does SIM card need to be removed before trading in my old phone?

Question

My husband and I purchased 2 new iPhones (13 and 13 pro) just before Christmas at a Verizon store. The store didn’t have them in stock, so they were shipped to us by UPS. We are trading in our old iPhone 7’s. On the old phones, Find my iPhone is turned off and the we went through the “Erase all content and settings”. Before shipping them for trade in, I would like to know if the SIM cards should be removed. When we bought the new phones, I asked the store employee and was told that the SIM cards don’t need to be removed from the old phones. My husband and I are both receiving a credit for our old phones and I don’t want to jeopardize that, but I’m also concerned about security if the SIM cards are not removed. 
Thanks.

Verizon_Support · Accepted Answer

Nobody wants their trade-in credits jeopardized, I get it, Jlw123. I can assure you though, whether those SIM cards remain in or are removed, this will (not) impact your trade-in credits. If you have further inquiries, please let us know.

-Joey