Selling vs trading in: which actually pays more?
There's no universal winner here, and anyone who tells you otherwise is selling something. It depends on whether you want cash or a discount, and whether you're willing to stay put for three years.
The four options, honestly
Carrier trade-in promo credit
The headline numbers are enormous — "up to $1,000 off" is a real offer. Two things to understand first. That value arrives as bill credit spread over 24 or 36 months, not money. And it usually requires a new line, a specific plan tier, or both — if you leave early, the remaining credit disappears.
If you were going to stay on that carrier and buy that phone anyway, promo credit is frequently the highest-value option available. We'll say that plainly, even though we'd rather buy your phone.
Apple Trade In
Convenient and completely trustworthy, but Apple's figures are consistently on the low side, and the value comes as store credit unless you take the gift card option. You're paying for the convenience of doing it in one transaction.
Selling it yourself
The highest ceiling and the biggest hassle. Marketplace listings get you closest to true market value, minus your time, minus the no-shows, minus the risk. Meeting a stranger with a $900 phone carries real exposure, and payment scams on marketplace platforms are common and well-practised.
Cash buyback (that's us)
Less than you'd get selling it yourself on a good day. More than Apple, usually more than a carrier's cash-value option, and it's actual money rather than credit. No listing, no strangers, no chargebacks.
A rough decision rule
Take the carrier promo if you're buying a new phone from that carrier anyway and you're confident you'll stay for the full term.
Sell it yourself if the phone is high-value, you're patient, and meeting strangers doesn't bother you.
Take cash if you want to be done today, want money rather than credit, or are leaving your carrier.
The thing nobody mentions about promo credit
Trade-in promos require your phone to pass the same inspection ours does. If the carrier's inspection downgrades your device — cracked glass, bad battery, activation lock — the promo value drops, sometimes to nothing, and by then your old phone is gone and you're mid-contract. The failure mode with a cash buyback is gentler: you get a revised offer, and if you don't like it we ship the phone back free.
What your phone is worth in cash right now
Top configuration, unlocked, brand new. Live from our catalogue.
Common questions
Can I trade in a phone that's still financed?
Does a carrier trade-in pay cash?
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