6 Best Places to Sell an Old Cell Phone

Today we have a guest post for you from Kathleen Garvin with The Penny Hoarder.

Maybe you have an old cell phone lying around. Or perhaps the recent Apple event has you looking to upgrade. (I’m still sorting through my feelings on Face ID.)

Either way, there’s money to be had for selling your old devices.

I decided to sell my iPhone 8 (64GB) in July of 2019. I had it for almost two years before upgrading to the XR in May. After buying my new phone, my old one had been sitting in a cracked case collecting dust on my nightstand.

It was time to look into selling it. But where? Thanks to the internet, there are more options now than ever.

Top Places to Sell Your Cell Phone for Money

Whether you’re living paycheck to paycheck or just looking to unload your phone for some extra cash, check out these five options.

1. Buyback Boss

Buyback Boss currently only accepts iPhones and iPads. However, the service does offer the highest price guarantee: If you provide a current offer from any buyback site for the same condition device, Buyback Boss will match it.

Choose your phone, network, storage capacity and condition — brand new, mint, used, damaged or broken. Then you’ll receive an offer.

Shipping is free — Buyback Boss will supply you with a prepaid label — and you can ship your item in a box or padded envelope. You’ll get paid via check or PayPal and receive payment soon after your item is received.

As of July of 2019, my Apple iPhone 8 (64GB in used condition) received an offer of $215.

(Image credit: BuybackBoss.com, July 2019)

To recap:

• Is there a cost to list the item? No

• Does the service take a cut of your sale? No

• Is shipping free? Yes

• How are you paid? Check or PayPal

Other Items They Buy

• Samsung phones

• Google Pixel phones

• iPads

• iPods

• Apple Watches

Trustpilot Score: 4.9 out of 5

2. OCBuyBack

OCBuyBack is a California-based company that purchases phones, tablets, smart watches and more.

To sell your item, simply select your device to receive an offer. If you accept the offer, you can choose to print a prepaid shipping label or drop-off the item (Brea, California area). Once the company inspects the item, they will pay you within two business days.

As of July of 2019, I got an offer price for my Apple iPhone 8 (64 GB in good condition) from OCBuyBack of $240.

(Image credit: OCBuyBack July, 2019)

To recap:

• Is there a cost to sell the item? No
• Does the service take a cut of your sale? No
• Is shipping free? Yes
• How are you paid? You can choose to receive payment via check or PayPal.

Trustpilot Score: 4.7 out of 5

3. Swopsmart

Swopsmart is a New York-based company that purchases phones (even Blackberries!) and tablets. Select your phone type, network, storage capacity and condition: broken, good, flawless or new. Then you’ll receive an offer.

You can choose to print a prepaid shipping label or receive a free shipping kit. Once the company inspects and OKs your phone, you’ll be paid within 24 hours. You can choose to get paid via check or PayPal.

As of July 2019, my Apple iPhone 8 (64GB in good condition) received an offer of $197.

(Image credit: Swopsmart.com, July 2019)

To recap:

• Is there a cost to list the item? No

• Does the service take a cut of your sale? No

• Is shipping free? Yes

• How are you paid? Check or PayPal

Trustpilot score: 4.6 out of 5

4. Swappa

Swappa lets you sell your old cell phone – and they won’t charge you fees to do so. You can sell iPhones and Android phones on Swappa – as well as other electronic items.

Selling on Swappa is easy, but you do have to create an account to get a quoted price for your phone. And because your buyer comes from the Swappa community, you may or may not get your quoted price.

Instead, you list your suggested price, and the buyer accepts it or makes a counteroffer.

As of July 2019, Swappa said they’d list my phone for $358 plus the sale fee.

To recap:

• Is there a cost to list? No

• Does Swappa take a cut of your sale? No. Buyers pay sale fees

• Is shipping free? No. Sellers pay for shipping costs

• How are you paid? PayPal

Trustpilot Score: 4.7 out of 5

5. eBay

I couldn’t leave out one of the world’s largest online marketplaces! Don’t forget eBay when looking to make some extra money.

With eBay, you need to list your information and choose to sell for a fixed price instead of an auction.

I selected my phone in used condition. As of July of 2019 eBay said similar listings (Apple iPhone 8 64 GB in good condition) are selling for $537 and up.

(Image credit: eBay.com, July 2019)

With this platform, you also have to take into consideration shipping and seller fees. Shipping will vary depending on the type of package and shipping you choose. Fees also vary.

To recap:

• Is there a cost to list the item? No

• Does the service take a cut of your sale? Yes; it varies

• Is shipping free? No, unless you schedule a local pickup

• How are you paid? PayPal, merchant credit card or local pickup (checks, money orders or cash)

Trustpilot Score: Not listed on Trustpilot

6. Decluttr

Decluttr buys CDs, DVDs, miscellaneous tech items and even books. It also has a free app for iPhone and Android users.

Search for your item — in this case, your old cell phone — and enter its model, storage capacity, network and condition into the evaluation engine. For condition, the choices are: good, poor or faulty.

After entering your information, you’ll receive an offer. Should you choose to accept it, you’ll get paid the day after Decluttr receives your phone.

Regarding shipping, you can mail the phone in any box you have lying around the house. Then attach the prepaid shipping label to the package. You can get paid via check or direct deposit, and there are no auction or seller fees.

As of July 2019, my Apple iPhone 8 (64GB in good condition) received an offer of $281.

(Image credit: Decluttr.com, July 2019)

To recap:

• Is there a cost to list the item? No

• Does the service take a cut of your sale? No

• Is shipping free? Yes

• How are you paid? Check or direct deposit

Trustpilot Score: 4.6 out of 5

Summary

There are several great places that will let you sell your old cell phone for money. Don’t just throw it away or stash it in a drawer.

Instead, make some money off it and sell it to one of the cell phone buyback sites mentioned here.

Plus, what’s better than making money at home?

Have you sold your old cell phones using any of these sites? If so, please let us know how it went in the comments section on our Facebook Page.