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AT&T doesn't care if you pay for the phone with cash or credit.
Subsidized or not.
You only need a credit card if you are signing up for NEW service.

The physical phone purchase itself does not have any payment restrictions on it.
 
AT&T doesn't care if you pay for the phone with cash or credit.
Subsidized or not.
You only need a credit card if you are signing up for NEW service.

The physical phone purchase itself does not have any payment restrictions on it.

"iPhone Sales Policies
The purchase and use of an iPhone is subject to terms and conditions found at: http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/ and http://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/. In addition, by making this purchase, you expressly acknowledge that:

A minimum new two-year wireless service plan with AT&T is required to activate all iPhone features, including iPod features.

Wireless service for iPhone is solely provided by and is the responsibility of AT&T.

The Apple Online and Retail Stores sell iPhone for end-user customers only. iPhone may not be purchased for resale.

Apple reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse or cancel any order and to limit order quantity. Apple may require additional qualifying information prior to accepting or processing any order.

iPhone may not be purchased for export outside of the United States, either directly or indirectly.

Making unauthorized modifications to the software on an iPhone violates the iPhone software license agreement, and the inability to use iPhone due to unauthorized software modifications is not covered under warranty.

iPhone purchases are limited to five iPhones per customer and must be purchased with a Credit Card, Debit Card or Gift Card.

No restocking fee will be assessed on iPhones returned within the 14-day return period."


Straight from the Apple website.
 
I bought mine with cash. But I was being added to an existing account and for the purchase they had to process it as me first purchasing a gift card and then using the gift card to purchase the phone.

This was done in front of me the other night as I was waiting for my replacement. With cash, they put it on a giftcard and then run the giftcard through their portable scanner things
 
"iPhone Sales Policies
The purchase and use of an iPhone is subject to terms and conditions found at: http://www.apple.com/legal/sla/ and http://www.apple.com/legal/warranty/. In addition, by making this purchase, you expressly acknowledge that:

A minimum new two-year wireless service plan with AT&T is required to activate all iPhone features, including iPod features.

Wireless service for iPhone is solely provided by and is the responsibility of AT&T.

The Apple Online and Retail Stores sell iPhone for end-user customers only. iPhone may not be purchased for resale.

Apple reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to refuse or cancel any order and to limit order quantity. Apple may require additional qualifying information prior to accepting or processing any order.

iPhone may not be purchased for export outside of the United States, either directly or indirectly.

Making unauthorized modifications to the software on an iPhone violates the iPhone software license agreement, and the inability to use iPhone due to unauthorized software modifications is not covered under warranty.

iPhone purchases are limited to five iPhones per customer and must be purchased with a Credit Card, Debit Card or Gift Card.

No restocking fee will be assessed on iPhones returned within the 14-day return period."


Straight from the Apple website.
That is Apple's policy.

AT&T is different. ;) To them, money is money.
 
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