20 Places To Sell Your Old Smartphone For Top Dollar

We live in an age where technology is constantly evolving, and newer and more advanced smartphones seem to come out on a weekly basis.

When you bought your iPhone, it was the cream of the crop – the best available on the market.  While it still works just fine, you’re in love with the newest iPhone that was just released with that fancy new feature that you just can’t live without. (Sound familiar?)

The only problem?  That new smartphone is expensive, and you’re not sure you can justify the expense.

If your old phone is still relatively new and in demand, you may be able to offset the cost of that new device by selling your old one.

There are a lot of places where you can sell your old smartphone for a decent amount of money. Some places you can even sell your broken phone for parts and still make a decent amount! Today I’d thought I’d list a few of the more popular ones.

20 Places That Buy Used Cell Phones (Or Even Broken Ones)

Here is a listing of the top places I found that will give you top dollar for your old smartphone, phablet, tablet, or other electronic devices.

Some of the places are sites where you can list your item for sale, while others will outright buy your device after giving you a quote.

• SellCell.com: SellCell.com is the US’s largest price comparison site for selling old mobile phones and tablets – they compare all of the key BuyBack companies in the market, saving the user the time of visiting lots of other websites to get the best deal for an old device. They guarantee that the user will always get the maximum cash when selling an old device on SellCell.com and offer users a Best Price Guarantee – if they spot a higher price on another site, they will refund the customer double the difference. They also show each BuyBack company’s user ratings from sites likes ReSeller Ratings, Trustpilot & BBB for peace of mind.
• Decluttr: Decluttr will buy your cell phones and other tech gadgets. They process fast next-day payments for your Apple and Android phones, game consoles, and other technology items. Read a full Decluttr review here. UPDATE: Get an extra 10% on electronics traded in using code:  ELECTRONICS10 
• ItsWorthMore: ItsWorthMore is a well-rated buyer and will buy anything from an Android device to a Macbook or an iPhone. They have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, an Elite Rating with ResellerRatings.com, and payments within 2 days.
• Gizmogo: Gizmogo will buy cell phones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, drones and more. They have a best-price guarantee and will offer free USPS or UPS shipping for your device. Gizmogo will also pay you for your device fast, within 24 business hours. When you send in your device they will perform professional data deletion on your phone to protect your privacy.
• SellYourBadApples.com: This is a new buyback website that specializes in buying cracked, broken or financed iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and Apple Watches. Get a quote, ship with a free label, get paid via Venmo, PayPal, Check, or Zelle. Use promo code: “moneymatters” to get a $10 bonus!
• BuyBack World: They’ll buy iPhones, iPads, media players, and a host of other electronics. They even buy unwanted gift cards.
• Apple Trade-In: Trade in your eligible Apple device for credit toward your next purchase, or get an Apple Gift Card you can use anytime.
• BuyBackBoss.com: With an A+ Better Business Bureau rating and a price match guarantee, they are well respected. They issue payments within 2 days via PayPal or Check.
• GadgetPickup.com: BuyBack company where you can sell a huge variety of Phones, Macbooks, iPads, iPods, Game Consoles, GoPros and other electronics. Simple and easy to use platform. Just get an instant quote, ship your item for free, and then get paid within 48 hours of them receiving your device.
• OCBuyBack: Sell your used or broken iPhones, iPads, iPods, Samsung Phones even MacBooks. From the OCBuyBack team: “Help us keep e-waste out of landfills. We keep a low overhead to give you a bigger payout.” Get free shipping and fast payment via check or PayPal.  Use our exclusive promo code MONEY5 to get $5 added to your trade-in!
• QuickSell: QuickSell is a trade-in website that offers competitive prices for used, cracked, and broken iPhones, iPads, and Apple Watches. They offer multiple payment options, quick payouts, and free shipping on all orders. Use promo code “MONEYMATTERS” at checkout to receive an additional $5 on your order!
• Buy Back Pros: They pay cash for cell phones, computers, electronics, laptops, smartphones, tablets, & more.  Find your device, accept their offer, and get paid within 2 days of the device being inspected.
• Swappa: A great place to sell your late model phones, tablets, wearables, and some computers.  Buy from other phone owners!
• Green Buyback: GreenBuyback will pay you for your mobile device, from cell phones and tablets to a wide variety of other electronics. GreenBuyback will give you free shipping and quick payment. We worked out a special deal with them and if you use promo code: moneymatters when checking out at GreenBuyback, you’ll get an extra $5 for your device.
• ecoATM: ecoATM has ATM-like machines in high traffic locations that will buy your phone or tablet. Use our promo code: peter at the ecoATM kiosk checkout to get an extra $5 on your order! Find a location near you here: ecoATM locations.
• eBay: Over the years I’ve done pretty well selling relatively new electronics on eBay, especially devices that are only a year or two old.  Selling on eBay may mean more hassle than selling elsewhere since you have to deal with the auction, answering questions, and then mailing out the device. You also have to pay listing fees and fees on the final price of the winning bid, but in the end, you may come out further ahead.
• SellShark.com: Apple products are the most in-demand on this site. They buy everything from Apple TV and Apple Watches to Mac computers.
• UpTrade: UpTrade is a great choice if you want to keep the process of buying or selling a used phone simple. For buyers, every listing includes HD quality photos of the exact phone being sold, along with a phone history report.
• Sell On Amazon:  Just search for your item on Amazon, then look for the button that says “Sell on Amazon”. You can then create a listing to sell your used item via Amazon. You’ll just pay a small listing fee and a pay a percentage when it sells. I’ve had good success selling this way.
• Facebook “Yard Sale” Groups: My wife has been using Facebook to sell things lately, and typically does pretty well.  Typically she will find a local Facebook yard sale group for one of our local areas that is big enough to have quite a few members, and then she’ll list the items on there.  When someone wants to buy the item you connect and figure out all the details to complete the sale.
• Craigslist: Selling to people on craigslist typically works better for me for larger items like furniture, but it can work pretty well for electronics as well. The only hassle is having to connect with a person in real life – and the dangers associated with doing so.  Many local police departments have started to have designated Craigslist transaction areas where people can meet and complete a sale, and not have to feel like they’re in danger.
• Amazon Trade-In program: Ship your old items, not only electronics, to Amazon and receive Amazon gift cards in return. It should be noted that they don’t typically pay a ton.
• Walmart: Walmart has a trade-in program with third-party company CExchange. Trade your phone in and get gift cards!
• Sell Broke: Get an instant quote to sell laptops, phones, tablets, or other electronic devices – even if they’re broken.
• Gadget Salvation: This website will take most electronic devices, even those that are broken. Get a quote through their website.
• GizMogul: Sell anything from old iPhones and smartphones to tablets, watches, Macbooks and more.
• uSell: Working or damaged, sell your used phone in seconds.
• iPhone Antidote: Mainly buying Apple products.
• SellMyCellPhones: They claim to offer the “best price when you sell your old cell phone, iPhone, iPad or tablet”.
• Gadget Traders: Recycle your devices and get paid. They accept Apple products, Android phones tablets, iPods, and more.
• Gadget Gone: Sell your iPhone and get the most cash, fast.
• Swopsmart: Select what type of phone you’re selling and you’ll receive an offer, broken phone or not.

Get Top Dollar By Selling Before An iPhone Launch

As I write this Apple is expected to announce the release of the new iPhone 12 in early October. With the release, many people will be selling their iPhone 11s and Xs in order to fund the purchase of the new model. In fact, 40% of iPhone owners plan to purchase the new model according to one recent survey.

The earlier you sell your older iPhone, the better off you’ll be. Once the new phone comes out and more and more people flood the market with old phones, the value of your phone goes down each day, especially after the big announcement.

Top cell phone buyer and seller Gazelle has discussed the trend.

Trade-ins typically spike around each iPhone cycle as consumers seek to get maximum value for their old phone and take advantage of special offers. This year, consumers can lock in their best price with Gazelle on an iPhone, Galaxy, or any unwanted phone starting 9/5 to 9/22, and will have until 10/22 to mail it in – plenty of time for their new iPhone to arrive. But the earlier you lock in the better, because the value of your phone goes down each day – and especially after Apple’s 9/12 announcement.

So to get top dollar on your old phone, sell before the market is flooded after a new phone is released!

Selling My Old Smartphone

The last time I sold an old smartphone I had purchased an Android phone and used it for a couple of years. The phone was no longer state of the art but was still usable on a national network.

I searched for completed listings on eBay, but the phone was going for next to nothing there because it was so common.

I searched phone buying sites. Those sites gave me at most $10-15.

In the end, I sold the phone on Amazon.com for about half of what I originally bought it for. The buyer was happy because it was less than what the phone cost new, and I was happy because I got more than I would have through other venues. It took a little while to sell, but in the end, the wait was worth it.

Get Top Dollar By Selling Your Old Smartphone ASAP

One thing you must keep in mind when selling your old smartphone, the amount you receive for your phone will be directly correlated to the demand for that phone on the current market.

If it’s a high demand phone like an iPhone from a recent generation, you may do better than you will for an old Android phone from 6 years ago.  It’s all about demand, and how much the phone is still desired by buyers on the marketplace.

Your best bet is to shop around, figure out what forum will give you the best return for your device, and then go for it.

Finding Out What Your Phone Is Worth

To get an idea of what your phone is worth I suggest doing the following:

• Search eBay for completed listings: Do a search for your phone’s make and model on eBay, and then make sure to check the “completed listings” checkbox on the search filters. It will show you what your phone sold for – in real-world listings.
• Get price quotes on several smartphone buying sites: Try getting a price quote on a bunch of sites to see what kind of offers they’ll give you on your phone. If you only want to do a few, I suggest established sites like Gazelle, SellShark.com, Decluttr, Green Buyback, Buyback Boss or BuyBack World.

Once you find the place that you think will give you the best return for your phone (when taking into consideration the amount of time you have, how much you want to get for your phone, and how much hassle you want to deal with), go for it!

Do your research, and you’ll likely come out with a nice chunk of change to help pay for your new phone. Good luck!

Just Sold Your Old Phone, But Need New Service?

If you’re selling your phone and looking for a new mobile provider, there are a ton of great low-cost providers out there. Here are some of the best that I’ve found: