EVGA Step-Up® - Upgrade program
The EVGA Step-Up program helps you have the peace of mind to purchase your favourite product now, knowing you can upgrade to the latest parts that come out within the first 90 days from your purchase. In the computer hardware world, 90 days is a lifetime! With a valid part, once per purchase, you can upgrade your EVGA product by paying the difference between what you paid and the price on EVGA's website. It's really that simple!
Current cutoff for products purchased is Sunday, November 18, 2018 in order to submit a request today. Products purchased on or after this date may be eligible for the Step-Up program.
EVGA Step-Up is currently only available to residents of EU and EEA Countries, Switzerland, the United States (not including outlying territories), and Canada.
What products qualify for the Step-Up program?
You can unlock the Step-Up option for any Limited Lifetime Warranty or 3 Year Warranty product as long as it meets the conditions listed below. Once the Step-Up option is unlocked, you will have 90 days from the original purchase date for your product to start the upgrade process through the EVGA website. Once the Step-up process is started you will receive a confirmation email.
- Register your 3 Year Warranty product purchased new from an authorized reseller within 14 days of your original purchase date.
- If you should happen to miss your 14 day registration window on your 3 Year Warranty product then you may also purchase an extended warranty within 90 days of your original purchase date to enable the Step-Up option.
- Don't worry, your Extended Warranty and Advanced RMA (EAR) purchases transfer to your new Step-Up product!
- The EVGA Step-Up program is currently only available to residents of the United States, Canada, and EU Countries.
How does the EVGA Step-Up process work?
There are several steps to the Step-Up program. Because we require that you send your original product to EVGA first, we have instituted a process that makes sure you have the least amount of downtime possible. Once you have gotten through the queue, approval and payment phases, you can send your product in to EVGA and once we receive it we will turn it around as quickly as possible. Shipping costs, both directions, will be your responsibility.
Stepping through the Step-Up
- Register your valid product within 90 days from your original purchase
- If your product has a 3 year warranty purchased on or after 3/1/2013 and registered within 14 days of the invoice date by the original owner from an authorized reseller, then you will receive the option to step-up for the first 90 days of ownership.
- If your product has a 3 year warranty purchased on or after 1/1/11 and registered after 14 days of the original purchase date you must also purchase an extended warranty in order to be qualified for the step-up program.
- Upload a copy of your invoice
- Request to start your Step-Up within 90 days of your original purchase from your product detail page
- Navigate to My Products under Member Home
- Click on View Details of the product
- If your product qualifies, you will see the option to start your Step-Up
- Wait in queue until approval - this step can last from a few days to many weeks depending on demand
- EVGA will review your request and you will be approved if you have met the terms and conditions
- During this review process, EVGA will compare the price you listed as the purchase price on your submission to the price listed on your proof of purchase. EVGA will adjust the price to match the actual purchase price, including any discounts you received with your order
- You will have 7 days to pay for the difference between the two products, plus return shipping and applicable taxes, after you have been approved
- If you have any questions about the amount shown for purchase price or the MSRP listed for the new product, please contact EVGA Customer Service.
- You will be instructed to send your product in and you will have 14 business days to do so after your payment is verified
- When EVGA receives your product, we will return your new in box upgrade
- Any product auto-registered will have its Extended Warranty transferred automatically.
- You will receive your product shipped via the shipping option you chose and paid for - game on!
You will receive detailed emails at every step to instruct what must be done to continue. All Step-Up requests must go through this exact process, you may not purchase the new product and send your original product back for a refund afterward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I have to wait in queue?
We have a queue for our Step-Up process so you can keep your current EVGA product until we have your new product ready and waiting for you in our warehouse. Sometimes, very high demand will necessitate a longer than usual queue, but once you have made your request and you are in queue the 90 day limit no longer applies - you are considered in the Step-Up process.
If you are still within the 90 days from your original purchase, you can cancel your Step-Up and start a new process yourself. If you are out of the 90 days from your original purchase and you leave the queue, you will not be allowed to start a new Step-Up.
Can I get the new product first in a cross-shipment?
There are no options for cross-shipping a Step-Up product. If you have purchased EVGA's EAR on your original product, this does not apply to Step-Up however the EAR will transfer to your new product.
Can I send in more than one product for one Step-Up?
No - Step-Up is available only for trading one product for another, not many products for one.
Can I Step-Up if I'm not the original owner?
No - Step-Up is available only to the original owner with a verified authorised invoice.
Can I Step-Up a product more than once?
No - A product received from Step-Up cannot be used in the Step-Up program.
Can I Step-Up my EVGA Power Supply or Mouse?
No – These products do not qualify for the Step-up Program.
What happens when I Step-Up to a cheaper product?
You will only have to pay for the return shipping at the time of paying for your Step-Up. EVGA will not credit you the difference.
What kind of product will I get?
All Step-Up replacements are new. There are limitations to what products are available to Step-Up TO, these are listed below.
Step-Up products are considered a special new product, warranty will start from the shipping date of your new product from EVGA Step-Up.
What do I need to send back to EVGA?
The original product and all accessories that came with the original package. The original packaging material and box are recommended to be returned for the best protection for your product. Free promotional items such as games, posters, shirts, etc. are considered gifts and are not required to be returned.
How long does "Verifying Transaction" take?
Once you have paid for your Step-Up, the next step will show "Verifying Transaction". Essentially EVGA customer service will do a final check on all the details and then send you the RMA number. This takes 1-2 business days.
How long does it take EVGA to ship out my new product once they receive my old one?
All RMAs, even Step-Ups, will be processed within 1-3 business days. This means from the day we receive your old product, we will process and ship out your new Step-Up product within 3 business days. If there are any problems with your shipment (No RMA number, no serial number sticker, damage, etc.), this will delay the processing time.
Can I use EVGA bucks to pay for my Step-Up?
EVGA bucks are good only for new purchases made at EVGA's online store. The EVGA Step-Up is considered a promotion and cannot be combined with EVGA bucks in any way.
Can I change my shipping once my Step-Up has started?
No, you must cancel your Step-Up and resubmit with your new shipping selected. Note: If you are still within the 90 days from your original purchase, you can cancel your Step-Up and start a new process yourself. If you are out of the 90 days from your original purchase and you leave the queue, you will not be allowed to start a new Step-Up.
Why did my price paid get changed during the approval process?
One of three reasons:
- After reviewing the price paid on your invoice, the Step-Up department will adjust pricing based on your invoice.
- If there was a rebate for your product, the Step-Up department will adjust pricing to reflect rebates.
- Step-Up eligible products purchased through a Bundle or DIY are discounted based on the percentage off the MSRP to the Bundle or DIY price. Each item within the Bundle or DIY is calculated using the same fixed percentage off the MSRP for every item.
How do I calculate my paid price for a product purchased in a Bundle or DIY?
Step-Up eligible products purchased as part of a Bundle or DIY are considered discounted products. The discount for each item in the Bundle or DIY is based on the percentage discounted off the MSRP to determine the subtotal. For example, if the non-discounted MSRP of all items of the Bundle or DIY is €1.000 and the discounted subtotal is €600, this would mean the discount is €400, or 40% of the MSRP. To determine the discount on each item, you would subtract 40% of the Unit Cost of the item to determine the final cost of the item. As an example, if your GTX 1080 MSRP is listed at €500, you would subtract 40% of the item (€200), to find your final amount paid, at €300.
Will my extended warranty transfer to my new product?
Yes, any product that is auto-registered through EVGA's RMA system will have its extended warranty transferred to the new product.
Will my unused EAR transfer to my new product?
Yes, any product that is auto-registered through EVGA's RMA system will have its EAR transferred to the new product.
Available Step-Up Products
EVGA maintains a list of current graphics cards as well as motherboards available to Step-Up to. Products listed are mostly stock (not factory overclocked, or water cooled) due to stock limitations.
EVGA EU
- Motherboards
- EVGA Z390 FTW, 123-CS-E397-KR, LGA 1151, Intel Z390, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.1, USB 3.0, ATX, Intel Motherboard - (123-CS-E397-KR)
- EVGA Z390 DARK, 131-CS-E399-KR, LGA 1151, Intel Z390, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.1, M.2, U.2, EATX, Intel Motherboard - (131-CS-E399-KR)
- EVGA Z370 Micro ATX, 121-KS-E375-KR, LGA 1151, Intel Z370, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.0, mATX, Intel Motherboard - (121-KS-E375-KR)
- EVGA Z370 FTW, 134-KS-E377-KR, LGA 1151, Intel Z370, HDMI, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.1, USB 3.0, ATX, Intel Motherboard - (134-KS-E377-KR)
- EVGA X299 Micro, 131-SX-E295-KR, LGA 2066, Intel X299, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.1, USB 3.0, mATX, Intel Motherboard - (131-SX-E295-KR)
- EVGA X299 FTW K, 142-SX-E297-KR, LGA 2066, Intel X299, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.1, USB 3.0, EATX, Intel Motherboard - (142-SX-E297-KR)
- EVGA X299 DARK, 151-SX-E299-KR, LGA 2066, Intel X299, SATA 6Gb/s, USB 3.1, USB 3.0, EATX, Intel Motherboard - (151-SX-E299-KR)
- Graphics Card
- EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 XC BLACK EDITION GAMING, 08G-P4-2082-KR, 8GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans & RGB LED - (08G-P4-2082-KR)
- EVGA GeForce RTX 2080 Ti XC BLACK EDITION GAMING, 11G-P4-2282-KR, 11GB GDDR6, Dual HDB Fans & RGB LED - (11G-P4-2282-KR)
- EVGA GeForce RTX 2060 XC BLACK GAMING, 06G-P4-2061-KR, 6GB GDDR6, HDB Fan - (06G-P4-2061-KR)
- EVGA GeForce GTX 1070 GAMING, 08G-P4-5171-KR, 8GB GDDR5, ACX 3.0 & Black Edition - (08G-P4-5171-KR)
- EVGA GeForce GTX 1060 GAMING, 06G-P4-6161-KR, 6GB GDDR5, ACX 2.0 (Single Fan) - (06G-P4-6161-KR)
Products can be removed from or added to Step-Up availability at any time.
Calculating Step-Up Costs
Simply put, the cost of EVGA Step-Up is the difference between what you paid for your original product and the new product as listed at the EVGA Store. To calculate what you paid, follow these simple steps:
- Add line item price
- If a product is purchased as part of a Bundle or DIY from EVGA.com, you must subtract the discount applied to all items. See the above FAQ or example below for an explanation on how to determine the correct cost for a Bundle or DIY item.
- Do not include shipping
- Subtract rebates from the line item price
- Subtract from MSRP as listed on EVGA.
Example 1
You have purchased a graphics card for 299,99€, and 10,25€ in shipping, and you also took advantage of a 30,00€ rebate from EVGA. The product you wish to Step-Up to is listed as MSRP of 399,99€.
- Add 299,99€
- Ignore 10,25€ shipping
- Subtract 30,00€ for rebate to get 269,99€
- Subtract 269,99€ from 399,99€
- 130€ is the cost of this example, plus return shipping and applicable taxes
Example 2
You have purchased a Bundle or DIY kit from EVGA.com listed at an MSRP of 1,200€, but is discounted to 800€. The graphics card is listed at 300€, and the product you wish to Step-Up to is listed with an MSRP of 400€.
- Figure out the percentage discount between the bundle at MSRP and the discount.
- 1,200€ - 800€ = 400€
- 400€ / 1,200€ = 30%
- Reduce the line-item cost of the graphics card based on the 30% discount
- 300€ - (300€ x .30) = 210€
- Ignore tax and shipping for the Bundle or DIY
- Subtract 210€ from 400€
- 190€ is the cost of this example, plus return shipping and applicable taxes
Return shipping (from EVGA back to you) is variable dependent upon your location, current rates and shipping speed you select.
Terms and Conditions
Only EVGA products are eligible for the Step-Up program.
EVGA Step-Up is currently only available to residents of the United States, Canada, EU and EEA Countries, and Switzerland.
EVGA Step-Up is available only to the original end-user purchaser of the product from a valid reseller or EVGA partner.
The EVGA Step-Up program is available to EVGA graphics cards and motherboards for customers within 90 days of their original purchase date based on invoice verification.
Graphics Cards
- EVGA generally only releases reference versions of its products (NVIDIA reference-clock speeds and performance) to the Step-Up list. Due to stock limitations or other factors, EVGA will sometimes release models featuring a factory overclock or non-reference PCB to the Step-Up list. We do not encourage customers to try to "wait and see" if a factory overclock model is available if you are nearing the end of your Step-Up period, because this is not a consideration EVGA takes into account when determining Step-Up models. However, you are always free to wait until the end of your Step-Up period to make your choice.
- Step-Up is limited to pre-approved graphics cards only and can only be used for exchange to a different and higher performing GPU.
- Products known to have a limited availability will not be made available to the Step-Up program. (Limited availability determined by EVGA.)
- Customers who received their EVGA graphics card as part of a complete computer system are not eligible at this current time. (We anticipate confirming approved system vendors in the near future.)
Graphics Cards Examples:
- GTX 980 Ti → GTX 1080: YES (Upgraded GPU)
- GTX 1060 3GB → GTX 1060 6GB: YES (Upgraded Memory)
- GTX 1080 FTW → GTX 1080 Ti: YES (Upgraded Model)
- GTX 1070 Ti → GTX 1070: NO (Downgraded Performance)
Motherboards
- EVGA motherboard products are limited to pre-approved models and same socket-type only.
- Products known to have limited availability will not be made available to the Step-Up program. (Limited availability determined by EVGA.)
- Customers who received their EVGA motherboard as part of a complete computer system are not eligible at this current time. (We anticipate confirming approved system vendors in the near future.)
Motherboard Examples:
- X99 FTW K (Socket 2011-3) → X299 FTW K (Socket 2066): NO (Different CPU Socket)
- Z370 FTW (Socket 1151) → Z370 Classified (Socket 1151): YES (Same CPU Socket)
A qualifying invoice must be dated on Sunday, November 18, 2018 or after in order to submit a request today. If your invoice is dated as purchased before this date, you do not qualify for Step-Up.
Only products that carry a valid 10 year warranty, or products that have purchased an extended warranty, qualify for the Step-Up program.
Only new purchases qualify for the Step-Up program. Products received from EVGA RMA may qualify for the Step-Up program if your original product's purchase date is still within 90 days from the time you start the request and qualified for Step-Up before your RMA.
Products received from EVGA Step-Up do not qualify for the Step-Up program.
Products received from EVGA Step-Up are not considered full retail purchases and therefore do not qualify for any rebates.
Products must be purchased from an authorised reseller, retailer, etailer or distributor of EVGA products. Products purchased through unauthorised channels, such as second hand or through eBay, do not qualify for the Step-Up program. Products received free through promotion or contest do not qualify for the Step-Up program.
Verification and approval requires a valid copy of your original receipt (proof of purchase). The receipt must show the name/description of the EVGA product, product number, (preferably the product's serial number), purchase price, date of purchase, name/address details of place of purchase.
Products must be returned in their original factory condition (back plates, brackets, etc. will be removed and discarded) and must be free from physical modification or damage per the terms of our warranty.
Products made available for EVGA Step-Up are of limited availability and will be distributed on a first-come first-served basis.
Once EVGA has received your original product, the Step-Up process is non-reversible and non-refundable.
The EVGA Step-Up cannot be combined with any other promotions or coupons.
EVGA reserves the right to cancel the Step-Up program at any time.
EVGA reserves the right to adjust the purchase price of a Step-Up eligible product to match the actual price paid after discounts or rebates, as outlined in these terms.
EVGA reserves the right to change the terms of the Step-Up program at any time without notice.
If you have any questions about the Step-Up program, please contact our EU Customer Service team or phone +49.89.189.049-11 (available 09:00 – 18:00, Monday to Friday) or call our US Customer Service team 24/7 on 888-881-EVGA (3842) option 2.
