Carrier AT&T: iPhone 16/Plus/Pro/Pro Max US Pre-Orders, Orders, and Delivery Status Thread (2024)

[dave006]

Can you do this at AT&T? trade-in through Apple with some instant credit and some through AT&T. With this, you can pay off early and not losing much credit. I saw this from reddit for Verizon

Nope that is only for Verizon and T-Mobile on their highest rate plans here are the details for Verizon with an iPhone 14 Pro trade-in. The second screenshot shows how quickly the trade-in value drops for older iPhone models.

View attachment 2441938

Dave

 

[Mr. Jenkins]

Were any of you notified via email when your trade-in was completed or did you just have to keep checking the website?

 

[doccho]

Were any of you notified via email when your trade-in was completed or did you just have to keep checking the website?

I haven't received any email regarding the completion of my trade-in. Instead, I have been manually checking the status myself using a bookmarked link.

 

[normanfox]

Were any of you notified via email when your trade-in was completed or did you just have to keep checking the website?

no email notification at all. it took 6 days from drop-off for credit to show up. My order of iphone 16PM still shows not shipped yet even though I already received the phone and credit.

 

[doccho]

As you know, if the credits are only given as long as the customer keeps the line active, then the key factor isn't really the installment plan, but whether the customer stays on the service. In that case, the early pay-off shouldn't matter as much because the customer can still receive credits as long as they maintain the line.

If AT&T's goal is to ensure continuous engagement, then the focus should be on encouraging customers to stay subscribed, not just on keeping them tied to the installment plan. In fact, allowing early pay-off while continuing credits could strengthen customer loyalty, showing flexibility and trust.

So, if AT&T insists on stopping credits after an early pay-off, they might be missing the bigger picture. It’s less about the structure of payments and more about making sure the customer stays committed to AT&T’s network.

I also understand why AT&T maintains this counterintuitive policy: to control customer payment behavior to maintain its predictable, steady revenue, prevent loopholes (like reselling devices), and reinforce long-term commitment. They use a "may" policy to retain leverage in customer interactions. Even though it’s handled on a case-by-case basis, it seems that when a customer intends to pay off early to unlock the device for use abroad, AT&T seems to have allowed the monthly credits to continue, based on what I've seen from customer postings.

What I don't understand is why AT&T doesn't allow device unlocking for the entire 36-month period, unlike other carriers. I think many early pay-offs happen because these AT&T customers want to unlock their devices for use abroad. Why would a customer choose to pay off early, taking on the financial burden, when the installment and credit automatically balance out each month, making the monthly billing statement more manageable?

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.

 

[Mr. Jenkins]

I dropped my old device off at the store. It was no hassle at all. They did ask for my ID and they scanned it. I sat there for a few minutes, signed the trade-in receipt and went on my merry way.

My trade-in status changed to completed today.

 

[OT2000]

I'm going to buy another Pro Max. Are delivery estimates still coming in at the estimated dates? Or are they arriving early yet?

The new iPhone surprisingly showed up next business day. Ordered Friday afternoon, arrived Monday.

 

[ag21]

Does anyone have original device list from the AT&T promo that ran from preorder through Mid-October. I traded a 12 and swear that was on $830+ list but they are saying $125 value which is just $350. My argument is that was the adjusted value AFTER the promo changed. Thanks in advance!

 

[doccho]

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.

View attachment 2442063

Finally, I received my AT&T bill reflecting the early payoff.

First, here's my son1's, whose iPhone is still on 36-month installment. A $22.20 charge appears for the 36-month installment, and a $23.06 credit is applied per the installment agreement.

Now, here's my son2's bill. He recently moved to the UK, and I unlocked his iPhone by paying it off in January. (I also added International Day Pass and International Calling for his stay in the UK, at $12 per day and $15 per month, respectively.)

You can see that the $22.20 the installment (17th month) is missing, but the $23.06 credit (17th month) is still applied.

So, even though I paid off the device earlier, AT&T continues applying the 36-month credit as agreed.

 

[tekfranz]

Finally, I received my AT&T bill reflecting the early payoff.

First, here's my son1's, whose iPhone is still on 36-month installment. A $22.20 charge appears for the 36-month installment, and a $23.06 credit is applied per the installment agreement.
View attachment 2482079

Now, here's my son2's bill. He recently moved to the UK, and I unlocked his iPhone by paying it off in January. (I also added International Day Pass and International Calling for his stay in the UK, at $12 per day and $15 per month, respectively.)
View attachment 2482090
You can see that the $22.20 the installment (17th month) is missing, but the $23.06 credit (17th month) is still applied.

So, even though I paid off the device earlier, AT&T continues applying the 36-month credit as agreed.

It would be fantastic if this continues to be the case, but the solid proof will be if the credit continues for 2-3 months. The billing system may take a few cycles to figure out the changes.

 

[doccho]

It would be fantastic if this continues to be the case, but the solid proof will be if the credit continues for 2-3 months. The billing system may take a few cycles to figure out the changes.

Agreed. I will definitely follow up on the next bills.

 

[doccho]

Finally, I received my AT&T bill reflecting the early payoff.

First, here's my son1's, whose iPhone is still on 36-month installment. A $22.20 charge appears for the 36-month installment, and a $23.06 credit is applied per the installment agreement.
View attachment 2482079

Now, here's my son2's bill. He recently moved to the UK, and I unlocked his iPhone by paying it off in January. (I also added International Day Pass and International Calling for his stay in the UK, at $12 per day and $15 per month, respectively.)
View attachment 2482090
You can see that the $22.20 the installment (17th month) is missing, but the $23.06 credit (17th month) is still applied.

So, even though I paid off the device earlier, AT&T continues applying the 36-month credit as agreed.

I received this month’s bill and wanted to share it here. As a result, the early pay-off did not affect the trade-in credit—$23.06 (18th) has been applied as shown.