35 Places That Buy Phones Locally & Online (Including Broken Phones)

Cathy Desmet headshot Cathy Desmet
Jul 6, 2020

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Cell phones don’t last forever, and when it is time for a new one, there are plenty of options to trade-in, sell, or recycle your old phone. If it is in excellent condition and still works you will get the best offers, but even if it is less than perfect or inoperable there are places where you can sell it. For a roundup of places to sell your phone, see below.

What We Recommend

If you want to be sure you’re getting the best trade-in price for your used phone, ItsWorthMore.com has the best rates of all the options we researched. OCBuyBack and SellCell are also strong options. Depending upon the phone, their offers are all up to $400 more than the other companies on our list.

If you’d prefer to sell your phone in-person and are looking for the most convenient local option, Walmart, Target, Staples, and ecoATM have locations nationwide, meaning you should be able to find one nearby. You may also decide to sell your phone by placing an ad on Craigslist, eBay, or Facebook Marketplace. Another in-person option to consider is selling your phone to a local pawn shop. You can price your phone online to easily compare your options and choose the best offer.

Comparison Table

Compare your options in the table below; you can click each company name or scroll to the list below for more details. Note that you can also sort the table by clicking the arrows at the top of any column.

Company In-store or by mail? Android or iOS? Buys broken phones? Pays up to about:
ItsWorthMore.com Mail Both Yes $950
OCBuyBack Mail; one location Both Yes $900
SellCell Mail Both Yes $900
The Whiz Cells Mail Both Yes; no water damage $800
Buyback Boss Mail Both Yes $800
SellShark Mail Both Yes $800
Swappa Mail Both Yes $700
Gadget Salvation Mail Both Yes $650
UpTrade Mail Both Yes; no water damage $650
GreenBuyback Mail Both Yes $650
Trademore Mail Both Yes; no water damage $650
Walmart Both Both Yes $600
Staples Both Both No $600
Secure Buyback Mail Both Yes $600
BuyBackTronics Mail Both Yes $600
GadgetGone Mail Both Yes $600
Wirefly Mail Both Yes $550
MaxBack Mail Both Yes $550
Swopsmart Mail Both Yes $500
Gizmogul Mail Both Yes $500
Decluttr Mail Both Yes $500
Target Mail Both Yes $500
ecoATM In-person Both Yes $500
GameStop In stores Both Yes $500
Gazelle Mail Both Yes $500
iPhone Antidote Mail iOS Yes $450
Best Buy Both Both No $450
BuyBackWorld Mail Both Yes $400
uSell Mail Both Yes $400
Simply Sellular Mail Both No $300
SellBroke Mail Both Yes $300
Amazon Mail Both No Based on model, age, and condition
Craigslist Both Both Yes Any
eBay Both Both Yes Any
Facebook Marketplace Both Both Yes Any

The List

We requested online quotes and contacted customer service representatives to price used phones at all of the retailers below. The following places buy phones in-person and/or online.

1. ItsWorthMore.com

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping label included
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Any; locked or unlocked
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to $950
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, or Zelle
  • Find out more

2. OCBuyBack

  • Location: Online/mail-in or one location in Brea, CA
  • Phones accepted: Android or iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be damaged, bent, or cracked
  • Restrictions: Your account must be deactivated
  • Payment range: Up to about $900
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, or cash if local to Brea, CA
  • Find out more

3. SellCell

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping kit or shipping label depending on the buyer
  • Phones accepted: Android or iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken or damaged
  • Restrictions: No barred (reported as stolen) phones; must be unlocked
  • Payment range: Up to $900
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, or wire transfer
  • Find out more

4. The Whiz Cells

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping labels and boxes
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can have minor damage; phone with cracked glass must otherwise work
  • Restrictions: Broken phones must power on and not have water damage; no lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $800
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, or Venmo
  • Find out more

5. Buyback Boss

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping labels
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be damaged; must power on
  • Restrictions: No lost, stolen, or locked phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $800
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

6. SellShark

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be damaged; must power on
  • Restrictions: No lost, stolen, or locked phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $800
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, or Square Instant Card
  • Find out more

7. Swappa

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free listings
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can have minor damage — must be working
  • Restrictions: No locked phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $700
  • Payment mode: PayPal
  • Find out more

8. Gadget Salvation

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free UPS shipping
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Must be working
  • Restrictions: No defective, broken, or locked phones; phone must be less than eight years old
  • Payment range: Up to about $650
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, Venmo, or bank transfer
  • Find out more

9. UpTrade

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Must be functional
  • Restrictions: No lost, stolen, or water damaged phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $650
  • Payment mode: eCheck and PayPal
  • Find out more

10. GreenBuyback

  • Location: Online/mail-in; prepaid UPS shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Perfect to broken
  • Restrictions: Locked phones not accepted
  • Payment range: Up to about $650
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

11. Trademore

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be cracked or bent — must be working
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones; no water damage
  • Payment range: Up to about $650
  • Payment mode: PayPal or Virtual Mastercard Gift Card
  • Find out more

12. Walmart

  • Location: Online/mail-in and in-store
  • Phones accepted: Check website for current acceptable models
  • Phone condition: Any condition
  • Restrictions: No stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $600
  • Payment mode: Credit for new phone
  • Find out more

13. Staples

  • Location: Online/mail-in and in-store (print your online quote and take it with you)
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can have minor damage, but must function
  • Restrictions: No power, broken, and locked phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $600
  • Payment mode: Staples eCash card
  • Find out more

14. Secure Buyback

  • Location: Online/mail-in
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be damaged, but must be functional
  • Restrictions: No locked phones or phones that don’t power on
  • Payment range: Up to $600
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

15. BuyBackTronics

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can have minor screen or other damage; must be functional
  • Restrictions: Must be unlocked and power on
  • Payment range: Up to about $600
  • Payment mode: Check, eCheck, or PayPal
  • Find out more

16. GadgetGone

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free prepaid label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken; does not have to power on
  • Restrictions: No locked, lost, or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $600
  • Payment mode: eCheck or PayPal
  • Find out more

17. Wirefly

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free prepaid shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken — does not have to power on
  • Restrictions: No stolen or lost phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $550
  • Payment mode: Cash, Check, PayPal, or charitable donations
  • Find out more

18. MaxBack

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free prepaid USPS shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken — must power on
  • Restrictions: No stolen or lost phones; must include charger and be unlocked
  • Payment range: Up to about $500
  • Payment mode: Check and PayPal
  • Find out more

19. Swopsmart

  • Location: Online/mail-in; USPS prepaid shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken; does not have to power on
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $500
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

20. Gizmogul

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free prepaid shipping label
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken — does not need to power on; can have water damage
  • Restrictions: No stolen or lost phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $500
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

21. Decluttr

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping label included
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Minor scratches and damage accepted
  • Restrictions: No crushed, bent, snapped in half, or missing components
  • Payment range: Up to about $500
  • Payment mode: Direct deposit or PayPal
  • Find out more

22. Target

  • Location: Online/mail-in
  • Phones accepted: Check the website for your make and model
  • Phone condition: Working or defective
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $500 or more
  • Payment mode: Target gift card or PayPal credit
  • Find out more

23. ecoATM

  • Location: In-person
  • Phones accepted: Any brand
  • Phone condition: Any condition, including broken and water-damaged
  • Restrictions: No locked or blacklisted (stolen)
  • Payment range: Up to about $500
  • Payment mode: Cash
  • Find out more

Note: Our previous research has all the ecoATM details.

24. GameStop

  • Location: In stores
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $500
  • Payment mode: Store credit
  • Find out more

Note: Our previous research features the GameStop phone trade-in details.

25. Gazelle

  • Location: Online/mail-in; shipping label included or drop off at an ecoATM
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be broken
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $500 (up to $100 more if you mail the phone in)
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, Amazon gift card
  • Find out more

26. iPhone Antidote

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free prepaid box
  • Phones accepted: iPhones
  • Phone condition: Accepts broken, damaged, and phones that don’t power on
  • Restrictions: No locked or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $450
  • Payment mode: Check, Bitcoin, or PayPal
  • Find out more

27. Best Buy

  • Location: Online/mail-in or in-person
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Must be working and undamaged
  • Restrictions: Needs to be unlocked
  • Payment range: Up to about $450
  • Payment mode: Best Buy gift card
  • Find out more

28. BuyBackWorld

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free mail-in kit
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Can be cracked, water damaged, and broken
  • Restrictions: No lost or stolen phones
  • Payment range: Up to about $400
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

29. uSell

  • Location: Online/mail-in
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Working or damaged
  • Restrictions: Stolen or ID-locked phones not accepted
  • Payment range: Up to about $400 0r more
  • Payment mode: Personal check or PayPal
  • Find out more

30. Simply Sellular

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free shipping kit on request
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Must power on and be fully functional
  • Restrictions: Only models shown online are accepted
  • Payment range: Up to about $300
  • Payment mode: Check or PayPal
  • Find out more

31. SellBroke

  • Location: Online/mail-in; free UPS or FedEx shipping
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Any condition accepted
  • Restrictions: No stolen or locked phones; restore phone to factory settings
  • Payment range: Up to about $300
  • Payment mode: Check, PayPal, or Google Pay
  • Find out more

32. Amazon

  • Location: Online/mail-in
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Your phone must exactly match a description of the same make and model in the Amazon Trade-in Store
  • Restrictions: Must be unlocked and deregistered from your online account
  • Payment range: Based on model, age, and condition
  • Payment mode: Amazon gift card
  • Find out more

33. Craigslist

  • Location: In-person or by mail
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Any
  • Restrictions: None
  • Payment range: Any
  • Payment mode: Craigslist sellers usually request cash only
  • Find out more

34. eBay

  • Location: In-person or by mail
  • Phones accepted: Android or iOS
  • Phone condition: Any
  • Restrictions: None
  • Payment range: Any
  • Payment mode: Cash or other method of your choice
  • Find out more

35. Facebook Marketplace

  • Location: In-person or by mail
  • Phones accepted: Android and iOS
  • Phone condition: Any
  • Restrictions: None
  • Payment range: Any
  • Payment mode: Cash or other method of your choice
  • Find out more

Places That Don’t Buy Phones

Your current carrier may offer a trade-in credit or have a phone recycle program. The following companies offer credit to new and existing customers for phone trade-ins, but they do not buy phones:

  • Apple
  • AT&T
  • Cricket
  • Metro by T-Mobile
  • Samsung
  • Sprint
  • T-Mobile
  • Verizon
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