Here’s my conclusion on early pay-off with billing credits over a 36-month trade-in plan. I researched on Reddit and found many users shared similar experiences. As Dave mentioned, everyone has their own “world” of beliefs on how to proceed, but this is my take. I plan to try this approach in January for my son’s case and will keep you updated.
When the “tiered offer” (e.g., $5 without trade-in) applies, it’s more understandable why AT&T “may” choose to stop credits in certain cases. Early pay-off removes the installment plan from the line, so no more billing credit on a fully paid-off device makes sense. However, if AT&T stops credits despite receiving the trade-in device, whose value is meant to be spread over 36 months, it feels unfair.
Unless AT&T intends to remove only their promotional credit while preserving my trade-in credit, stopping all credits doesn’t quite add up. Before 10/10/24, $180 was the minimum trade-in value needed for a $1,000 credit. If I trade in a higher-value device, like an iPhone 15 Pro Max, my monthly burden would exceed $5. If early pay-off leads AT&T to stop credits tied to such high-value trade-ins, it seems unreasonable, as I’d lose significant value from the original agreement.
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