Black Friday 2020: The Best Verizon, T-Mobile & AT&T Deals
Black Friday phone deals are here, and they’re confusing. Is that new iPhone really “free”? What’s the catch with that “buy one, get one” offer? It’s easy to get lost in the fine print of the best cell phone deals during Black Friday 2020, because the ads are designed to do just that.
The single biggest “catch” is almost always the same: the discount isn’t given to you upfront. Instead, carriers pay you back with small credits on your bill over 24 or even 36 months. In practice, this turns a great deal on a phone into a long-term commitment that can be a costly mistake to escape, locking you into a plan for years.
This guide breaks down the real offers from Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T. We’ve done the hard work to help you see exactly how much you’ll save and what you’re committing to, so you can find a genuinely great deal.
Summary
Black Friday carrier deals often look “free” but hinge on monthly bill credits spread over 24–36 months, effectively locking you into a plan. The biggest offers rely on some combination of bill credits, eligible trade-ins, and adding a new line. Verizon shines for high trade-in value (often on premium unlimited plans), T-Mobile excels for families via BOGO offers that require a new line, and AT&T suits straightforward upgrades for existing customers with long-term credits; BYOD promos pay one-time incentives if you keep your phone. Use the included 3-step check to match an offer to your needs and calculate true total cost.
How to Decode Carrier Deals: Understanding Bill Credits, Trade-Ins, and ‘Add-a-Line’
The biggest Black Friday phone deals often sound wonderfully simple: “Get a new iPhone on us!” But the savings are usually tied to a few key terms. Understanding what they mean is the difference between locking in a great deal and getting stuck in a 3-year headache. Almost every major offer is built around a combination of the following three concepts:
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Monthly Bill Credits: This is the most important concept to grasp. Instead of giving you a big discount upfront, the carrier “pays you back” for the phone by applying a small credit to your bill every month, usually for 24 or 36 months. If you leave the carrier early, you lose any remaining credits.
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Eligible Trade-In: While your old phone could be worth hundreds of dollars, it’s rarely applied as instant cash. With most modern deals, like many AT&T trade-in deals 2020, your phone’s value is also paid out via monthly bill credits.
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Add-a-Line: To qualify, you must activate a brand-new phone number with its own paid monthly service plan. Many of the top Verizon new line Black Friday offers use this tactic; they’re designed for families adding a member, not just for someone upgrading their existing phone.
The common thread is commitment. These deals are designed to ensure you remain a customer for years.
Verizon’s Black Friday Play: Big Savings on the iPhone 12, If You Have the Right Trade-In
Verizon’s headline offers are some of the most aggressive iPhone 12 carrier promotions Black Friday has seen, promising deep discounts that can make the latest Apple phone seem almost free. These deals rely heavily on trading in a recent, high-value smartphone and receiving your savings as bill credits.
Getting the biggest discount, however, now requires you to be on one of Verizon’s premium unlimited plans. These more expensive tiers include extra perks but also come with a higher monthly service cost. This is a key difference to watch for when comparing Verizon vs AT&T Black Friday offers, as the “cheaper” phone could require a more expensive monthly plan.
Perhaps the biggest change this year is the length of the payment agreement. Instead of the typical 24 months, many new deals lock you into a 36-month term. This results in a lower monthly phone payment but represents a much longer commitment to receive the full value of your promotion.
T-Mobile’s Black Friday Deals: How ‘Buy One, Get One’ Really Works
While Verizon is focused on trade-ins, T-Mobile’s big promotions often revolve around a ‘Buy One, Get One’ (BOGO) deal. These offers are a tempting way to figure out how to get a free phone on Black Friday, but the “free” phone isn’t an instant discount; it’s delivered over time using bill credits.
Typically, you buy two new phones on monthly payment plans. For the first month or two, you’ll see charges for both devices. Then, T-Mobile starts applying a monthly credit that cancels out the payment for the second phone. Over 24 or 36 months, that second phone becomes ‘free’ through these credits.
There’s one non-negotiable rule: you must add at least one new line of phone service. This is true for both new and T-Mobile deals for existing customers; the carrier’s goal is to get a new paying customer. Ultimately, these BOGO deals offer fantastic value for people who were already planning to add a family member to their account.
AT&T’s Black Friday Offers: A Solid Deal for Both New and Existing Customers
AT&T often carves out a compelling middle ground. A standout feature of their promotions is that they frequently extend the same big-dollar discounts to loyal, existing customers who simply want to upgrade—no new line required.
For sought-after devices like those in the Samsung Galaxy Black Friday phone deals, AT&T offers a massive discount (often $700 or more) when you trade in a qualifying older phone. This value is paid out over time in the form of monthly bill credits.
The main thing to watch for is the commitment period. While 24 months was once the standard, many of the best AT&T trade-in deals 2020 now require you to remain with the carrier for 30 or even 36 months to receive the full credit amount. This long-term agreement is the trade-off for getting a top-tier discount without having to add a new line to your plan.
What If I Don’t Need a New Phone? Finding BYOD and Plan-Only Savings
If you have a phone you like and it’s fully paid off, “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) promotions are for you. Carriers will often pay you to switch to their network, usually by rewarding you with a hefty prepaid gift card—sometimes worth hundreds of dollars—just for signing up.
The main advantage here is the immediate value. Unlike trade-in offers that pay you back over two or three years, BYOD deals typically give you a one-time gift card soon after you switch. This is a simple way to find the best unlimited data plan Black Friday sale, since you’re only focused on service cost.
Most of these offers pop up the week of Thanksgiving and run through Cyber Monday. The key requirement is that your current phone must be “unlocked,” meaning it’s not tied to your previous carrier’s network.
The Final Verdict: Which Carrier Has the Best Black Friday 2020 Deal for You?
The single “best” deal doesn’t exist. The right choice is the one that gives you the most value for your specific situation. This simple breakdown will help you find it:
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Best for Maximum Trade-In Value: Verizon. If you have a recent, high-value phone to trade in and want the biggest discount possible, Verizon’s aggressive trade-in credits are hard to beat, though they often require a premium unlimited plan.
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Best for Families or Getting Two Phones: T-Mobile. Their BOGO (Buy One, Get One) deals provide some of the best cell phone deals for families on Black Friday, offering incredible value if you need to add a new line of service anyway.
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Best for a Simple Upgrade: AT&T. For existing customers who just want a new phone, AT&T often presents the most straightforward path to upgrade without needing to add lines.
Focusing on what you actually need to do—trade in a device, add a family member, or simply upgrade—is the key to seeing past the flashy ads and finding real savings.
Your 3-Step Plan to Win Black Friday and Avoid Costly Traps
You’re no longer just looking at ads; you’re decoding them. Where you once saw a “free phone,” you now see the monthly credits, trade-in requirements, and timelines. Before you commit to any offer, even upcoming Cyber Monday phone deals 2020, run it through this simple check:
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Know Your Needs: Do you need a new line? Is your trade-in phone eligible for the best value?
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Read the Credit Terms: Is the commitment 24, 30, or 36 months long?
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Do the Math: (Plan Cost + Phone Payment — Credit) x Months = Your True Total Cost.
This is how you find a great deal without any surprises. You now have the confidence to spot real value and, just as importantly, the wisdom to walk away from a bad promotion.