Newer plans they offer, yes you get a $10 'credit' when you sign up for Auto Pay and eBilling. Basically without AutoPay and eBilling, you are charged $10 more.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Carrier $30 Carrier Upgrade fee with iPhone Upgrade Program?
- Thread starter Armendegga
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I spoke with ATT and they removed 2 of the upgrade charges. I had to go through corporate though.
I got my XR yesterday, and before powering it on, I switched out the sims card. Fingers crossed!
Did that with Max. I’ve yet to be charged. Purchased on launch day with already bills generated.
I don't believe this works any more. Apple rats you out to ATT and you will see the charge even if you use your old SIM (unless you paid full price).
However, I use the fact that I am still using the same SIM to question what they did for $30. In the end, I got it removed.
So does it help that I paid full price? (I'm on a business account and couldn't finance through Apple.)
Can anyone hazard a guess as to WHY Apple requires you to have a carrier postpaid account in order to do the IUP? Why don't they let people do this with the SIM-free phone?
It seems a stretch to imagine that they do this purely to get a cut of the carrier activation fees, especially since those activations fees were often not charged by carriers for IUP participants before this year. It would seem that Apple would not want to be seen as in cahoots with the crooked carriers -- Apple has a great brand image whereas the carriers do not. On the other hand, I could do some back-of-the-envelope math to show perhaps that's worth it: There were 217 million iPhones sold in the past year. If even 5% of those were sold on the IUP (call it 10 million) and Apple gets $10 per upgrade fee, that's $100 million....so perhaps worth it after all.
Still, I can't help but wonder if there isn't something else going on as to why Apple never sold the SIM-free phone on the IUP, even if it wasn't getting kickbacks. Perhaps preferential access to wireless network strategic planning, sales networks, promotions, technical details? Or as a payoff for carrier's cooperation with Apple in other iPhone areas?
Would be curious to hear people's thoughts. I know this is apart from the practicalities of not paying $30/line, but this strikes me as bs more than most costs relating to buying an Apple product.
It seems a stretch to imagine that they do this purely to get a cut of the carrier activation fees, especially since those activations fees were often not charged by carriers for IUP participants before this year. It would seem that Apple would not want to be seen as in cahoots with the crooked carriers -- Apple has a great brand image whereas the carriers do not. On the other hand, I could do some back-of-the-envelope math to show perhaps that's worth it: There were 217 million iPhones sold in the past year. If even 5% of those were sold on the IUP (call it 10 million) and Apple gets $10 per upgrade fee, that's $100 million....so perhaps worth it after all.
Still, I can't help but wonder if there isn't something else going on as to why Apple never sold the SIM-free phone on the IUP, even if it wasn't getting kickbacks. Perhaps preferential access to wireless network strategic planning, sales networks, promotions, technical details? Or as a payoff for carrier's cooperation with Apple in other iPhone areas?
Would be curious to hear people's thoughts. I know this is apart from the practicalities of not paying $30/line, but this strikes me as bs more than most costs relating to buying an Apple product.
I just wish Apple would touching release their own carrier network and tell the others to GTFO.
I wonder if Google will open Project Fi to iPhones one day. Not that it seems compelling value right now.
That’s why I complain about the $30 fee. I just bought a $1,000 phone and already have a high enough bill and don’t feel I should have to pay another fee!
I took my old sim card popped it in my new phone and BAM phone is activated no issue.. not sure what youre talking about.
The confusion here seems to be that if you buy it outright, you're more likely for that to work. As the thread title says, "...upgrade program...", those of us are seeing those activation fees this year where they were not there last year.
Yeah, it's the iPhone Upgrade Program where we're getting hit with the upgrade fee from the carriers: if you buy at full price, you don't get hit with the carrier fee.
I got my activation fee waived through AT&T on the chat app. Now when I logged in it was really busy, I actually had to hold for 30 minutes on hold on the chat app. I was at work so didn’t really matter at all, got it waived very easily, maybe they had pity on me that I waited that long but whatever. Simply said I was a loyal customer for 10 years and that was it. Success!
it was like pulling tooth out today when I chatted with ATT.. at the end got $20 + tax back... they insisted that as a FAN account they could wave ACTIVATION FEE on new line... but this was ATT NEXT upgrade fee and they couldn't..
All I can say is that if they want to charge me any fees for upgrading, or keeping service, etc., then I'll bring my service elsewhere. I've been able to not get the fees so far, and it needs to stay that way.