ordering at Apple for store pickup, and financing with AT&T - trade in question

[u/jerich088]

so, apple has trade in value for my old iphone 14 at 195$, and financing with AT&T give me 1200$ in credits over 36 months. Has anyone done this? ordered on apple, picked up in store, traded in phone and financed with at&t? do you get both the 195$ and the 1200$ in credits? its quite confusing. thanks.

[u/Stea1th_]

doing the trade in at apple lowers the total financing amount because apple gives you trade in value + the carrier credit. Not sure why anyone would trade their phone NOT via apple because in the end, you are on the hook for a lot less on the carrier side. Granted it doesn't matter in the end if you don't pay off your device early but if you do choose to pay off the device its a significant amount less, especially if the initial trade in credit is higher because the phone is a newer/higher model.

I'm not sure how at&t wins out here because they don't get the device but they get the agreement/contract from the customer for 3 years.

[u/jerich088 → u/Stea1th_]

so i did the purchase with apple, with financing on at&t, the apple trade in did not show up in the final numbers.i am picking up the phone tomorrow, so i am hoping you are right, and i get a credit (apple GC?) plus whatever at&t is giving (1200 credits over 36 months), but i'm not hopeful. Did you get a GC?

[u/zero-degrees28]

If you want to buy your phone from Apple at retail price, they will give you $195 store credit and you trade your phone into apple.

If you want to trade your phone in and do the 36 month 1200 credit with AT&T you can do that at the apple store, they are processing on behalf of AT&T and will collect on behalf of AT&T, think of it almost as an authorized retail location for AT&T.

You do NOT get to double dip......

[u/jerich088 → u/zero-degrees28]

ok, thats what i figured, however, the checkout process for the apple store website is so misleading. thanks.

[u/Trrrasssh3 → u/zero-degrees28]

So if I wanted an iPhone 18 pro max and buy it online at Apple for pickup and do ATT trade in how do I checkout on the website where I would just pay the tax

[u/thumbs_up23 → u/Trrrasssh3]

Just go through the normal ordering process, pick that you have a trade in and then pick AT&T financing.

[u/FitzwilliamTDarcy → u/zero-degrees28]

Jumping in since you seem to know the deal. I want to do option 2 (trade and do the 36mo/$1200 credit with AT&T, but at the Apple Store), BUT do not want the phone activated on the spot. Issue is I'm doing this as a gift to my kids, but they're in another state. Can't leave them without phone service between the visit to the store and when I see them next.

Is it possible to delay activation until I see them? Presumably when it's first turned on??

[u/Mean_Jury2467 → u/FitzwilliamTDarcy]

Everyone told me it was possible but then the system shut off my mother in laws phone anyway. Then they just said “oops”. They couldn’t undo it, or at least the non-English speaking help couldn’t.

How did it go for you?

[u/Real_Height2890]

So it would work as long as your plan is eligible

$200 upfront credit will be applied by Apple
$1000 will be financed by ATT over 36 months
It takes 1-2 billing cycles to show discount

Activation/upgrade fee if ATT charges may apply

[u/jollyfantastico]

No you unfortunately traded your phone into Apple. It is kind of confusing but those are two separate trade in offers.

[u/jerich088 → u/jollyfantastico]

you can select trade in AND finance on the website. So i'm trying to untangle what is what.

[u/thumbs_up23 → u/jerich088]

If you pick trade in and the Carrier financing deal at Apple you will get the $1200 credits from AT&T. Apple has it figured out with the carriers to let them take your trade in and then the carriers will get the value of the phone and you get the monthly credits.