13 Places That Buy Cell Phones for a Good Price Near Me or Online

Cell phones change so much every year with new models constantly coming out and manufacturers upping their games.

It’s not surprising that you’d want to trade in your current model for a new one every year or so to get the latest technology.

But the best way to make sure you’re not paying for new phone after new phone without getting something in return is to sell your old phone after getting your new one.

A lot of people keep their old ones lying around rather than putting them to good use.

Even if you only get $100 from it, that’s still $100 you can put toward the price of your new phone.

This article will show you some of the best places – online and offline – to sell your cell phone!

What to Do Before You Sell

Before you sell your phone, there are a few things you should do to prepare it:

Research Prices

First, you’ll want to research the price of your phone, both new and used.

This can give you a better idea of what you should expect to get for your phone, so you don’t try to oversell or undersell it according to its value.

Phones do depreciate pretty fast because new models come out frequently.

So if your phone is over a year old, you can expect it to be worth much less than what you may have paid for it, especially if you bought it new.

The condition also makes a difference.

Look over your phone to see if there are any cosmetic defects, like scratches or dents.

Then, go through your phone to see if there’s anything not working correctly, like the camera or a system that seems slow or bogged down.

These issues can significantly impact how much your phone is worth because buyers tend to want phones in good or excellent condition, even if they’re buying them used.

You can search on Amazon or eBay for your exact phone model to get an idea of what used ones in a similar condition to yours are selling for.

Many of the sites down below also have tools you can use to value your phone but remember that these sites may value the phone lower than what it’s worth because they need to make a profit from it.

You may be able to stop into your wireless carrier’s local store, too, to ask a representative if they can value your phone based on its current condition.

Clean Your Phone

You’ll then want to clean your phone as best as you can.

Sometimes, all it needs is a good cleaning to make it look almost brand new again.

Take a soft cloth, like one you’d use to clean glasses lenses with, and gently rub around the screen and the back surface of your phone to remove fingerprints, smudges, dirt, and debris.

You can also clean the camera lens with this method.

After it’s all cleaned up, put a case back on the phone to protect it until you’re ready to sell.

Erase Your Data

Next, you’ll erase the data on your phone.

It’s extremely important that you follow all the steps to erase your data that the manufacturer suggests so that nothing gets left behind.

Remember to first transfer all your apps, photos, and other data to your new phone, so you don’t lose anything.

Most phones allow you to do this with apps now, but you can usually bring your phone into your wireless store to have it done for you.

After everything is erased, check through the phone to ensure that it’s wiped clean and ready to set up with a new user.

Remove It from Your Account

You’ll then want to call your wireless carrier’s customer service department to get your phone removed from your account.

If you skip this step, your buyer may have to deal with a lot of unnecessary fuss to get it switched over to their cell phone plan.

Make things convenient for them by doing this yourself so that everything is unlinked and ready to go.

Consider Small Repairs

Finally, if your phone does need some minor repairs, you’ll need to weigh whether it’s worth it to pay for them.

If you know someone who can replace your cracked screen – or you can do it yourself – then that step alone could make your phone worth much more than it would be with a cracked screen.

Other repairs, like needing a new battery, could be a bit more costly and may not be worth it to pay for if you wouldn’t end up making a profit after selling.

Online Sites That Buy Cell Phones

You’ve gotten your phone ready and you’re all set to sell – great!

Here’s where you can do that online:

Gazelle

Gazelle is one of the most well-known sites for selling electronics, including cell phones, without a hassle.

After answering a few questions on the website about your device, you can get an instant offer.

Ship your device in to have the Gazelle team review it. You won’t even need to pay shipping if your device is worth more than $1.

Then, you can opt to get paid via PayPal, Amazon, or a check mailed back to your home.

Amazon Trade-In

Do you love shopping on Amazon?

Then why not sell your phone to Amazon and get Amazon credit to shop away?

The Amazon Trade-In program lets you trade in various electronics and other items to get Amazon credit in the form of a gift card that stores in your Amazon Payments account.

Some items are even eligible for an instant payment, so you won’t have to wait until after Amazon’s inspection to receive your cash.

The catch is that your item must meet the condition description you entered, or you may have to return part or all of your instant payment.

Amazon’s process is relatively fast compared to other online buying sites even without the instant payment perk.

Although the whole process may take up to two weeks, most items are processed quicker.

SellCell

SellCell is a bit of a different site than the others.

Rather than offering direct sales between itself and sellers, it offers you a price comparison service for your phone.

Look up your phone’s details and you’ll see various websites that buy that phone and what their prices are, so you can easily see which one might give you the most for your phone.

You should still visit each site to learn all the details and fine print before making your decision, but it could save you some time searching for the best buying site for your specific phone model.

Maxback

Maxback tends to offer good prices for used cell phones and other tech, like wearables and tablets.

You can even get a $5 bonus as a new user of the site when you send in your email address.

Maxback currently accepts Apple, Samsung, and Google devices.

uSell

You can get an instant online offer from uSell when you fill out your device’s details on the website.

If you choose to accept the offer, your price will be locked in for 30 days, so it won’t change unless your condition is way off from what you described during the quote process.

This site is similar to SellCell in that it curates offers from other buyers to get you the best price for your device.

Trademore

Sell your phone to Trademore to get cash upon inspection.

You can get an instant quote online when you describe your device’s condition and fill out its details.

Ship to Trademore, wait a few more days for the inspection, and you’ll receive your payment via your choice of PayPal or a Virtual MasterCard.

Sell with Craigslist or eBay

As a final option, you can always take the reins in your own hands and sell your phone with sites like Craigslist or eBay.

Craigslist is more for people who don’t mind meeting with buyers to sell their stuff, but you can use the site to find interested buyers in your area.

If you want to do the sale completely online, then eBay is for you.

The awesome thing about eBay is that it has so many tools to help you set up your listings quickly and even value your phone based on similar models that have sold recently and their selling prices.

You can even have your buyer pay the shipping costs, so you can make all the profit from your phone sale.

Places That Buy Cell Phones for a Good Price Near Me

If you don’t want to go through the hassle of valuing your phone online and sending it in somewhere, then you could opt for selling to a local place instead.

Here are a few ideas:

Stores That Sell Electronics

Believe it or not, some of your favorite stores might be open to buying your phone off of you to resell (many of them offer refurbished sales for more affordable prices) or at least offering you store credit toward your new phone.

Best Buy and Costco are two stores that are open to buying used cell phones that are within a couple of years old.

You can call or visit your local store to get all the details, but both of them offer trade-in programs to help you get the new cell phone you want.

Cell Phone Stores

Wireless carrier or cell phone stores may also be open to buying your phone from you or offering you a trade-in value to purchase another phone there.

AT&T stores, for example, will valuate your phone for you and let you trade it in for a promotional credit toward your bill or another device.

You can even complete the process on the website if you don’t have a store near you.

Call your wireless carrier’s local store before heading in to see what, if anything, they can offer you for a sale or trade-in on your phone.

Facebook Marketplace

Facebook Marketplace is a great place to sell just about anything in your home that you don’t need anymore, including your old cell phones.

It’s completely free to use this part of Facebook just like the platform itself.

List your phone with details, a photo, and a price, and wait for others to message you if they’re interested.

You can respond to questions via Messenger and set up meeting dates and times.

Make sure the device is charged so your potential buyers can power it on and see that it works.

Local Pawn Shops

It’s not hard to find pawn shops that buy cell phones.

Pawn shops aren’t necessarily something I’d recommend for pawning items – in other words, getting a high-interest loan you’ll need to pay back – but they could be good for selling stuff.

As long as your cell phone is still relevant and can get updates from the manufacturer, then you should be able to find a pawn shop willing to buy it from you.

ecoATM

ecoATM isn’t located everywhere, so this won’t be an option for everyone.

You can check the locations here.

This service offers instant cash for your cell phone when you drop it into an ecoATM kiosk.

You can price your device on the website before you head to your nearest location to make sure you’ll get what you want from it.

Then, drop it off, let the kiosk value your phone and determine its condition, and you’ll get paid on the spot for it.

Final Thoughts: Sell My Cell Phone for Cash Near Me!

Selling your old cell phone can give you a little extra cash for buying your new one.

Or, just put that money toward your cell phone bill.

Either way, it’s more cash than you had before – and definitely more than what you’d get from leaving your cell phone in a drawer collecting dust.

Have you sold old phones before?

If so, let me know where and what your experience was like.