eCommerce FAQ
How plans, MDC, financing, and trade-in interact in one checkout journey.
Quick answers
How does checkout work when a customer buys a plan, MDC, and a financed device together?
The first month of the plan and Mobile Device Care (MDC) is charged upfront by card in the same checkout flow.
The first month's charges for both the plan and MDC are collected by card upfront as part of the same checkout flow — before the financing application begins.
Once those charges are captured, the customer is taken into the financing partner's hosted experience to complete the device financing.
What happens if financing is declined or the customer abandons the financing flow?
This means a customer will have paid for their plan and MDC before they know whether device financing is approved.
Plan charges are not automatically refunded if the device financing flow fails or is abandoned.
The plan charge remains on the account.
The customer can activate their line — either by:
a device purchased outright
a BYOD device
If the customer does not want to keep the plan, they must contact customer service to request a cancellation and refund.
Refunds for plan charges are only applicable prior to line activation.
Once the line is activated, standard plan terms apply.
There is no automatic refund triggered by a device financing failure.
Can the customer still buy the device if financing fails?
Yes.
If the financing flow fails — whether due to lender decline or customer opt-out — the customer is redirected back to the checkout page.
They can then:
Pay for the device outright by card
Re-attempt the financing flow
The plan remains active throughout.
The customer does not need to restart the entire purchase journey.
Can a customer split payments across multiple devices in one order?
No.
Split payments are not supported.
If a customer buys multiple devices in one order, they must use one payment method for all devices.
That means the order must be either:
fully financed
fully paid upfront
This is the intended behavior.
Mobile Device Care (MDC)
What happens to MDC if the device purchase never completes?
MDC is tied to a specific device by IMEI and requires an active line.
If the device purchase never completes, MDC has no device to attach to.
It will be automatically cancelled after 30 days of line activation.
If the line itself is also cancelled, MDC cancels at that point regardless of the 30-day window.
In short: MDC will not remain active indefinitely without a completed device purchase — it will cancel either when the line goes inactive or when the 30-day post-activation window closes, whichever comes first.
Can MDC move to a different device later?
No.
MDC coverage is IMEI-bound and does not transfer between devices.
Regardless of how the new device is purchased — outright, financed, or as a replacement — a new MDC enrollment is required for that device.
Enrollment is still subject to eligibility at the time of purchase.
Does MDC require the line to stay active?
Yes.
MDC requires an active line to remain in effect.
If the line is suspended or disconnected, MDC coverage is impacted.
Customers should contact customer service if their line status changes and they have an active MDC enrollment.
What if the customer misses the 30-day MDC enrollment window because financing delayed the purchase?
The 30-day enrollment window is measured from the date of line activation.
The system enforces that window regardless of the reason for delay.
If the window closes, enrollment is blocked.
An exception applies only if the brand has enabled an open-enrollment configuration.
That setting is brand-specific.
It is not universally available.
Customers in this situation should contact customer service to understand options available under their brand's configuration.
Trade-in
What happens to trade-in if the device order is cancelled or fails?
Trade-in is linked directly to the device order, regardless of how the device is being paid for.
If the device order is cancelled or fails, the trade-in is automatically voided.
No ownership transfer occurs.
The customer keeps the traded device.
If the customer re-attempts the purchase — for example, by switching from financing to outright payment — a new trade-in submission would be required.
Do trade-in credits reduce MDC or other non-plan charges?
No.
Trade-in credits apply only to monthly recurring plan charges (MRC).
They do not offset:
one-time fees
taxes
add-on charges such as MDC
MDC is billed as a separate monthly recurring fee through the brand payment gateway.
Trade-in credits do not reduce that charge.
When do trade-in credits start appearing?
Trade-in credits are applied to the billing account only after:
the trade-in partner receives the device
the device is inspected and the final value is confirmed
the customer accepts the final offer, when applicable
This process is independent of the financing timeline.
A customer may begin making financing installments before trade-in credits start appearing on their bill.
Credits apply progressively across billing cycles until the full trade-in value is consumed.
Is the trade-in value shown at checkout final?
An estimated value is shown during checkout based on the device details entered.
The final value is confirmed after inspection of the device's actual condition.
How are trade-in credits applied?
The total trade-in value is distributed across multiple billing cycles.
It is applied only to the Monthly Recurring Charge (MRC) of the plan.
Are trade-in credits applied before the device is received and inspected?
No.
Credits are applied only after the device is received, inspected, and the final value is confirmed.
Can trade-in be used with a financed device order?
Yes.
Trade-in is linked to a new device order and follows the lifecycle of that purchase.
If that order is financed, see Financing for what happens before order confirmation.
Can customers and agents track the full trade-in lifecycle?
Yes.
Full lifecycle tracking is available through order history and agent tools.
This includes status updates, device details, and value progression.
Returns, DOA, and delivery issues
If a customer buys a new line and a new device, is a pSIM shipped automatically while they wait for delivery?
It depends on the SIM type selected at purchase.
If the customer selects eSIM, no pSIM is shipped.
If the customer selects pSIM, a pSIM is shipped.
This is the intended behavior.
If a financed device is returned and the financing offer is cancelled, what happens if the first payment has already been received from Terrace?
If a financed device is returned within the return window and the order is cancelled, Reach raises a cancellation request with Terrace Finance.
Terrace then cancels the financing offer.
If Terrace already collected an initial payment, such as the first EMI or a down payment, Terrace refunds that amount directly to the customer.
Reach does not manually refund financed payments.
The merchant does not manually refund financed payments.
Customer reimbursement is handled by Terrace after formal cancellation confirmation is received.
Any settlement correction or deposit reconciliation happens between Reach and Terrace only.
That process is not customer-facing.
For DOA devices that are returned and we issue a full refund, does Vertex submit them to the OEM for warranty? How is this handled?
Yes.
Vertex handles OEM DOA validation.
Reach does not handle that validation.
The customer does not handle that validation.
The flow is:
The customer initiates a DOA RMA within 7 days of delivery.
The device is returned to Vertex.
Vertex performs DOA checks. These cover power, calling, texting, apps, water damage, and physical condition.
Vertex coordinates with the OEM for DOA approval or rejection.
If approved, Vertex provides a replacement or a full refund.
If rejected as No Trouble Found (NTF), the device is returned to the customer and an NTF fee is applied.
Reach does not provide device warranty.
Manufacturer warranty passes through only where applicable.
DOA logistics and OEM engagement sit with Vertex.
Do we require the customer to submit photos or evidence of device damage on arrival?
Not in every case.
Customer Support may request photos or other evidence, but it is not a mandatory policy requirement for all RMAs.
Final determination happens only after Vertex completes a physical inspection.
Supporting evidence helps speed up RMA review.
It also helps distinguish misuse from a genuine DOA case.
When we ask the customer to return the device, do we instruct them to remove personal data and reset it? How do we ensure it is not passcode-locked?
Yes.
Customers are instructed to factory reset the device and remove all personal data before return.
Vertex verifies that the device:
is factory reset
is not passcode-locked
does not have a Google or Apple ID lock
If the device has not been reset, Vertex performs the reset as part of RMA handling.
For a device that never got to the customer address, does this fall under refused or unaccepted packages? What if the shipper loses it?
All devices ship with signature required.
If a package is refused, not accepted, or returned to sender without delivery, it is treated as a Refused or Unaccepted Package.
If the carrier loses the package in transit, the customer is not charged for that loss.
That scenario is handled under transit insurance or carrier liability.
A carrier claim is raised.
After claim confirmation, the order is refunded or re-shipped.
Risk of loss does not sit with the customer before signature.
How is shipping loss handled, and do we need shipping-insurance data in reports?
In this brand-owned eCommerce store, Reach does not derive any benefit from shipping insurance.
Title transfers directly to the customer.
In-transit coverage is provided by FedEx through Vertex for devices valued under $1,000.
For devices above $1,000, signature is required by default.
As a best practice, require signature on delivery for all devices regardless of value.
This reduces shipping loss risk.
It also reduces customer complaints from unattended deliveries.
Shipping-insurance data is not required in standard reporting.
If the brand is expected to pay any portion of shipping insurance, include the related data in reports.
Eligibility and agent handling
Can plans, financing, trade-in, and MDC all exist in the same purchase?
Yes.
These products can coexist on the same line and device purchase, subject to individual eligibility rules.
Each product still follows its own eligibility rules.
Each product also has its own billing and lifecycle.
There is no unified cancellation flow.
Changes to one product may cascade to others.
Examples:
device order cancellation can void trade-in
missing device completion can lead to MDC cancellation
Can agents override MDC or financing eligibility?
No.
Agents cannot override system-driven eligibility for MDC or financing.
Protection enrollment and financing availability are surfaced based on real-time eligibility checks.
Agents can act only on options shown as eligible by the platform.
For cases involving plan refunds after financing failure, agents can assist with line cancellation and refund processing, subject to pre-activation conditions.
Payments, settlement, and disputes
If a customer takes title to a phone and later disputes the credit card charge, who owns the risk of loss?
The brand owns this risk.
In a brand-owned eCommerce store, transaction-related risk sits with the brand.
This includes:
credit card disputes
chargebacks
For reporting and settlement, Reach records:
the initial chargeback
the final outcome of the customer dispute
These details are shared with the brand in the monthly settlement report.
Related references
Read next by topic:
Financing for approvals, split payments, and repayment ownership.
Protection for eligibility, billing, and claims.
Trade-in for inspection, credit timing, and order-linked cancellation.
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