November brings big discount sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Around this time of year, you might consider upgrading your phone or swapping your old handset for a new one.
But you can get the most for your money by taking advantage of November phone trade-in deals from top carriers.
If you don’t know where to look, read on. We’ll break down the best November phone trade-in deals from carriers like AT&T and Verizon.
Remember that these deals may update shortly in the future, especially given the flexibility of discounts and sales for Apple iPhones, Androids, and other phones during the Black Friday shopping season.
AT&T Trade-In Device Offers
AT&T has a wide range of ongoing trade-in offers you can take advantage of at the time of this writing.
The first of these is for new AT&T customers only, so you can’t use this trade-in offer if you’re already an AT&T customer.
When you switch to AT&T, you can get up to $700 an AT&T credit for your cell phone bill or purchase a new mobile phone or certain accessories. AT&T goes above and beyond and even lets you use that $700 credit for other AT&T services, like AT&T TV.
What if you’re an existing customer? If you renew your contract with AT&T, you’ll get up to $300 in credits toward an eligible Samsung Galaxy phone when you trade in your current device. There are some terms and conditions, namely:
- You have to be signed up with AT&T for a minimum of $80 per month plan at checkout
- Your phone has to have been purchased with monthly installments to qualify for this offer’s program terms
Still, this pair of offers is an excellent opportunity to shave a significant discount off the price of a new phone, whether you like your AT&T service or are trying to switch to this carrier for the first time.
T-Mobile Trade-In Offers
Not to be outdone, T-Mobile also has a handful of trade-in deals new and existing customers alike can take advantage of.
The first of these is for new customers exclusively. If you trade in your current handset, you can purchase a new phone through T-Mobile. Unfortunately, T-Mobile is relatively cagey about how much value you can get when you trade in your device.
When you visit the T-Mobile store or send it to one of their analysis offices, you'll get an estimate of the value of your phone and how much you can put toward purchasing a new handset.
You are also eligible for the trade-in credit if you're an existing customer. However, this trade-in credit only kicks in when you add a new line to your account or upgrade your line to a higher tier (and thus pay more per month).
If you’re already a customer, you can also log into your T-Mobile account and see what your current phone is worth in terms of trade-in credit.
Because of this, T-Mobile’s trade-in offers could be better or worse than the other offers available throughout November 2022. It all depends on the value of your current phone and whether you’re willing to upgrade your T-Mobile contract cost to take advantage of a potentially significant discount.
Sprint Trade-In Offers
T-Mobile recently acquired Sprint, but many still look for special trade-in offers on multiple device models from this cell carrier.
Unfortunately, new Sprint customers will be referred to T-Mobile products, plans, and other offerings. You can keep your current plan pricing and features if you are an existing Sprint customer.
Still, this does affect the November trade-in offers you can expect. The Sprint website redirects to the T-Mobile website, and all new Sprint plans have been phased out.
Unfortunately, this means that Sprint trade-in offers are null and void — you may still be able to turn in your Sprint phone for a T-Mobile trade-in offer, like a discount on purchasing a new phone or a deal on a new plan.
Verizon Trade-In Offers
Verizon has a lot to offer regarding trade-in offers because of one recent promotional announcement. Customers can trade in phones regardless of the condition of the device and qualify for the best trade-in prices available.
For example, if you have a broken or cracked smartphone, you'll get maximum credit for that trade-in toward a new phone or a phone plan — talk about customer friendly.
However, there's one exception to the above promotion: Verizon does not accept trade-in phones that have battery damage, even if they are otherwise in good condition.
Still, this is an excellent opportunity to trade in your phone with a cracked screen for a new handset (preferably with a bit more durability).
If you're a new Verizon customer, you can trade in a qualifying device and choose between the following options based on the value of your trade-in estimate:
- Account credit toward a new phone from Verizon
- A Verizon gift card
- PayPal credit
Note that this does mean you can't trade in an old device and put the credit toward any new phone you see if you're a new Verizon customer. The Verizon gift card may allow you to purchase phones in-store during your visit.
Naturally, the total trade-in value you can expect depends on the value of your phone. For example, if your new Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra is worth $700, you’ll get $700 of credit for that phone even if the screen is cracked.
What if you're an existing Verizon customer? In that case, you can trade in your current phone for credit toward a new phone purchase or credit to your Verizon account.
Verizon allows existing customers to trade in old phones, tablets, or any other devices purchased from Verizon in the past.
Other Carrier Trade-In Offers: Where Can I Sell My Phone?
While the above big three carriers have their fair share of high-quality November phone trade-in offers, other carriers also have good potential savings to keep in mind. Consider trade-in offers like these if you are already a customer of a secondary carrier or are looking for a new carrier after losing satisfaction with your current pick.
Google Fi
Google Fi is looking to expand its customer base, and that’s very visible in terms of its trade-in offers with simple steps. If you trade in an eligible device, you can get up to $500 in Fi credit or a credit card refund, depending on what applies to your account.
Most phones, of course, will only get you about $300 in trade-in credit unless you have a recent handset to trade.
On the plus side, Google Fi provides upfront credit for the trade-in, so you can use it to discount your new phone's price immediately.
Thus, this could be a great way to purchase a new Google Pixel 6 or 6 Pro, particularly if you've been wanting a new phone but haven't been able to save enough cash to get it another way.
US Cellular
US Cellular also has good 2020 trade-in deals, starting with an offer worth up to $450 of credit when you trade in your phone for any new device. However, there are a few strings attached.
You don't get the trade-in credit upfront when you trade in a phone with US Cellular. Instead, you purchase your new phone as usual and get your trade-in discount as a monthly bill credit.
Think of this as a progressive discount that will roll out throughout your contract with US Cellular.
Naturally, this doesn’t help if you don’t have enough money to purchase a new device upfront.
But if you have enough money to buy a new phone and are comfortable with getting your savings slowly over time through a contract with US Cellular, this could be a good deal to take advantage of.
Visible
Visible has an intriguing yet limited trade-in offer. This carrier already offers an incredible $40 Unlimited plan, perfect for families or those needing unlimited talking and texting more than hotspot data.
If you sign up for the $40 Unlimited plan, you can also use the swap phone program. In a nutshell, Visible has several eligible phones that you can swap your old phone out for after signing a new plan contract. You don’t get the credit until you send in your old phone, and you can’t send in your old phone until you get your new one and a Visible SIM card.
Still, if you are already planning to switch to Visible for the above-mentioned Unlimited plan or other reasons, there’s no reason not to use this significant discount.
How Do Phone Trade-Ins Work?
In a nutshell, if you have an old cell phone, you can usually trade it in at any of the big carriers in exchange for rewards like:
- Store credit
- Discounts off new phones purchased from the same retailer
- Discounts off your cell plan bill
Typically, the newer your phone is when you trade it in, the more money or credit you’ll receive in exchange. Older phones, however, can still be worth trading in — there’s no downside to getting $50 off your new phone purchase, after all.
Remember that many trade-in programs have restrictions or terms and conditions.
For instance, if a trade-in program promises store credit, you may not receive that credit until a few weeks after trading in your phone, which often requires taking a prepaid shipping label and shipping the device to your retailer.
Other trade-in programs limit what new phones or devices, such as iPads or laptops, you can purchase by putting trade-in credit toward their prices.
Summary
As you can see, many excellent phone trade-in deals are available from top carriers. If you already have a phone plan from one of these carriers, take advantage of the above deals to get a significant discount on a new handset or to get some credit you can put toward phone accessories like wireless earbuds.
If you can’t find the right deal for your wallet or unique needs, Navi may be able to help. Our Phone Navigator service can help you compare phone deals and discounts across many retailers. Check it out.
Sources:
T-Mobile completes merger with Sprint | Reuters
You broke your phone, so Verizon is breaking the rules | Verizon
Phone Trade-In vs. Selling: Which One Pays Off? | The Balance
