Best Places Locally and Online to Sell Your Old Phones

Depending on the type and model of phone you have to sell, and the condition it’s in, you might be able to get more than you thought you would.

There are several sites that will allow you to sell used cell phones, either directly to the company, or to a private party or company as a third party buyer.

Here are the details on some of the most popular places you can sell your used cell phones.

Best Places to Sell Phones Online

To start, the best places to sell phones is going to be online. There are a ton of great places to choose from, but if you want to make this quick and simple; we recommend BuybackBoss to start.

1. BuybackBoss

BuybackBoss is our first choice when it comes to selling your old phone online. For starters, they guarantee to give you the highest price for your device. They also have a Trustpilot rating of 4.8 out 5.

If you find somewhere online that offers you a better price, you can simply send them an email (explanation on their website) with a link to the higher offer. Once they see the better offer, they will update your offer to beat their competitors and notify you once it’s ready to go.

They have three simple steps when it comes to selling your old phone.

First you will head over to their site and get a quote in 30 seconds or less. Next, you will ship your used phone for free and even track your shipment as well. Once your item is shipped, you get the choice of getting paid via check or through PayPal.

Here’s a screenshot of me selling one of our old iPhone X phones with 64GB memory in mint condition (thanks to an Otterbox).

I did compare this price to another site and was offered only $430 for the same phone. It definitely pays to shop your phone around on at least 2-3 sites.

What should you do with that old cell phone you have when you upgrade to a newer one? Don’t discount its value before you check out what you might be able to get by selling it.

 

2. OCBuyback

OCBuyback is another great place to sell your Apple, Google or Samsung phone. They have made it extremely simple to get started.

First, click on “sell cell phone” and then click on the type of phone you are selling.

Next click on the model of your phone and the carrier the device is linked to (Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, etc.). Then click on the storage capacity for your phone. If you don’t know the capacity, this can be found in the “About” section inside your phone’s settings.

You will be also be asked for the condition of your phone. My recommendation is to be 100% honest so the process for you getting cash is as quick as possible.

Once all these are metrics are entered in, you will instantly be given a price to sell your phone and a button that says “Click to Sell Now”.

Once you send your phone (shipping paid for by OCBuyback), you can request a check in the mail (1-3 days) or you can elect to get paid instantly using PayPal.

Here is an actual screenshot of me selling my own iPhone 7 in good condition with 128GB storage.

Note: You will notice it says “Sell Phone in Brea, CA”. This is doesn’t mean you must live in California – this is just where your used phone is being sold to.

3. Swappa

Swappa is another great platform to sell your old phones and countless other electronics. They currently have a TrustPilot score of 4.9 out of 5, which is one of the highest scores for sites like these.

The nice thing with Swappa is they don’t take a fee to sell your old phone on their site. How it works is you set your bid on their platform and it goes out to the Swappa community to either accept your bid or give you a counteroffer. Once you come to an agreement on your sale price, you are responsible for shipment, including paying for shipping.

Your payment will come to you securely via PayPal. Always make sure to accept and receive payment before you send your phone in the mail.

 

4. Deculttr

Decluttr is a close third choice when it comes to selling your old phone. They have paid out over $300 million to over 6 million people and have Trustpilot rating of 4.6 out of 5.

 

 

 

 

Sell on Decluttr Now

 

How it works:

Very similar to BuybackBoss, but they do have an updated app and offer two more payment options beyond PayPal and check. They can pay via direct deposit or even a donation to a charity.

Decluttr has definitely been one of the pioneers when it comes to selling your old phone, however they don’t guarantee the highest price which is why we put them at #2.

5. Amazon & Amazon Trade-In Program

With Amazon you can sell your phone two different ways. You can use Amazon’s Trade-In program and get an Amazon gift card for your phone, or you can sell your phone directly on the site and get cash from a third party buyer.

If you’re okay with having an Amazon Gift Card for your phone instead of cash, the trade-in program could be the way to go, although you may not get as much money for your phone since Amazon will still need to make a profit by reselling it.

When I checked my old Moto G phone on Amazon’s trade-in site, they were paying “up to” $6.80 for similar trade in models.

However, when I searched “used Moto G phones” on the traditional Amazon shopping site, I found I would pay between $30 and $60 for a used one. Even after listing and selling fees you’ll likely get more money selling your phone to a third party when you use Amazon.

The Good: Large audience and everyone uses an Amazon Gift Card.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your old phone.

6. Gazelle

Gazelle buys old cell phones directly from private party sellers for the purpose of reselling them. It’s easy to sell through Gazelle – no waiting for someone to take your offer or meeting up with them.

You just hit the “sell” button on the site, enter your phone make and model and they’ll give you an offer price. After you accept their offer price, Gazelle will send you a free shipping label and then pay you via an Amazon gift card, via PayPal or they’ll send you a check.

Also, keep in mind Gazelle does not buy all phone models nor do they buy phones tied to all carriers. You’ll have to check their site for specific info on which types of phones they buy.

The Good: Extremely quick, completely free to sell and multiple options for payout.

The Bad: Not all phone models will be bought back from you.

7. eBay

You probably already know at least a little bit about how eBay works. A few notes about selling your used cell phone on eBay:

• Be sure to include a buffer for listing and selling fees in as you price your phone
• Use other similar sold phones and listings when determining a phone price point
• Decide ahead of time whether or not you’ll offer free shipping (it often makes an attractive lure for potential buyers) and then consider that cost as you choose your listing price as well

The Good: Large audience and opportunity to sell back to the retailer for higher profit.

The Bad: Communicating with potential buyers, creating your listing and then shipping your item.

8. Gadget Gobbler

Gadget Gobbler works similarly to sites like Gazelle: you get a quote for your phone, get a free shipping label once you’ve accepted their offer, and get paid from them after you send in your phone and they examine it.

One difference between Gadget Gobbler and Gazelle is that Gadget Gobbler pays via PayPal or a check only – no Amazon gift card option available. But personally, I’d prefer cash anyway. 🙂

Again, remember when you’re selling to companies that plan on reselling your phone for a profit that you’ll probably get less for the phone, although the process is super easy and streamlined compared to trying to sell it to a private party.

The Good: Payout is via a check or PayPal and a very simple selling process.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your phone.

9. Nextworth

Nextworth will also make an offer for your phone and send you a prepaid shipping label. After you accept their offer and ship your phone, they’ll pay you in the form of a PayPal deposit or they’ll mail you a check.

One thing to note about many of the companies that buy back your phone directly is they will analyze your phone once they receive it to be sure it matches the condition you said it was in when you got your offer.

If your phone is in worse condition than you stated, you may get less than originally agreed upon. Nextworth has a cool feature in that they’ll forgive any price differences (i.e. if the phone is worth less than what you were initially offered due to it being in worse condition) up to $10 and pay you as promised anyway.

That’s a feature you won’t find very often with other companies.

The Good: They send prepaid shipping label and payment via PayPal or check.

The Bad: You may get less than what you had originally agreed upon.

10. Wirefly

Wirefly is a cell phone and cell phone service retailer that pays you cash when you send in your used cell phone.

As with most companies, you need to state the condition of your phone and then send it in to be evaluated. Once they determine it’s in the condition you stated it is, they’ll pay you cash via Paypal, or you have a few other options as well.

The Good: Multiple forms of payment including cash.

The Bad: Not as fast as other selling sites.

11. SellBroke

SellBroke will buy your used cell phones (and other electronic items) even if they no longer work. As with most companies, you need to enter the description of your item with them, and they’ll give you a quote.

Once you’ve accepted their offer they’ll send you a prepaid shipping label and you can send in your item for evaluation.

Payment is made via PayPal or by check – whichever you prefer.

The Good: They may also buyback other used electronics from you as well.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your used electronics as you could elsewhere.

12. Gadget Salvation

Gadget Salvation works the same as many other companies: get a quote for your phone, a free shipping label if you agree to the quote, and they’ll pay you after they receive and assess your device.

These guys will pay you via PayPal, Venmo or Chase QuickPay.

The Good: If you find a better price for your phone from a qualifying competitor, Gadget Salvation will pay you that price plus 5% more.

The Bad: You may not get as much as you could private party.

13. MaxBack

MaxBack will quote you for your cell phone and send you a prepaid shipping label like the others. However, they offer one important difference: they’ll guarantee your quote for up to 30 days.

Prices in the world of used electronics change rapidly, so this could be a great incentive to use MaxBack as opposed to a company that won’t give a 30-day guarantee.

Remember though that all quotes are subject to verification of the phone’s condition as stated when the quote was given. MaxBack will pay you via PayPal or they’ll send you a check.

The Good: They will guarantee your quote for up to 30 days and multiple ways to get paid out.

The Bad: The cost of the convenience with MaxBack may eat into your profit.

Best Places to Sell Phones Near You

I’m sharing a variety of different avenues here for selling your old cell phone. Each works a bit differently so be sure to read the fine print so you know what you’re required to give – and how much money you’ll get – when you sell your phone.

Although we believe the best place to sell phones is always going to be online, some of you are still a little old school. If you don’t mind taking a drive to a storefront or kiosk, here are some of the best places you sell your phones near you.

14. EcoATM

EcoATM has kiosks across the country where you can deposit your old cell phone, have evaluated and get cash on the spot.

There are over 2,700 EcoATM kiosks across the country, according to the company’s website. EcoATM also takes steps to help ensure a phone can’t be stolen and deposited into a kiosk.

You need to submit a valid state ID if you’re going to deposit a phone into an EcoATM kiosk, and they will also take steps to prevent misuse of the information on your old phone as well.

This could be a good option if you want cash fast.  Also, if you decide you don’t want to accept their price, they’ll give you your phone back.

The Good: The fastest way to get cash for used phone if kiosk near you.

The Bad: You probably won’t be getting top dollar for your used phone.

15. Craigslist

Craigslist (or similar sites) are also popular venues for selling your used cell phone. You can probably get more for your phone if you sell it on Craigslist than you would by selling to a vendor – provided you are selling directly to a private party that wants to keep the phone for themselves.

Some private parties on Craigslist do buy used cell phones for the purpose of reselling them, which could potentially reduce your profit. However if you sell to someone wishing to keep and use the phone, you will likely get more money.

Search other similar listings on Craigslist to give you an idea of how much you should ask for your phone, and have a bottom-line dollar amount you’ll accept before you post your listing so that you’ll be prepared to haggle.

The Good: You will likely get the most money using Craigslist.

The Bad: The hassle factor of meeting up to sell your item is higher.

16. Walmart Trade-In Program

Like Amazon and others, Walmart will also buy your used cell phone, most often for the purpose of refurbishing and re-selling it.

After they make you an offer – and you accept their offer – they’ll send you a free shipping label with which to send the phone in. In return you’ll get a Walmart eGift card.

Could be a good choice if you like to shop at Walmart, but don’t expect to get a large offer for your phone, especially if it’s an older one.

The Good: Walmart does it all for you.

The Bad: Payment is limited to Walmart gift card.

17. BestBuy

With the Best Buy Trade-in Program you can get a Best Buy gift card for your used cell phone if you trade it in.

The main difference I could find between the Best Buy trade-in program and some of the others is that there are a few items Best Buy will only let you trade if you purchased the item at Best Buy and still have the receipt.

This rule seems to apply to local restrictions in some states/cities and not to Best Buy as a whole, according to their website.

The Good: Very fast and easy and great for BestBuy shoppers.

The Bad: Some phones will only be accepted if they were purchased at BestBuy and you have the receipt.

18. Target Trade-In Program

Target’s trade-in program works similarly to Walmart’s. You search your device on their website to get an offer. After you accept the offer you send it to them via a prepaid shipping label.

After they receive and assess your device, you’re sent a Target gift card for the agreed-upon amount – provided the phone is in the shape you said it was. Then you’re off to shop!

Again, this could be a good choice if you shop at Target frequently, but if you want actual cash for your phone you’ll want to choose another option.

The Good: Very fast and easy and great for Target shoppers.

The Bad: You’re limited to a Target gift card instead of a cash.

19. Gamestop

Gamestop also accepts cell phones for trade-in through their trade-in program. One different thing about Gamestop is that they’ll give you an option of either taking store credit or a cash payout.

Keep in mind you will receive more for your phone if you choose store credit than you would if you chose a cash payout.

The Good: Great for Gamestop shoppers and they also offer cash payout.

The Bad: You may not get as much for your phone as if you sold it private party.

20. Facebook Buy and Sell Groups

You could try Facebook to sell your used cell phone. There are buy and sell groups that specifically promote cell phone sales, or you could just try and sell yours on a buy and sell group in your area, which would probably be the easiest route.

The nice thing about Facebook is you won’t pay any listing or sale fees, and you have the potential to reach a larger audience right in your local area.

The Good: Free to list your phone which results in higher profit.

The Bad: There is the hassle factor of selling your phone private party.

Other Options to Sell Used Phone

21. GizMogul

GizMogul promises “free shipping, fast payments, highest payout guaranteed” on their website. It sure wouldn’t hurt to at least get a quote from them for your device with those kinds of promises.

Like most companies they’ll send you a free shipping label, and they pay via PayPal (or they’ll send you a check) once they’ve verified the condition of your phone.

The Good: They promise highest payouts if you sell to them.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

22. YouRenew

YouRenew will buy your old cell phone and other electronic items as well. Simply search your device, get the offer, accept the offer, ship your item (they’ll give you a free shipping label from UPS), and they’ll pay you once they evaluate your phone.

From what I could tell, YouRenew pays only via check, however. This could leave you having to wait for your money via snail mail time.

The Good: They will also buy back old electronics in addition to your phone.

The Bad: They only payout via check.

23. uSell

uSell has paid out over $46 million to people who’ve sent in their used cell phones to their company. Apparently they’re doing something right.

One cool thing about uSell is that they’ll send you an entire free shipping kit – box included – if you sell your phone to them.

And they’ll pay via check or via PayPal, which means you can get your money faster.

The Good: They have an incredible track record and have been around a while.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

24. Buy Back World

Buy Back World will also send you a free shipping kit if you choose to sell your used cell phone to them.

They pay in a number of different ways:

• Paypal
• Direct deposit to your bank account
• Prepaid debit card
• Gift card for Buy Back World

If you choose to take the gift card for Buy Back World, they’ll add an extra 5% onto your offer price.

The Good: You can get an additional 5% if you take the gift card and they have direct deposit to your checking account.

The Bad: Not as quick as some of the other sites from what we can see.

25. Green Buyback

Green Buyback promises to process your used cell phone payment faster than anyone else in the industry. If you’re looking for money super fast, this could be the way to go.

Their process is the same as most other companies: choose your phone, get your quote, ship it, have it assessed and get your cash.

The Good: Promises to be the fastest process against their competitors.

The Bad: Nothing that stands out to us.

26. ItsWorthMore

ItsWorthMore buys many models of cell phones, and other electronic items as well. After you accept your quote they’ll send you a free shipping label, and they’ll pay you via PayPal or check.

They promise to pay within 72 hours of receiving your phone or other electronic item.

The Good: Promises to be the fastest process against their competitors.

The Bad: You will have to wait up to 72 hours for payment.

Other Places Worth Mentioning

27. Itemcycle.com

Itemcycle only buys used Apple and Mac products, so if you have a used iPhone you want to sell you could potentially check out these guys.

They’ll send you a free prepaid shipping label (sounds like you’ll have to find your own box) and will pay via PayPal or via a check.

The Good: They will payout via PayPal or check.

The Bad: They only buy Apple and Mac products.

28. iPhone Antidote

iPhone Antidote, you can probably guess, only buys used iPhones. Why? Probably because they generally sell for more on the used market.

They’ll send you a prepaid shipping kit like uSell does, with a box included. They pay via a check or via PayPal, and they promise not to lower the offer price for your phone provided you’ve chosen the correct model and condition.

The Good: You can get paid out via PayPal or a check in the mail.

The Bad: They only buy back used iPhones.

29. Your Wireless Carrier

One place to check to sell your used phone is directly with your Wireless carrier. Although not all wireless carriers will buy back your phone, many will. Here is a list of some wireless carriers that may consider buying back your used phone:

• AT&T
• Verizon
• T-Mobile

Check directly with your carrier for more information on selling your used cell phone to them.

The Good: You already know and trust your own carrier.

The Bad: Not all carriers with buyback your old phones.

Summary

Buyback Boss is where I would start with selling your phone since they guarantee the best payout for your used phone. After that, compare with OCBuyback and Decluttr to make sure you’re getting the largest amount of cash. By taking the few extra minutes to compare the sites, you’re going to be adding that extra spending money in your pocket. 

Even if it takes you 10 minutes to compare the sites, that 10 minutes could add up an extra $20-$50!

However, if don’t mind the hassle or someone meeting you in person to pickup your sold phone, then sites like Craigslist and Offerup may get you a bigger payout.

But, if you’re looking to simply get rid of the phone fast and easy, I would recommend choosing one of the sites listed above that does all the groundwork for you. Not sure which site is going to be the best option? Then I would choose based on how they compensate you or what they compensate you with (cash, Paypal, gift card, store credit, etc.)

Lastly, don’t forget to clear your personal information out of your old phone.

Have you sold your old cell phones to any of these companies? Or have you had luck selling on other websites? If so, we’d love to hear about your experience.

Simply drop a comment below and tell us about your experience (good or bad) with selling your old phone.

 

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