One-sentence summary

In the U.S., through T-Mobile's refer/KS/rebates trio, you can buy an iPhone not only for $0 but even come out ahead. Of course, phones in the U.S. are not free out of thin air. What people call “free” is really just carrier subsidies to fight for customers, stacked layer by layer onto the same phone. Who ends up footing the bill? We don't know, but we do know that an iPhone is always free!

Detailed guide

AT&T

Background

Let's use Xiao Ming as an example and lay out the guide clearly.

  • Xiao Ming is currently a member of a Verizon (or AT&T or any other non-T-Mobile carrier) postpaid plan.
  • His plan has 4 phone numbers (4 phones financed over 3 years)
  • Each phone currently still has about $800 left to pay over the remaining 2.5 years.

Note: If you don't have a plan, what do you do? Sign up when you get a new iPhone, then wait until three bills have passed, or about half a year, and you're good!

Step 1: Xiao Ming enters through Refer

Through the referral link below you can get an extra $250!

T-Mobile After entering, fill in all the information (note: the most important thing in this step is the phone number you want to transfer; also remember that the email you enter here will be the email you use when applying to T-Mobile later) After submitting, you'll see that it was successfully used Requirements:

  • Fill out the information through the referral link above
  • Open a brand-new T-Mobile Postpaid account;
  • Complete account opening within 14 days after the referral;
  • Port in numbers from another eligible carrier;
  • You cannot have been a T-Mobile user within the last 90 days;
  • After opening the account, keep it active normally for at least 30 days and pay the first bill;

Step 2: Xiao Ming signs up online or in store to switch

Be sure to choose a postpaid plan.

Step 3: Get the $400 rebate per phone,

Up to four lines can total $1,600. The steps are:

  1. After the number port is successful, go to: promotions.t-mobile.com
  2. Log in to your T-Mobile account and submit one application for each line. Enter Promo Code: BYODREBATE
  3. For four lines, you need to submit four times. After submitting, save the confirmation number and screenshots for each one.
  4. Then just wait for review.

Offer details

Step 4: How to do KS

This is Keep & Switch: up to $3,200 can be reimbursed for four phones! The logic is: you bought phones from carriers like AT&T or Verizon, and the device installment plan is not yet paid off. After moving the phones and numbers to T-Mobile, T-Mobile reimburses the remaining device payoff, up to $800 per line, with a maximum of four lines per account.

  • So the maximum for four lines is: $800 × 4 = $3,200.

The most important 90-day requirement for KS

  • The phone must have been on the original carrier's device installment plan for at least 90 days.

A safer approach is:

  • Wait until the third bill is generated;
  • Make sure the bill clearly shows at least three device payments have been made;
  • Download and save the full PDF bill with the device installment details;
  • Then pay off the balance, unlock the phone, and port out.

After porting to T-Mobile, you can submit the KS claim within 30 days. Go to T-Mobile's Keep & Switch Redemption page, submit one claim for each number, and upload the saved PDF bill. Then wait for approval.

Summary

Let's finally summarize how much Xiao Ming got after moving 4 lines.

  • $250+$1,600+$3,200 = $5,050

Also, these 4 phones went from installment phones to no-contract phones, which is basically getting the phones for free!

Of course, if your plan

My take

This is a standing T-Mobile promotion to attract people to use its service, and the whole process can be reproduced step by step. Right now there is an extra reward for referrals, currently $250, whereas normally it is $100.

Actually, this stacked promotion has already been discussed a lot on Reddit and forums. Here we’re specifically summarizing the playbook for everyone, hoping everyone can get free phones!