Switch24 is AO’s phone finance offer, available to Five Star members with an AO Finance Account. It combines a 24-month interest-free instalment plan for part of your phone’s value alongside a 24-month Buy Now, Pay Later plan for the rest, which is your ‘Value Lock’ amount. That means you can spread the cost and keep your payments low.

After 24 months, you can return the phone to us or upgrade to the latest model, and we’ll use its ‘Value Lock’ amount to repay the rest of your Switch24 balance. Or, if you'd rather keep the phone, you can pay back the ‘Value Lock’ amount on your AO Finance account - interest will apply from month 25 at your standard purchase rate.

1. You buy your phone with a low upfront payment.
2. We ‘Value Lock’ the phone, which means we tell you what we think it’ll be worth in 24 months (as long as it’s in ‘good condition’). You don’t need to pay the 'Value Lock' amount for now.
3. You pay back the rest of the phone’s cost in 24 interest-free monthly instalments.
4. After 24 months, you can return the phone to us or upgrade to the latest model, and we’ll use its ‘Value Lock’ amount to repay the rest of your Switch24 balance. Or, if you'd rather keep the phone, you pay back the 'Value Lock' amount on your AO Finance account - interest will apply from month 25 at your standard purchase rate.

Read our full terms and conditions here.

As a Five Star member, you’re shown a fixed trade-in value from day one – the 'Value Lock'. As long as the device is in ‘good condition’ and you have a valid Five Star membership at the time you trade it in, you’ll get this value back.

If you choose to return or upgrade your phone, the ‘Value Lock’ will be paid towards the outstanding Switch24 Buy Now, Pay Later balance.

If you decide to keep the phone or you don't receive the full ‘Value Lock’ amount because your phone is not in good condition, you'll need to pay off the remaining Switch24 balance on your AO Finance account – interest will apply at your standard purchase rate from month 25.

We’ll send you an email close to the end of the 24 months explaining your options. You can choose to:

• Switch: You can choose to upgrade and start again with a new Switch24 plan. Once your new phone arrives, send back your current phone and we’ll check the phone’s condition and let you know if it’s worth the full ‘Value Lock’ amount. We’ll then use that amount to repay the rest of your Switch24 balance.
• Keep your phone: Repay the 'Value Lock' amount on your AO Finance account - interest will apply from month 25 at your standard purchase rate.
• Return your phone: Simply send it back, and we’ll check the phone’s condition and let you know if it’s worth the full 'Value Lock' amount. We’ll use that amount to repay your Switch24 balance.

The 'Value Lock' guarantees a trade-in value, but it’s subject to the phone’s condition. Minor wear is fine, but significant damage may reduce the final value. Find out more about what condition your phone needs to be in and how to protect it below.

If you don't receive the full 'Value Lock' amount, you’ll need to repay the remaining Switch24 balance on your AO Finance account – interest will apply from month 25 at your standard purchase rate.

Good condition means the device still works exactly as it should, with no cracks, chips, dents, or screen defects like dead pixels.

Some minor signs of wear on the screen or body are fine, but there should be nothing that affects performance. The touchscreen needs to be responsive, and all parts and ports still fully functional.

Here’s a handy checklist before you send your phone back:

1. Does the phone switch on and get to the home screen without any issues? We just need to know if it powers up and works as expected.
2. Is all your personal data removed, and any activation locks turned off? That includes things like ‘Find my iPhone’ or other device locks – we won’t be able to accept it otherwise.
3. Is the front and/or back glass free of cracks, chips and damage (e.g. severe scratches)?
4. Is the screen working properly? It should be free from any issues like screen burn-in, non-functional pixels, blue lines, flickering, etc.
5. Are all of the components intact and working properly? We mean things like cameras, speakers, buttons, microphone, battery and charging port, etc.

It’s all about keeping your phone clean and protected.

We recommend using a case and screen protector to avoid scratches or knocks. Keep it away from water and extreme heat and avoid overcharging.

Click here to see our range of cases and screen protectors.

To make sure everything runs smoothly, there are a few situations where we’re unable to offer any value for a device:

• It’s listed as lost or stolen on the CheckMEND register
• It’s a fake or fraudulent device, or not the genuine model originally ordered
• It has cracked back glass
• It’s bent, crushed or snapped
• It’s still logged in to an iCloud account (this can usually be unlocked remotely*)

*For Android devices, especially Samsung, personal accounts can’t always be unlocked remotely and may need to be returned. So, it’s even more important to make sure your device is fully unlocked before sending it in.

Before you commit to anything, we’ll show you exactly what your Value Lock amount is. That means you’ll know the value you’ll receive for your device, as long as it’s in ‘good condition’, at the end of your Switch24 period, so there are no surprises later.

We'll also confirm this by email.

Switch24 is limited to one phone per order. If you want to buy more than one using Switch24, and you have available credit on your AO Finance account, just place a second order.

Or, if you’d prefer to buy two phones in one order, you can choose a different payment method or one of our other AO Finance repayment options, instead of using Switch24.

Switch24 splits the cost of your phone into two parts:

Part one is on a 0% interest instalment plan. This is the bit you pay off monthly over 24 months, which covers everything apart from the ‘Value Lock’ element of the phone. At the end of your Switch24 period, you will have repaid this in full so long as you’ve kept up to date with your payments.

Part two is the amount your ‘good condition’ phone should be worth after the end of your Switch24 period – this is your ‘Value Lock’. Until this time, it sits on a 0% Buy Now, Pay Later plan and you don't need to make any payments towards it.

If you upgrade or return your phone at the end of the Switch24 period (and it’s in good condition), the Value Lock amount will be used to repay your Buy Now, Pay Later balance. So that second part is sorted - no need to pay it off separately.

If you decide to keep the phone, you'll need to pay off the Buy Now, Pay Later balance on your AO Finance account – interest will apply at your standard purchase rate from month 25.

You’ll see both parts clearly on your statement and in your AO Finance Online Account Manager, so it’s easy to keep track.

No, there are no hidden fees or charges. You get 0% interest for 24 months so long as you keep up to date on all your payments. If you return your phone and receive the full 'Value Lock' amount, there will be nothing left to pay.

If you choose to keep your phone, you will need to repay the rest of your Switch24 balance on your AO Finance account – interest will apply at your standard purchase rate.

Switch24 is only available to Five Star members, and you’ll need to be a Five Star member to trade in your phone at the end of the Switch24 period.

There is an annual fee for Five Star Membership, and if you paid for your membership on your AO Finance account, this will automatically renew every year. The payment will be taken from your AO Finance account as a Flexible Credit payment. This means that interest will be charged at your standard purchase rate. Read the Five Star membership T&C’s here.

It’s easy! Just add membership to your basket before you check out.

As well as exclusive access to the lowest monthly prices on phones, with AO Five Star membership, you get loads of other brilliant benefits for just £39.99 a year:

• Free & unlimited delivery: No delivery fees, ever. Next day delivery is included where we can, and you can even pick a timeslot that suits you for a little extra.
• Exclusive savings: Enjoy member-only prices across loads of products, plus special star deals every week.
• Free Unpack, Remove & Recycle: We’ll unpack your new large appliance, take away all the packaging, and recycle your old one too. No hassle, no trips to the tip.
• 100-day returns: Changed your mind? No problem. You’ve got 100 days to return your order, and it’s super easy.
• Competitions & giveaways: Get access to exclusive member competitions and giveaways. Just make sure you’re signed up to our emails so you don’t miss out.

All this, and more, for just £39.99 a year. Simple!

You can read the full Switch24 terms here.

And just a reminder - Switch24 is exclusively for our members, so it’s worth checking out our Five Star membership terms too.