If you are doing a payment plan for phone yea keeping it locked is understandable. If you pay for the phone's price upfront so you don't have to pay per month for it then it should be unlocked from the start. If you go with pay xx per month til its paid off, once you get it paid off you should be able to go in to any their retail stores and they should be by law required unlock it that day 0 question if/when asked.