Sell old mobile phones for the best price
by Owen Burek in Make Money, Mobile Phones
Updated by Nele van Hout
9 December 2021 ShareTweet
Recycling old mobiles for cash is easy! Compare the best places to sell your mobile phone and get the most money.
Credit: Sichon, Taweepat, Praew stock – Shutterstock
There’s only one way to prevent robots from taking over: stop hoarding your old mobile phones by recycling them in exchange for cash. Obviously.
If you’re looking to sell your old phone for the best price, follow our top tips to make as much money from it as you can.
A bit of trivia: “There are more mobiles in the world than people”. True or False? Answer at the end!
Selling your mobile phone
- Compare mobile phone recycling
- How phone recycling works
- What’s the value of your phone?
- Tips for trading in mobiles for cash
- Selling your phone to private buyers
On the lookout for a new mobile phone contract? Our guide can help you find a phone-omenal deal.
Best mobile phone recycling companies
These are the top websites to compare quotes from when recycling your old phone:
- Giffgaff RecycleWhen selling your mobile phone to Giffgaff, it will either be refurbished or recycled in the UK.They have a pretty quick payment system, where you’ll be paid within five working days of them assessing that the device meets their terms and conditions.But they’ve also got quite a quick refund system (which could be less good for you as the seller) – if they reduce the offer amount after checking your phone and you’re no longer happy with it, you have 48 hours to reject the price and request a free return.Visit Giffgaff Recycle »
- MazumaOn Mazuma, you can sell your old phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops, Macs and gaming consoles. After you sell them, Mazuma will send them to one of their reuse partners where they are recycled or refurbished.When you sell an old phone to Mazuma, they’ll pay you on the same day they receive your phone, as long as it arrives before 2pm on Monday – Friday, excluding public holidays.Visit Mazuma »
- EE RecycleEE Recycle offers pretty good prices for fully-working items, without any cosmetic damage. You can sell phones in any condition, but you may not get the price you’re hoping for.If they think the condition is not as good as you said, they’ll readjust the offered amount, but you only have three days to turn this down if you’d like them to return your phone.Visit EE Recycle »
- EnvirofoneOn Envirofone‘s website, you can both sell your old phone, and buy new and refurbished mobile phones.A big perk of selling your phone to them is that you can get a 12% extra bonus on top of what they offer which you can put towards a new phone from their shop.Plus, they accept damaged phones, so if your phone’s a little worse for wear, you could consider selling to them.Visit Envirofone »
- musicMagpieSelling your phone to musicMagpie is a really quick process, and they offer some competitive prices. So, if you’re in a hurry to get some cash for your mobile, this could be a good service for you.After finding your phone’s model on their site, you will be able to select either ‘Good’, ‘Poor’ or ‘Faulty’ for the device’s condition and receive a quote instantly.If you’re happy with the offer, you can then send them your phone for free and, as long as the condition fits your description, you’ll receive the payment on the same day the mobile arrives.But if musicMagpie disagrees with the condition and lowers the offer price, you’d then have up to 21 days to either accept the new amount, or decline and have the phone returned for free.Visit musicMagpie »
- O2 RecycleO2 Recycle, like Envirofone, will offer you a bonus if you make a purchase with them when you recycle your old phone.When selling your old phone to O2, you’ll receive payment within three to five working days. They also accept faulty devices, so it may be a good option if your phone has seen better days.Visit O2 Recycle »
- Amazon Trade-In StoreLooking for ways to earn money on Amazon? You could use their Trade-in program to get Amazon vouchers for your old devices, including your smartphone.It’s completely free to do. Simply answer some questions about your phone and you’ll receive a quote. Ship it off to Amazon, they’ll verify the condition within seven days and you’ll be credited the value of the device in Amazon vouchers on your account. Easy peasy.Visit Amazon Trade-In Store »
- Sell My MobileOn Sell My Mobile, you can compare up to 50 phone recycling sites in one place. It’s a good place to look for a general overview of prices and the value of your mobile phone model. But do check each phone recycling site as well to be sure of the price.The best part of the comparison site is, if you find a better deal elsewhere within 24 hours of placing an order to sell your phone through them, they’ll refund you the difference.Visit Sell My Mobile »
It’s not just mobiles you can recycle for cash – many of these sites also pay you for other tech devices including old laptops, Kindles, iPads and tablets.
How phone recycling works
Credit: Billion Photos – Shutterstock
Hoping to recycle your old mobile for money? There are dozens of phone recycling services waiting to offer you cash in exchange for old devices, and it’s super straightforward to do.
They all operate in a similar way, so really it comes down to comparing the quoted prices, and your likelihood of getting that.
Most companies will send you a postage-paid pack for your phone to be sent off. They will then inspect the device to ensure it matches the details and conditions you provided online.
If it does, you should receive the quoted price. However, if the recycling company isn’t happy with the phone’s condition, they’ll likely take some money off your payment.
Depending on the condition, your phone will then either be resold, exported abroad or broken down into parts for recycling.
What’s my mobile phone worth?
To get the most money for recycling an old mobile handset, you will ideally need to be looking at selling a phone which is still in good condition and a relatively recent model.
For example, if (for some reason) you wanted to recycle an unlocked recent Apple iPhone (128GB) in good condition, musicMagpie has quoted £301*. But, even if the phone is still fully functional, “heavy wear and tear, such as scuffs” drops the offer to just £270.90*.
Unfortunately, the majority of phones won’t make nearly as much as an iPhone 13 mini when recycled. As a comparison, an unlocked Samsung Galaxy A80 (128GB) in good condition, without water damage, is quoted as £67.50* by musicMagpie.
Bear in mind, though, that it’s still worth looking into how much you could get even if your phone’s slightly damaged and outdated – selling it for just a few quid would be worth it if it’s otherwise going to collect dust on your shelf. Plus, it’s much better for the environment to save it from going to waste.
You can find out how much you could get for recycling a phone by heading to each website listed above, entering your device’s details (make, model and condition) and noting down the guide price for comparison.
Hopefully, the tips in this guide will help you find the best price for your old handset, and you could rest easy knowing your recycled phone is going to good use.
* Prices correct at the time of writing.Our guide to buying refurbished phones has everything you need to know, including the best sites and deals.
11 tips for recycling mobiles for cash
Credit: Narith Thongphasuk – Shutterstock
These are the best ways to make money from old phones when recycling them:
- Always compare companies before offloading your phone – prices can vary massively.
- You’ll get a better price if your phone isn’t tied to a network. It can be worth unlocking your phone first (usually free).
- Give your phone a clean with a soft, dry cloth. It’s not worth spending money repairing dents and scratches.
- Some phone recycling companies may offer a higher price if you take payment in gift cards rather than cash.
- The price quoted isn’t always what you’ll get – it’s based on condition. If you’re unhappy with the final price, either challenge them or ask for your phone back.
- Damaged phone? You could beat quoted prices by selling it for spare parts to private buyers.
- If you’re wanting a new phone, some networks offer trade-ins for your old one. First check the trade-in value beats the cash you could get for selling.
- Remove your SIM card, copy and wipe your data, and reset to factory settings before you say adios to your old amigo.
- If your best offer is ridiculously low, you don’t have to sell. Keep your old phone as a spare for travelling, future museum item or consider recycling it through a local charity shop.
- Don’t forget to cancel any mobile phone insurance when you sell the handset.
- Keep the original boxes and accessories for new gadgets. They can add to the value!
Selling your phone to private buyers
Sending your phone off to a recycling company or site is generally quick and easy, but if you have the patience to really maximise the cash, it’s best to find a buyer yourself (especially if it’s a smartphone holding decent value).
The companies above make their profit by selling devices on, sometimes for up to three times as much for iPhone and Samsung mobiles. To keep that money in your pocket, sell direct using one of the methods below.
Best places to sell mobile phones
To make as much money from selling your old mobile as possible, try selling it privately through these options:
- eBay – Biggest market but check fees. Boost your chances with our eBay selling tips
- Facebook Marketplace – Free listings and, again, we have Facebook selling tips
- Gumtree – Free listings
- Friends and family
- Twitter – Use the right hashtags and include a photo.
6 top tips to sell your phone quickly
- Include lots of quality photos of your phone in your seller ad
- Be totally honest about the phone’s condition and what’s included
- If sending your phone by post, ensure it’s well-padded and use a signed-for delivery service (add the P&P costs to your listing)
- For local sales, arrange to meet the buyer in a safe public place
- Avoid ‘wanted’ adverts online – there is a risk of being scammed
- Digital banking apps allow you to get paid without sharing bank details.
Answer to trivia: It’s official – there are now more mobile devices in the world than people. And the number of mobile phones is growing faster than we are.
Looking for some extra ways to make some cash? Here is a list of things you can sell right now!
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