Confused about Verizon’s new 60 day active rule for iPhone 16 trade-ins? We explain

Verizon has a new trade in policy starting with the iPhone 16 for existing customers that has lead to some confusion.

Confused about Verizon’s new 60 day active rule for iPhone 16 trade-ins? We explain
iphone 16 all colors
Credit: Apple
  • Verizon’s new iPhone 16 trade-in came with some new changes such as a requirement that the trade-in phone “must be active on the account for 60 days prior”.
  • The wording and conflicting terms of service for device trade-ins lead to some initial confusion.
  • Verizon has since clarified the 60 days can be at any point in the past, not just the last 60 days. It also applies to all plans and future trade-in promotions.

Ever since Verizon’s iPhone 16 trade-in promotion was first unveiled, there has been some confusion about the trade-in phone requirements to take advantage of the offer. While the promotion applies to both new and existing customers, Verizon’s initial press release revealed that the trade-in phone “must be active on the account for 60 days prior to trade-in” for all existing customers, regardless of the plan. However, the actual Device Trade-In Program Terms & Conditions only mention this requirement for those with a MyPlan Unlimited Ultimate account.

Vague wording and conflicting policies led to misunderstandings (such as those seen here on Reddit), such as whether the 60 days of prior use had to be immediately before the trade-in or if it applied to any device that had been on a customer’s Verizon account for at least 60 days at any time in the past. Additionally, it wasn’t clear if these restrictions applied to all plans or just the Ultimate plan.