Yes and I will only be doing that from now on. My iPhone 11 Pro Max Trade in last year was lost or stolen by FedEx. Answer from The_Cows_Are_Home on reddit.com
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/ipad › apple store trade-in value online vs in-person
r/ipad on Reddit: Apple Store trade-in value online vs in-person
May 10, 2024 -

So I have the iPad Pro 11 inch 256Gb. I got it at the beginning of this year and I have barely used it. It does not even have a blemish or a scratch on it. Now I see the new iPad Pro is out and I am interested in upgrading but the trade in isn’t very high. I chatted with Apple and they said if I go In Person to an Apple Store, they will potentially offer more for it.

How true is this? And how much more do you think I could get if they determine it is perfect.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/applehelp › does apple store have different trade-in rules than online? when does apple begin allowing trade-ins for current year model?
r/applehelp on Reddit: Does Apple Store have different trade-in rules than online? When does Apple begin allowing trade-ins for current year model?
October 20, 2023 -

I bought the iPhone 15 Pro via pre-order. In general, I love the phone, but--and here's the dumb part--after the no-hassle return period, I've decided I really want one of the bigger screen models.

But, as mentioned, I'm passed the "return" period, and the 15s are not eligible for trade-in through the website.

So, might I have luck trying to trade in in-store? If not, does anyone (maybe a store employee or previous employee) know when Apple usually begins to allow trade-ins for current year models?

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/att › can we trade in our iphones at the store instead of shipping?
r/ATT on Reddit: Can We Trade In Our iPhones at the Store Instead of Shipping?
September 12, 2025 -

My husband and I pre-ordered the new iPhone 17 Pro Max online. We’re on the Next Up Anytime program, so we used that to upgrade. One thing we wanted to clarify is about the trade-in process. When we checked out, it didn’t give us the option to trade in our phones at a local store. it seemed like we’d have to ship them in.

We’d feel more comfortable trading in at a store, so we just wanted to check if that’s still possible or if shipping is the only option.

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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255933689
Trade-In Discounts: Online vs. Apple Store - Apple Community
Apple Store please tell me, for example, the phone costs 1700 dollars in the store, is it possible to pay 700-800 dollars first and then pay 100 dollars each month? 147 1 ... The availability of an immediate discount for trade-ins depends on the country. For example, in India, you receive instant credit for your old iPhone when trading it in. ... you can also trade in without it being in relation to a purchase and get online credit for purchases later
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › you have 14 days to trade in your old device after purchasing new device at apple store
r/apple on Reddit: You have 14 days to trade in your old device after purchasing new device at Apple Store
October 8, 2021 -

Update 2:

Maybe this policy is different among stores. Some people said that Apple refused to apply their trade-in value to the original purchase. When I picked my iPad mini 6 at the Apple store (in the US), I asked Apple's Specialist whether if I could trade in later, and they said yes. So when I went there yesterday (13 days later), they processed it right away without any problem.

Therefore, you should ask Apple's Specialists first to confirm whether if they allow you to trade in your old device later.

Update 1:

If you choose the mail-in option for online trade-in, the Apple store will refuse to process your trade-in at stores.

--------------------------------------------

TLDR:

Trade-in your old devices at the Apple Store within 14 days of a new purchase. Never trade-in online. Ask Apple’s specialist to confirm this trade-in policy just in case they change it later.

-------------------------------------------

Original post:

When you purchase a new device at Apple Store or on the Apple website, you don't have to trade in your old device to get the credit right away. You can do that within 14 days when you are satisfied with your new device. That's what Apple employee told me.

When you bring your old device to the Apple Store to trade in later, just show the Apple Specialist the invoice along with the serial number of the new device that you bought, so they could apply the credit to the device in that order. Moreover, they will ask you to give them your credit card/debit card so they can send the credit to that card. It takes 3 days for the credit to be applied to your card.

I just finished traded in my old iPhone after 14 days since the day I have bought my new iPad mini, and they accepted that without any problem. So I think this info is useful for people who want to try a new device before they decide whether if they should sell/trade in their old device.

If you decide to trade in your device to Apple, please do it in person at the Apple Store. The process is quick and easy, and you get the maximum value of the trade-in right away. Never apply for the trade-in on the Apple website because Apple will assign a third-party company to serve you. They will send you a box so you can send your old device to them. It is a sketchy company. You have to wait in 2 weeks then they will tell you that your device has a problem, so they offer you a very bad quote with a lower value. When you ask them to send your device back to you, you will receive a “broken” device with problems that you have never seen.

Edited: Fix typos.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › any good reviews of trading in devices via trade-in?
r/apple on Reddit: Any good reviews of trading in devices via Trade-In?
February 14, 2022 -

Hey all. After reading reviews on here, I'm a bit nervous about sending my iPhone 12 and my wife's iPhone 12 Pro via the trade-in program. I've read it's through a 3rd party called Phobio. Is this still the case? I'm also concerned because my iPhone has very superficial scratches on the back (front has a glass protector so it's flawless). The scratches on my phone are those kind you can only see in the right light/angle, so not super obvious or detrimental to performance and function. So in summary, has anyone had a good experience with trade-ins via mail as opposed to the store? I already have an order online and expect to receive my new iPhone's tomorrow. Apple support let me know that I can just return those new phones at the store and just ignore the trade-in. Is it worth the 1 hour drive to go to the Apple Store instead for the trade-in?

Find elsewhere
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/tmobile › trade in at apple store
r/tmobile on Reddit: Trade in at Apple Store
March 30, 2022 -

I’ve never done an upgrade through Apple before. If you upgrade at an Apple Store, are you given the trade in value there on the spot? Is there an advantage with Apple over doing it through T-Mobile?

Top answer
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You can trade in with the Apple Store two different ways. You you can mark on your pre-order at apple.com that you have a trade-in device. Apple will ask you a series of questions about the phones condition. Be honest and answer honestly. They will show you your trade-in credit at that moment before you even purchase your phone. after you make your pre-order,Apple will mail you a prepaid box to ship your device in. As long as your device matches the description that you originally told them, they will credit your credit card with full trade-in value that they initially quoted. If they find a discrepancy, they will email you and give you the option to either have the phone sent back to you with no credit, or offer a lower price. please keep in mind that if you do it this way, Apple will initially charge you the full price for the new iPhone and then credit your card 7 to 14 days later after they receive your device trade in and verify its condition. The other way to do it is in person in the store. Just tell the store representative that you have a trade-in when you go to to purchase the new phone. they will verify your phones condition and run a diagnostic on it right there. You won’t have to wait for a credit in 7 to 14 days. You will just be given the credit instantly when you pay for your new device. If you’re paying cash for your phone, there’s no advantage to going T-Mobile vs. Apple Store. If you’re wanting to do a payment plan on your phone, T-Mobile will give a little bit better credit on your trade-in but you also will be locking yourself into a 24 month contract with T-Mobile. I also believe that T-Mobile requires you to be on the magenta max plan for the trade-in credit. That being said, if you’re on a legacy plan like “T-Mobile one“, you would have to upgrade your plan. I’d say anybody on the legacy plan is way better off going to the Apple store and trading in their phone. But that’s just my personal opinion
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BBY also gives instant trade in credit & last year knocked an additional 100 off 13 PM. My wife paid like 150 for her 13 PM after trading her 12PM.
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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 253759569
Online Order, Trade-in in store? - Apple Community
If they accept teh trade in in the store, I'd recommend doing it there - Apple uses mostly third party company partners for the mail ins and the amount determined by them may not be what the estimate was from Apple. I will never use the mail in option. ... What you should do instead is set ...
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/att › confused about apple trade-in vs. carrier trade-in (at&t)
r/ATT on Reddit: Confused about Apple Trade-In vs. Carrier Trade-In (AT&T)
September 23, 2025 -

When I go through the Apple Store and select Trade In for my device (a 14 Pro Max), then choose AT&T monthly financing (and link my account), my bag shows:

  • iPhone price minus Apple’s trade-in value ($400)

  • A final total reflecting the Apple trade-in, not the AT&T carrier promo.

My confusion:

  • Shouldn’t the total reflect AT&T’s advertised deal ($0.00/mo for 36 months after trade-in)?

  • And shouldn’t the “Trade-In Amount” be AT&T’s ($1,100) rather than Apple’s ($400)?

Extra context:

  • I still have 2 payments left on my current phone.

  • Once I “link” my AT&T account, is the Apple Store just seeing that my phone is still tied to an installment plan—so it only applies Apple’s trade-in instead of the carrier promotion?

Has anyone else run into this? Am I misunderstanding how Apple Store + carrier trade-in promos work?

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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 253399773
can I trade in my phone at the store inst… - Apple Community
That's wholly different. You can trade-in at the store too. But if you elect mail-in, you complete that process. ... I received online ordered iphone 13 pro max but no prepaid trade-in kit in shipping package.
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/apple › apple's new trade-in kit nonsense
r/apple on Reddit: Apple's New Trade-in Kit Nonsense
September 19, 2025 -

Apple appears to have made a significant change at some point to how some standalone (not with a purchase or upgrade!) iPhone trade-ins work. I haven't seen this covered elsewhere. It used to be that Apple would either automatically send a trade-in kit or you could easily request it by clicking a button. Now, Apple says that if you want the kit, you have to call customer support to specifically request it. Apple won't even provide it via iMessage support, you literally have to get on the phone and wait on hold if you want the kit. That's some egregious dark pattern nonsense, like trying to cancel a newspaper subscription. They're just intentionally making it more difficult to use this convenient option.

Edit: per the discussion below, it looks like this policy change applies to some (but not all) standalone trade-ins for Apple credit that you can use later, and not to other kinds of trade-ins (e.g., credit against a purchase that you're making at the same time or an upgrade). It also might only apply to certain types of devices. Updated the text above to reflect that. Still bad!

Edit 2: I don't quite understand why this is getting downvoted to oblivion. It's a real and user-hostile policy decision by Apple! Folks below confirm that they've had the same experience.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/applewatch › how does an in-store trade-in work if you are picking up an online order?
r/AppleWatch on Reddit: How does an in-store trade-in work if you are picking up an online order?
September 20, 2022 -

I feel silly posting this but I can't seem to find any documentation on it. I want to order an Apple Watch for pickup at my local Apple Store. At the same time, I want to trade in my old Apple Watch to get credit. On the website, I can place the order for my new watch, pick a pickup location and also specify I want to trade in my old watch. But despite doing a local pickup, all the instructions are for mailing in the watch. I know they do trade in's, in-store but how does this actually work?

There are instructions on what to do before shipping your watch - removing it from your device list and erasing it. Should I come into the store with my old watch already wiped? Or do they want to inspect it first to see if it's working (beyond the physical inspection)? Will they stand around and wait for me to log in to iCloud to delete/erase my device? I'd much rather do this in person so I can get my credit right away rather than risk their 3rd party partner denying my trade-in for some bad reason.

Will the Apple store know that my trade-in is the same one that I specified during the online order (that's tied to this new Apple Watch)? I don't want to trade in my old watch and then have Apple later claim they never received it in the mail.

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/tmobile › help me understand something about "in-store" trade-in vs "mail-in" trade-in
r/tmobile on Reddit: Help me understand something about "In-store" trade-in vs "Mail-in" trade-in
October 2, 2024 -

I recently purchased an iphone 16pro online thru the apple store and received the apple trade in promo as well as Tmobile's.

On launch day, I got the new phone thru the mail along with a box to return my old device. Unfortunately, i ended up losing the return box so I decided to return the trade-in phone in person at an Apple store. When I got there, the device was inspected and then and there I was refunded $315 back into my bank account.

Fast forward to today, I get an email saying they had not received the phone yet and that I was gonna get charged the $315 I was originally credit when i pre ordered the phone.

I called Apple and was told that I should have returned the device via mail and that I will be charged $315 since another company and/or department handles mail-in trade-ins.

The rep said that I had initially been given the $315 as an instant credit by Apple when I first pre-ordered the phone and that in essence, I had been credited twice.

Does this make sense and will I lose Tmobile's own discount by having it done this way?

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/mac › would you go with apple trade-in or trying to sell on e-bay? (2024 mba 1tb 16gb space grey)
r/mac on Reddit: Would You Go With Apple Trade-In or Trying To Sell On E-Bay? (2024 MBA 1TB 16GB Space Grey)
1 week ago -

Based on condition, Apple is offering $840 trade-in which doesn't seem too bad, but I was wondering if anyone has had luck on e-bay selling a similar model and getting a decent price.

Not sure if e-bay is even worth the hassle anymore considering seller fees, shipping, and the possibility of getting scammed. Any good or bad experiences you can share? Last time I tried to sell an iMac on there a couple years ago, I had nothing but people messaging me directly trying to low-ball me.

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Apple Community
discussions.apple.com › thread › 255452271
Trade In - Directly in store - Apple Community
You can trade in directly in an Apple Store. See the following from Apple Trade In - Apple · And you can do it all online or at an Apple Store.