced workout 30 points. Monthly payment tiers are tied to point thresholds; for Series 11/Ultra 3 there are four example tiers ranging from $15.50 down to $0.00, with 500 points eliminating the monthly payment. Upgrading to higher-end models may require a supplementary first payment.
Why it matters
- Members can substantially lower or eliminate monthly watch payments by meeting activity targets.
- The program uses actual exercise tracked on Apple Watch to determine financial rewards, which may encourage sustained activity.
- Rewards are tied to a life insurance plan benefit and are only available to Vitality Plus customers.
- The structure combines device financing with behavior-based incentives rather than a simple discount or rebate.
Key facts
- Eligibility: available to John Hancock Vitality Plus life insurance customers only.
- Initial payment: $25 plus tax required when ordering a new Apple Watch (supplemental first payment may apply for upgrades).
- Payment term: remaining balance split across 24 monthly installments.
- Series 11 / Ultra 3 monthly payment tiers: $15.50 (0 points), $12.25 (240 points), $7.00 (360 points), $0.00 (500 points).
- Apple Watch SE monthly payment tiers: $9.25 (0 points), $7.25 (240 points), $4.25 (360 points), $0.00 (500 points).
- Point values: 'Standard' workout = 20 points/day; 'Advanced' workout = 30 points/day.
- Standard workout criteria include 10,000 steps, active-calorie threshold (based on Apple Health data), and 30 minutes at 60% of max heart rate.
- Advanced workout criteria include 15,000 steps, active-calorie threshold (based on Apple Health data), and 45 minutes at 60% of max heart rate.
- Tech tracking: the Apple Watch is used to record workouts across activities such as walking, running, biking and swimming.
What to watch next
- Whether John Hancock will expand the offer to non-Vitality Plus customers is not confirmed in the source.
- Changes to point thresholds, monthly payment amounts, or eligible devices in future Vitality updates are not confirmed in the source.
- Whether alternative fitness trackers or third-party devices will be accepted for points is not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- John Hancock Vitality: A rewards program tied to John Hancock life insurance that grants benefits based on members' health and fitness activity.
- Vitality Health Review (VHR): An initial assessment required by the Vitality program that members must complete to enroll in reward offerings.
- Active calories: Calories burned during physical activity, typically estimated using data such as movement, heart rate, sex, height and weight.
- Max heart rate: An estimated upper limit for heart rate during activity, often used to set exercise intensity targets (commonly calculated using age-based formulas).
Reader FAQ
Who can get an Apple Watch through this program?
Only John Hancock Vitality Plus life insurance customers are eligible.
What do I pay up front and monthly?
You pay $25 plus tax up front; the remaining cost is split into 24 monthly payments that decrease with earned activity points.
How do I earn the points needed to reduce payments?
Points are earned by completing tracked workouts on the Apple Watch; a standard workout is 20 points and an advanced workout is 30 points, based on step counts, active calories and heart-rate criteria.
Will non-Apple fitness devices count toward points?
not confirmed in the source
Does earning points affect insurance premiums?
not confirmed in the source
Apple debuts ‘Apple Creator Studio’ subscription, here’s what you get Chance Miller Jan 13 2026 APPLE WATCH How to get an Apple Watch Series 11 or Ultra 3 for (almost)…
Sources
- How to get an Apple Watch Series 11 or Ultra 3 for (almost) free
- Apple Watch with Vitality
- How to get an Apple Watch Series 11 or Ultra 3 for (almost) …
- New Apple Watch Series 10 Added to Health Program
Related posts
- iOS 26.3 public beta 2 released for testers — RCS E2EE signs
- Nissan to bring Qi2 magnetic wireless phone chargers to 2026 US models
- FCC lets Verizon drop 60-day phone unlocking requirement nationwide