T-Mobile pays trade-in promotions as bill credits over the life of the equipment installment plan, usually 24 months. The value you are quoted is tied to the plan you keep, not just the phone you hand over.
A carrier trade-in has two numbers: the promo value in the ad, and what you actually receive. They are the same only if you keep the line, the plan and the new phone for every month of the agreement.
Promotion terms change monthly and vary by phone and plan; the points above describe how T-Mobile’s trade-in credits have worked across recent offers. Read the fine print on the specific deal.
Enter the trade-in value from the ad, the plan change the deal requires, and the cash offer for your phone from the table below.
Top of each range for a flawless, unlocked phone. Carrier-locked phones are worth less to every buyer. Tap a model for every offer and condition.
Only if you would keep the line and the required plan for the full 24 months anyway. The promo is a discount on a new phone paid back monthly; the cash offers above are yours today with no strings. Put both numbers in the calculator.
No. Promotional trade-ins are bill credits. Outside a promotion, T-Mobile may offer a small account credit for a phone, usually well under what a mail-in buyer or local shop pays.
The remaining credits stop and the unpaid balance on the new phone is due. That is the real cost of the deal: it only pays in full if nothing about your plan changes.
Often yes. Many T-Mobile promotions have a no-trade-in version with a smaller discount. Compare that discount plus the cash from selling your phone against the trade-in version; the cash route usually comes out ahead on a phone worth more than a few hundred dollars.