Where to Sell Your Old Handsets to Get Ready for the iPhone 6

By Don Reisinger

Apple is one of the foremost options for customers who want to sell back an old iPhone. The company allows customers to either head into the store or fill out a questionnaire online to determine the value of their devices. Assuming there’s value, customers will hand over their iPhones to Apple and, in return, receive an Apple gift card for its value. Filling out the online questionnaire takes only a few seconds, so it’s worth checking out Apple’s online tool.

Gazelle has made a name for itself by becoming a place where customers can turn in devices for straight cash. As with Apple’s tool, customers will need to fill out a questionnaire about the device they’re turning in. Gazelle will then place a preliminary value on it. Upon receiving the old iPhone and verifying its condition, Gazelle gives the user cash. Best of all, the company sometimes offers special deals to sweeten the trade-in pot. It’s a fine offering for those who don’t want to be locked into a particular company’s gift cards.

It’s hard not to include eBay in a listing of places where current iPhone owners can sell their wares. For years, eBay has been a place where iPhone owners can offer their devices for sale and ask the community to bid. Once the auction is over, the seller is paid and then ships the device to the winner, and the sale is complete.

Best Buy’s trade-in services are similar to those offered at Apple. Customers can either head into a store or check on the device’s value online. In either case, Best Buy gives a preliminary value and, upon inspection, gives the owner the value of the device in the form of a Best Buy gift card. Be aware, however, that not all stores participate in the trade-ins, so use Best Buy’s online tool to find a participating store that will take back an iPhone.

Amazon is getting serious about trade-ins, offering to buy back all kinds of electronics in addition to iPhones. Since Amazon has no in-store options, the company requires users to fill out a detailed specification sheet on exactly what kind of condition the iPhone is in. The price is then locked in for 45 days. Once the handset is shipped out and received by Amazon, the e-retailer pays the customer in the form of an Amazon gift card for the value of the handset.

Glyde offers a slightly different option for customers looking to sell their handset. The service asks that users input information on their device and then set a price based on certain parameters. The handset is then listed for sale to Glyde users. Once someone buys the handset from Glyde’s site and receives the device, the original owner is paid in cash. Glyde collects a 12 percent commission on the first $100 of the sale price, and 8 percent on the rest.

Walmart only recently launched its iPhone trade-in program, but the company has been actively soliciting iPhone owners to trade in their devices. As with many of its competitors, Walmart offers both an online tool and the ability to trade in an iPhone in-store. The company offers the value of the device to customers in the form of a gift card.

RadioShack’s Trade & Save Program is more of the same. The service allows users to determine the value of their device online and choose to trade it in online or in-store. One of the interesting things about RadioShack, however, is that it sometimes offers special deals on broken iPhones. As of this writing, the company is offering up to $87 to customers who trade in a broken iPhone 5.

This one might come as a surprise, but GameStop also accepts electronics trade-ins. For years, the company has taken games back, but now it has expanded that to the iPhone, iPad and other products. Customers simply fill out the details on their devices online and then bring the device into a local GameStop. The game retailer offers either cash or in-store credit, which is a nice option for gamers and non-gamers, alike.

Walmart and Target are major competitors, so it’s perhaps no surprise that both companies offer trade-in programs. The premise, again, is simple: Find out what the iPhone is worth either online or in-store and receive a Target gift card for that value. Going to a store might be preferable, since customers get the gift card instantly in-store. Making an online trade requires mailing the device back and then waiting for the gift card to be mailed back to the customer.