How to Reserve an iPhone 5 For Next Day Pickup at your Local Apple Store

Steps to take to purchase an iPhone 5 with Next Day Personal Pickup at Apple retail stores.
by Updated September 28, 2012

Apple is now allowing users to reserve an iPhone 5 for next day in-store pick up.  This means you will not have to wait in line or go to the Apple Store without knowing whether they have any iPhone 5's in stock, in your selected color or GB model.

To reserve an iPhone 5, you are now able to use Apples reservation service which is available online every night from 10 PM to 4 AM local time (your local time). So essentially, you can reserve an iPhone 5 online at your local Apple Store location and pick it up the next day (Currently, the reserve hold will only last 1 day, but tyically in-store pickup reservations are good for two weeks).

Here's how you can reserve your iPhone 5 for next day Pickup at your local Apple Store:

  1. Go to the iPhone 5 page between 10 PM to 4 AM (your local time).
  2. Click on the "Buy Now" button in the upper right corner, then click on "Select an iPhone"
  3. At the Select an iPhone 5 page, choose a color, then choose a model, then choose your network carrier.  Don't worry if it says "Available to ship: 3-4 weeks".
  4. Now in the Summary box located to the right, click on Continue.
  5. You will now either need to sign in to an existing account or create a new account.  Click "Continue"
  6. If you are upgrading a phone, you will be taking to the "Check eligibility for your account" page.  Enter your Wireless Number, Billing Zip Code, Last 4 Digits of Social Security Number, and Carrier Billing Password (if you have one), then click "Check Eligibility" button.
  7. Once you get to the Items in your cart check out page, you will then be able to choose a local store for pickup.  Select "Pick up" and choose your local Apple Store.  After you've made your selection it will tell you if the iPhone 5 is Available in stock at your selected Apple Store.
  8. Continue with the check out process.
  9. Once you've finally made your purchase, Apple will send you an email when your order is ready for pick up. "Please wait for a Pickup Notification email to arrive before coming to the Apple Store."  In-stock items are typically available within an hour.

NOTE: The pick-up notification email: "We're ready for you.", which is sent out by Apple when you order is ready, should arrive by 7 or 8 AM in the morning.

To pick up your order, you'll need the payment card, or the order number and your valid photo ID. Items can only be picked up by the person whose name matches the billing contact name, or a person they've designated



 


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6 Comments

anonymous by Andrew Byrd on 10/5/2012
This is great and all, but I've tried the pick-up process the last 3 nights in a row with no luck. One thing to note is that the pick-up option actually initiates slightly prior to 10:00pm
anonymous by Sarah on 10/9/2012
this is a raw deal. i tried this the last 3 nights. no luck the first 2, but there was one at the palo alto store tonight when i checked at 10pm. i selected it, entered my apple id, and confirmed my billing info. and then literally 2 minutes later when i clicked to finalize my purchase, the screen tells me the phone is no longer available. there is no freaking way i could have done the process any faster. i mean, my apple id had my billing info filled in for me. WTF!

i am mad b/c the touch screen on my current phone no longer works, and i don't want to wait 2-3 weeks to get one shipped to me. whyyyyyy is this soo difficult?
anonymous by Kyle on 10/9/2012
I've been trying this since last Friday and it hasn't worked. I get on at 10 every night, I even tried having everything ready WAY early and just waiting until 10 on the dot to finish the process. Every time it always tells me that there are none available for pickup! So frustrating!
Doug by Doug on 10/9/2012
Sorry to hear that you guys haven't been able to get an order through. I was able to successfully place an order on Sept 25th, and picked up the new iPhone 5 the next day. So I think a lot of it comes down to the apple store location that your using to purchase the iPhone 5. From what I've read, it seems like a lot of people are having difficulties on the West Coast / San Diego area.
anonymous by Christy on 10/9/2012
Just did this yesterday worked like a charm!
anonymous by Jess on 10/23/2012
They said "in stock" and I bought it, two days later and still no "come on down and pick it up" e-mail...

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