Computer Help and Support

You trade in a listed phone and ATT will "give" you a phone for "free". The phone you are given has to be on an ATT plan and might have an activation fee. After that you will be charged the monthly rate for period of months (usually 24 to 30). As long as you stay with ATT, that monthly installment amount will be offset by an equal credit, thus you are paying nothing for the phone.
If you leave ATT before you have paid your phone off (remaining months of 24-30 month contract), you must pay off the balance owed for the phone.

Still not a bad deal if that is the phone you desire for the next 24-30 months, you already have a qualifying trade in (or are willing to buy a used working qualifying phone on a site like Swappa), and feel you will be staying with ATT for the entire contract time (until the phone is paid off).


Competing carriers will often counter and offer to pay off your existing balance for the phone if you switch to them sometime before your contract is up.