I switched from the Citizens One iPhone Upgrade Program to Apple's new Klarna-based upgrade program when I picked up my latest iPhone. The Apple employee didn't receive any prompt to collect my old iPhone 17 Pro, so I left the store with both phones. My order now shows "Trade-in Status: Not complete" and says I need to bring the old phone to an Apple Store by October 8 so the associated loan can be closed. Has anyone dealt with this when moving from Citizens One to Klarna? Can the store process the old phone afterward without causing problems, or should I request a trade-in kit?
5 Answers
For an in-store pickup, the trade-in is normally completed at the store. If nobody collected the phone, the handoff likely wasn’t recorded correctly, so bring it back and have an employee check the order rather than waiting for the status to update on its own.
This happened to me too. The store didn’t take my old phone during pickup, so I brought both phones home, finished setting up the new one, and returned a few days later with the old phone. The store was able to process it afterward.
Take the old phone back to the Apple Store and explain what happened. Show them the order page with the incomplete trade-in status so they can attach the trade-in to the upgrade and finish closing out the loan.
Some customers don’t receive a kit or see the same trade-in instructions, which can make the new process confusing. If you picked up the phone in person, start by visiting the store with the old device; ask about a kit only if they confirm the trade-in has to be mailed instead.
If the new phone was picked up in store, the trade-in is generally handled there, so bringing the old device back should be the first step.
You’ll need to either return the old phone to an Apple Store or arrange a trade-in kit. Since the order specifically tells you to visit a store by the deadline, going back there with the phone and your order details is probably the simplest option.
That’s what made it seem unusual to me—I’ve used the upgrade program for years and always handed over the old phone during pickup. I only received a trade-in kit when the replacement phone was shipped.