Fee to move eSIM to new device?i

The only time you were charged a $35 upgrade fee is when you upgrade with AT&T financing.

If you purchase with Apple financing, or just buy the phone from Apple straight out, then you transfer your own data and your own SIM card without any assistance or charge from AT&T

https://www.att.com/help/wireless/esim-get-started/

https://www.att.com/help/wireless/esim-get-started/

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT212732

If you cannot purchase a SIM free phone with Apple financing, there is something different this year than last year. Because this was not the case in the past. Has never been the case that you are forced to purchase a carrier branded model when purchasing directly through Apple and using Apple card to finance your phone.

Thanks, so this is what I see when I'm going through the process this year... 

You're being charged because you've chosen AT&T as your provider.

What happens if you try to check out with no provider?

Do you have the option to check out without a provider?

Nope no option anymore to do that, looks like Apple removed that due to “carrier pressure” in August. Can pay full price and bypass the carrier.

Hey @jeffro01, let's get the help you need. 

If you move eSIM to device you won't be charged. But yes, when you upgrade a line then you will be charged $35 as an upgrade fee.

Let us know if you have any more questions.

Thank you,

Scarlett, AT&T Community Specialist

@jeffro01 

I wonder if they have gone back to the old days where the unlocked phones were not available for a few weeks?

Clearly you can purchase one if you pay full price, just not with Apple's financing.  

The only other thing that I can think is that Apple has trouble getting people to pay off their financing.   🤷🏼‍♀️

There is a lot of people defaulting on debts in the last 3 years

One thing is clear to me, this industry desperately needs customer friendly regulation... It makes zero sense to me why it's free for me to move my eSIM to a new device if I buy it outright through Apple, but costs me $35 to do the same darn thing if I buy the exact same device via Apple Card monthly installments.  IT'S THE SAME THING... Congress really needs to say enough of this and make junk fees like activation/upgrade fees illegal but that's a conversation for a different thread.  

Either way, I have the information I need whether I like it or not... :) 

100% agree.

Costs go up but service declines every year.  

For years I've been purchasing unlocked non-carrier phones. This past February was the first time we took part in one of the offers during pre-order with trade in..   

   It wasn't a horrible experience, but still never again.   I prefer the unlocked phone s I've purchased direct from Samsung

Hey just for the recap, since you referring to move the eSIM you won’t be charged, but yes you will be charged $35 for the upgrade of the line it is a onetime charge. 

Let us know if you have any more questions.

Thank you,

Scarlett, AT&T Community Specialist

If you select AT&T, even if you finance through Apple, AT&T will charge an upgrade fee because the phone will come with a SIM already in the phone.  They won’t charge you if you select no carrier.  Think of it as a fee for getting a new SIM, right or wrong.  It made a bare minimum of sense when they had physical SIMs and you got a new one, but makes no sense in the world of eSIMs.

While setting up my Apple preorder earlier in the week, I noticed that “no carrier” wasn’t listed as an option when using the Apple app on my iPad, but was listed when using the Apple app on my phone.  Don’t know why the difference.