Apple appears to be developing a retail trade‑in system that would let customers save a trade‑in offer to the Apple Wallet for up to 90 days, according to code found in an update to Apple’s Guide app. Guide is used by Apple employees, Apple Authorized Resellers and other sales organisations during conversations and product demonstrations with customers.
The app contains a string that reads: “You can add this trade-in offer to your Apple Wallet. It will be valid for 90 days.” Other messages instruct an employee to display a QR code for the customer to scan: “To save this offer, simply scan the QR code with your iPhone’s camera.” The update also includes localized “Add to Apple Wallet” buttons for dozens of regions and languages.
How the Apple Wallet trade-in pass would work
The Wallet pass appears to be the final step in a broader trade‑in workflow added to the Guide app. Code references describe checking device eligibility, scanning or entering a serial number or IMEI, answering questions about a device’s physical condition, and running Apple Diagnostics. The system can then retrieve quotes from trade‑in vendors and generate a Wallet pass for the chosen offer.
Apple has added references to a “TradeInKit” framework and server endpoints for device eligibility, diagnostic sessions, trade‑in pricing and Wallet pass generation. Both the overall trade‑in feature and the Wallet pass option appear to be controlled by server‑side switches, so their presence in the app does not mean they are active for employees or customers.
A trade‑in offer valid for 90 days would give customers a longer window than Apple’s current online trade‑in process, which requires Apple to receive the device within 14 days for the customer to receive the estimated value. The code suggests the unreleased system could be intended for a different kind of transaction — for example, a customer visiting an Apple Store could have a device evaluated, save the resulting offer in Apple Wallet, and return within 90 days to use it. The Wallet pass could make an offer easier to retrieve than an email or paper quote while giving customers more time to decide.
The code does not state whether the value shown in the Wallet pass would be guaranteed for the full 90 days. Apple’s existing trade‑in terms allow a quote to be revised when an inspected condition differs from the customer’s description, when an activation lock has not been removed, or when a device is not returned within the required period. The new code also includes warnings for device lock states and indicates trade‑in values may be provided through Apple’s existing third‑party trade‑in partners.
Apple has not announced Wallet‑based trade‑in offers or a 90‑day price window. The feature could remain an internal test, and its implementation or terms may change before any wider rollout.
