How To Trade In Your Old Android Phone For Amazon Gift Cards
Whenever you get a new smartphone for yourself, you're never quite sure what to do with the old one, right? Assuming the battery hasn't exploded or the screen is scratched beyond recognition, it is for all intents and purposes a perfectly good smartphone. Seems like a bit of a waste to just leave it to gather dust in a drawer. Well, instead of doing that, why not turn that old phone into potential profit?
Amazon offers a mail-in, trade-in service for most commercial electronics. While it would prefer to get stuff with their own branding on it like Kindles or Fire Sticks, you can still send in old Android smartphones to get a few bucks worth of credit toward your next Amazon purchase. Whether you're still shopping for a new smartphone, or just want to be ready for the next replacement, your old phone can go toward paying off that price tag.
Rules and values for phone trades
First and foremost, Amazon takes a pretty decently-sized range of Android phones as trade-in, but it doesn't take all of them. While it accepts devices from the major manufacturers like Samsung, LG, Motorola, and more, it'll only take models from the last few years. If you've got a phone from over a decade ago, don't get your hopes up.
Secondly, the precise trade-in value you get will depend on the condition, model, and year of the phone you trade-in, but generally speaking, don't expect to break the bank here. You definitely won't be getting the full value of your phone back in Amazon gift cards — expect to make between $10-20, maybe $30 if the phone is brand new. Additionally, just to clarify, you will not receive a physical Amazon gift card for your trade-in. Rather, you will receive Amazon store credit which can be put toward any Amazon purchase.
Selecting your phone
If you've got a phone in good condition, then you can trade it in to Amazon. Doing so begins with completing a questionnaire on its website.
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Visit the Amazon Trade-In page.
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Select Cell Phones under "Other Trade-In Categories."
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Log into your Amazon account, if you are not already.
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If your phone is registered to your Amazon account, it will appear here. Otherwise, select your phone's manufacturer.
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Select your phone's model.
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Answer the questions about the phone's condition.
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Choose whether you would accept a lower trade value if the phone is damaged or if you want it sent back to you.
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Click "Continue" to generate a shipping label.
To clarify, you won't receive your gift card until Amazon has received your phone and appraised its value. In the event Amazon determines the value to be lower than projected, whether due to damage or other factors, it may send you an updated gift card value. You can either accept this value, or have them return the phone to you at no cost.
Ship it out, get paid
After completing Amazon's questionnaire, you'll receive a prepaid UPS shipping label to print out. You'll need to pack your phone into a secure box or padded envelope, attach the shipping label, and ship it out from either a UPS store or a designated UPS pickup point. The label is good for 45 days after generation, so don't worry if you can't do all that right away.
The exact length of time it'll take for Amazon to actually receive your phone will vary, but once it does get it, it'll take Amazon around 10 days to appraise your phone's value. Assuming your phone is in good working order, you'll automatically receive gift cards in the form of store credit on your Amazon account.
When you ship out the phone, you'll get a login for Amazon's trade-in system, which you can use to track its delivery and appraisal status. If you have any questions or concerns about the process, you can request assistance on the Amazon Customer Service page.