The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are up for pre-order now, and every major carrier is dangling the same headline number in front of you: up to $1,200 off with a trade-in. That number looks identical on AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon’s marketing pages, and that’s exactly the problem, because the real payout depends heavily on your plan, your trade-in device, and whether you’re a new or existing customer. We went through the actual terms from each carrier, plus a few prepaid alternatives, so you can figure out where your old phone is worth the most before you commit to a 36-month payment plan.
The Pricing You’re Working From
Apple announced the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max on September 9, with pre-orders opening September 12 and the phones landing on shelves September 18. The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 for 256GB, and the iPhone 18 Pro Max starts at $1,299 for the same storage tier. That’s a $100 jump over last year’s iPhone 17 Pro lineup, though Apple doubled the base storage to 256GB this year, which softens the increase if you were going to upgrade storage anyway. Both phones now go up to a 2TB option for the first time, sitting above the previous 1TB ceiling. Every carrier deal below is measured against these starting prices.
AT&T’s iPhone 18 Pro Deal
AT&T is offering up to $1,200 in bill credits when you trade in an iPhone 14 or newer in any condition, and that trade-in doesn’t need to power on or have a working screen to qualify. The catch is that you need to activate on AT&T’s Premium 2.0 plan and take the device on an installment plan, so this isn’t a deal you get by paying full price upfront. New and existing customers both qualify, and AT&T will also take select Android phones valued at $180 or more as a trade-in. Customers switching to AT&T from another carrier can additionally get up to $800 toward paying off their old phone’s remaining balance, which matters if you’re still under contract elsewhere. At the maximum discount, AT&T’s offer covers the entire starting price of the 256GB iPhone 18 Pro, leaving the iPhone 18 Pro Max with about $99 still owed.
T-Mobile’s iPhone 18 Pro Deal
T-Mobile matches the $1,200 ceiling, but only on specific plans: Experience Beyond 2.0, Experience Beyond, or Go5G Next. Step down to a different plan tier and the maximum discount drops to $930 or $730 depending on which one you pick. T-Mobile is also accepting trade-ins in any condition, and it introduced a new Equipment Installment Plan called EIP Flex 36 that spreads the cost, including taxes and fees, across 36 months. For customers who qualify, that structure can bring the amount due at checkout down to $0. If you don’t have a phone worth trading in, T-Mobile also runs a separate promotion worth up to $1,200 in credits that skips the trade-in requirement entirely, though it requires porting your number to T-Mobile rather than simply switching. Your credit arrives in two pieces: an instant Apple trade-in credit at checkout, plus the remaining balance spread across bill credits over your installment term.
Verizon’s iPhone 18 Pro Deal
Verizon’s version of the $1,200 discount requires adding a new myPlan line along with a qualified trade-in, and the credits are applied as monthly promo credits spread across a 36-month, interest-free device payment plan rather than paid out upfront. If you’re upgrading an existing line instead of adding a new one, the maximum drops to $1,020. Eligible trade-ins include Apple, Google, Motorola, and Samsung devices, but they need to have been active on your account for at least 60 days before you trade them in. Verizon is also running a separate Apple Watch and iPad “On Us” promotion, where the carrier covers the full cost of either device when you buy a new iPhone or bring your existing phone over on a new line, provided you also add the Apple Watch or iPad on Auto Pay. These offers stack with Verizon’s existing myPlan and Simplicity plan discounts, which can add up to another $480 off separately.
Prepaid and Retailer Deals Worth Checking Too
Carriers aren’t the only place to look, and a few prepaid options skip the trade-in requirement entirely.
- Visible is offering $480 off the iPhone 18 Pro when you buy it at full retail price on the Visible+ Pro plan, paid back through 24 monthly service credits rather than an instant discount, and no trade-in is needed to qualify.
- Visible+ Pro runs $45 a month and includes unlimited premium data on Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, so you’re paying for that plan tier either way.
- Xfinity Mobile is giving new and existing Xfinity Mobile Plus customers the iPhone 18 Pro for free when they trade in a device and open a new line on an eligible data plan, with new customers needing to activate within 30 days of purchase.
- Total Wireless is offering up to $600 off the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max, paid out as a $25 monthly bill credit over 24 months as long as you stay on its All Access plan.
- Walmart adds another layer on top of all this, taking an extra $100 off either iPhone 18 Pro model when you pre-order through Verizon, AT&T, or T-Mobile at Walmart specifically.
- If you’d rather skip financing altogether, Verizon and AT&T list 36-month payment options at $31.92 a month for the iPhone 18 Pro and $34.70 a month for the iPhone 18 Pro Max before any trade-in credit is applied.
How the Deals Actually Compare
| Carrier | Max Credit | Requirement | Payment Term |
|---|---|---|---|
| AT&T | Up to $1,200 | Trade-in (any condition) + Premium 2.0 plan | Installment plan |
| T-Mobile | Up to $1,200 | Trade-in + Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plan | 24 or 36 months (EIP Flex 36) |
| Verizon | Up to $1,200 | New myPlan line + qualified trade-in | 36 months, interest-free |
| Visible | $480 | Visible+ Pro plan, no trade-in required | 24 monthly service credits |
| Total Wireless | Up to $600 | Stay on All Access plan | 24 months |
The number that gets buried in the marketing is what “up to” really means for an average trade-in. A working, decent-condition iPhone 13 Pro, for example, is realistically going to land you a few hundred dollars in credit rather than anywhere near the full $1,200, since that top-tier number is reserved for recent flagship trade-ins like an iPhone 16 Pro Max or newer. If your current phone is a couple of generations old, run the numbers on all three major carriers before you assume the deals are equivalent, because the plan requirements and trade-in valuations shift the real outcome more than the headline figure suggests.
Which Deal Is Actually Best
If you have a recent flagship to trade in and don’t mind switching carriers, T-Mobile’s no-trade-in-required promotion is the most flexible option on this list, since it doesn’t force you to give up a working device to hit the $1,200 ceiling. If you’re staying with AT&T anyway, its offer is the simplest to qualify for because it doesn’t require adding a new line the way Verizon’s does. Verizon makes the most sense if you’re already planning to add a line or you want the Apple Watch and iPad bundled in for free, since that combination isn’t something AT&T or T-Mobile currently match. If you don’t want to deal with financing or trade-in valuations at all, Visible’s flat $480 credit on the Visible+ Pro plan is the most predictable option, even though the total savings are smaller. None of these deals are dramatically better than the others on paper, so the real decision comes down to which plan tier and account structure you’re already sitting on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a new line to get the full $1,200 credit?
Only with Verizon. AT&T and T-Mobile let existing customers qualify for the top credit as long as you’re on the required plan tier and provide an eligible trade-in.
How long does it take for the trade-in credit to show up?
Most of the credit arrives as monthly bill credits spread across your 24 or 36-month installment plan rather than as a single upfront discount, so you won’t see the full $1,200 reflected until the plan finishes paying out.
Can I switch carriers later if I finance through one of these plans?
You can, but financed iPhones are locked to the carrier that sold them until the device is paid off in full, even though the phone itself ships unlocked and ready to activate with eSIM.
Is it better to just buy the iPhone 18 Pro unlocked from Apple?
Buying unlocked skips the carrier lock-in entirely and still qualifies for Apple’s own trade-in program, which offers $175 to $885 in instant credit depending on your old device, though that’s typically less than the maximum carrier promotions if you have a recent flagship to trade in.
