Outstanding Citizens One Loan and upgrade through ATT

Unfortunately, you have crossed two separate and unique upgrade programs. The iPhone Upgrade Program through Apple, which is the first one you used, uses Citizen One Bank. That is a 24 month program as you indicated, which is correct. If you decide to upgrade your phone through that program at 12 months, the balance is forgiven, if you turn in the phone to Apple. But Citizen One and the Next program are two different programs. Trading to AT&T does not forgive your Citizen One balance.

However, since you traded your phone into AT&T and used their Next program, that financing is done via AT&T, and their payments vary, depending on the time frame you wish to use. They have more than one choice, whereas the iPhone Upgrade Program with Apple is only one.

At this point, since you traded the phone to AT&T, you will have to pay off the balance of your Citizen One loan, since you no longer have possession of the device. If you decide to upgrade in the future, you need to stay with one program or the other, until you have paid off the phone and it is yours.

Thank you, but I had to type much longer than you! I only know a little more about this, since we have used both programs. My daughter used Next for one purchase on my account, and I've used the Apple Upgrade Program for 3 other phones on my account. The Apple program is much better, even with the requirement to purchase Apple Care Plus.

We just bite the bullet and pay for the phones upfront these days. I know if the rumor mill is true that a 6.5" Oled iPhone X variant is coming later this year, I'll lose some money as I will definitely want to upgrade to the larger phone. It's just money, right? LOL

That is because you are dealing with a bank for the iPhone Upgrade Program, whereas the Next program with AT&T is financed through your AT&T bill. However, to my knowledge that is only the first time. Any additional usage of the iPhone Upgrade Program does not do a hard pull.

Not real sure about that. I've always done a replacement. And to be honest, I don't look so close at my credit history to worry. I remember a great deal of discussion when the iPhone Upgrade Program first appeared, and I thought there were some changes because of the complaints with the hard inquiry at first. I thought that Citizen changed it, but it may also have been because I traded off in 12 months and just continued only with a newer phone.

We are all users here on this forum. For a definitive answer, I would recommend you speak with Citizens One directly for resolution.

A MUCH better answer than mine!