Stores that Buy iPhones: Which is Your Best Option?

Do you have an iPhone that you feel is on the way out? Is it not as fast as it used to be? Maybe there’s not anything wrong with the model that you have. You just feel like the new one that’s out is so enticing that the time has come to do a trade-in, so you can get some of those exciting new features. Whatever your reason for wanting to sell your iPhone, you should know about the various stores and other entities that purchase them. Let’s dive right in with some of the more popular options.

Best Buy iPhone Trade-In Program

The reality is that if you want to sell your iPhone to a brick-and-mortar location, your options are going to be a little bit limited. The reason for that is because online transactions now dominate so many niche markets, and iPhone sell-backs are no exception.

As far as brick-and-mortar stores, though, Best Buy has to be one of your better options because there are still a pretty decent amount of them in existence, competing with online entities like Amazon. You are not going to be able to get cash for your iPhone there, though. Instead, you’ll be looking at store credit.

You will have to speak to an employee, hand over your phone, and then they will assess its condition. They will then mark it as Good, Fair, Broken, Not Accepted, or Recycle. How much store credit you can get depends on many factors, including what generation of iPhone it is and its condition. This is a good option because you can then turn around and use that store credit to put toward a new iPhone at that Best Buy location if that’s what you had in mind. You can always use the credit for other merchandise, as well.

Best Buy iPhone Trade-In Program

Walmart iPhone Buyback Program

Walmart has a buy-back program for iPhones that is similar to that which Best Buy offers. There is a Walmart exchange program website that you will first have to visit. There, you can find your model of iPhone and describe its condition. If you accept the quote, then you can ship the phone to Walmart. There are also specific locations where you can go in and do the transaction in-person.

If the phone is judged to be in the condition that you said it was, then you will get a Walmart gift card in the amount upon which you agreed. Again, you’re not getting cash, but you can use the credit to get yourself another phone or any of the wide variety of other goods that Walmart has to offer.

GameStop In-Store Trade-In Program

Another option that you might want to look into is a GameStop location. There aren’t as many of these stores around as there used to be, but if there’s one close to you, it’s worth looking into as another brick-and-mortar locale where you can unload your used iPhone.

The method of selling an iPhone there is fairly straightforward. You take in your device, and an associate will look it over. They’ll give you a quote and you can either get cash or store credit. Generally speaking, you’re looking at more store credit than cash. The newer the phone, and the better the condition it’s in, the more money you will get. If you intended on exchanging your older iPhone for a newer model, then you might want to get store credit and do the transaction right there at the GameStop. 

Gamestop iPhone Trade In Program

Some Carrier Stores will also Buy Your Used iPhones

Then there’s the option of taking your iPhone to a carrier store, like Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, or T-Mobile. Again, this method isn’t complicated. You bring the phone to your carrier and they’ll give you cash for it, or you can get credit toward the purchase of a new phone. These carriers are usually looking to retain you as a customer, so they’ll probably push your toward getting a new phone from them as part of the deal.

If you aren’t a customer of that particular carrier, and you’re only trying to sell the phone, then the carrier still might buy it. However, it’s more than likely that you’re not going to get very much for it.

You Can Sell Your iPhone at a Pawn Shop

You can also sell your iPhone to a pawn shop. It should be a simple matter to locate one near to you and take the phone in to see how much you can get for it. You can also try a few different shops to see if one gives you a better quote than the others.

Sell Your iPhone at a Pawn Shop

If you go this route, then be aware that you’re probably not going to get a ton of money for the phone. Pawnshop owners will often try to low-ball you and see how much you’re willing to take for the device so they can increase their profit margin as much as possible. If they sense that you are inexperienced or desperate, then they will certainly quote you a lower price. Don’t feel that you’re obligated to take it. You can always haggle with them to see if you can get a little bit more.

One of the better aspects of selling an iPhone this way is that you will get cash for the sale rather than store credit. Depending on what your priorities are and the situation in which you find yourself, this might turn out to be one of the most viable options. 

Apple has an Online Store that Buys iPhones

Apple itself has a buy-back program that you can use if you don’t mind sending the phone through the mail. Go to the Apple website, where it will ask you a series of questions about the iPhone you have for sale. You’ll then send it through the mail, and within a few days, you’ll get Apple credit to be used for any of their products.

Apple Buys Back Used iPhones

You can also take the phone directly to an Apple Store if that is more convenient for you. You’ll get store credit there as well, but you won’t have to wait those intervening days while your phone ships and gets evaluated.

EcoATM Kiosks

There is also something that is called an EcoATM.  This is a device that looks a little like a Redbox from which you would borrow a DVD. It’s a self-service phone buyback program, and they also will accept certain other used electronics. They can be found in a wide variety of stores, so if you’re interested in this as an option, go to their website or use their app and find the location closest to you.

You have to do a little prep work before you can sell your used iPhone this way. First, you wipe your phone clean through a factory reset. You choose your device type from the list. Next, you let the machine examine it and make an assessment of its value. That value will be based on what model the phone is and its overall condition. The kiosk quotes you a price, and if it’s acceptable to you, then you can get cash from the machine on the spot and leave your phone there.

The prices that these kiosks give for phones seem to be comparable to what you might get somewhere like a GameStop. One thing that’s undeniably nice about them is that not only do you get cash-in-hand rather than store credit, but there is no pressure to buy a new device or sign up for a carrier plan. If you’re more on the antisocial side, you don’t need to have a conversation with another human being at all if you decide to use this method.    

Instead of Stores, an Eco ATM Buys iPhones

Sell Your iPhone Online to Buyback Boss

Buyback Boss is another one of the online entities that will buy your iPhone. There are a couple of compelling reasons that we’re a leader in this aspect of the phone sales niche.

The first is that you’ll get cash for your phone rather than store credit. The second is that we’ll match any competitor’s offer, so you’ll know that you’re getting as much as you can for your used device. We’ll take phones in any condition, though obviously the better maintained your phone is, the more money we’re likely to offer you for it.

It is up to you whether you wish to try and sell your iPhone in-person or through the mail, and whether you’re okay with store credit or you need cash. One thing is undeniable, though: the better care you take of your phone while it is in your possession, the better trade-in value it is going to eventually have.

Keep that in mind and get yourself a case for it. Try not to get it wet or drop food on it. It will last longer that way, and when the time comes to get rid of it, you can be assured that you will not be looking at a rock-bottom offer from whatever entity you decide to use.    

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