Curtis Palmer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The world produced 62 billion kilograms of e-waste in 2022 and formally recycled just 22.3% of it. Europe recycled 42.8% of its own, Africa recycled under 1%, and on the current trajectory the pile hits 82 billion kilograms by 2030 while the recycling rate keeps falling.
ITU/UNITAR Global E-waste Monitor, 2024| # | Name | At a glance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ecoATM | Instant cash, cash/PayPal/Venmo |
| 2 | Apple Trade In | Gift card or PayPal cash (US) |
| 3 | Best Buy Trade-In | Best Buy gift card only |
| 4 | Amazon Trade-In | Amazon gift card, US only |
| 5 | Samsung Trade-In | Bill or store credit toward a new device |
| 6 | GameStop Trade-In | Cash, or store credit paying ~20% more |
| 7 | Swappa Trade-In | Cash instead of carrier bill credit |
| 8 | Carrier trade-in (Verizon / AT&T / T-Mobile) | Bill credit over 24-36 months |
| 9 | BuyBackWorld | Instant quote, check or PayPal |
| 10 | ItsWorthMore | Cash, operating since 2012 |
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01
ecoATM #
Instant cash, cash/PayPal/Venmo
Over 7,000 physical kiosks across the US give an on-the-spot cash offer for phones and tablets of any brand, including damaged or locked devices, paid out as cash, PayPal, or Venmo on the spot.
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02
Apple Trade In #
Gift card or PayPal cash (US)
Apple's own program values Apple and non-Apple devices. US customers can choose an Apple Store gift card or PayPal cash, UK customers get store credit or bank transfer, and Canada gets a prepaid Visa or store credit.
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03
Best Buy Trade-In #
Best Buy gift card only
Accepts phones, tablets, laptops, and game consoles, but the payout is strictly a Best Buy gift card, not cash.
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04
Amazon Trade-In #
Amazon gift card, US only
Exchanges eligible Amazon devices such as Kindles, Echo speakers and Fire tablets, plus select other electronics, for an Amazon.com gift card. Available to US addresses only.
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05
Samsung Trade-In #
Bill or store credit toward a new device
Samsung's own program pays out as credit toward a new purchase rather than cash, and is commonly compared unfavorably against ecoATM's instant-cash model for straight payouts.
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06
GameStop Trade-In #
Cash, or store credit paying ~20% more
Buys games, consoles, phones, tablets, and accessories, with a choice of cash or store credit - store credit typically pays around 20% more than the cash option.
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07
Swappa Trade-In #
Cash instead of carrier bill credit
Lets you trade in a carrier phone from Verizon, AT&T, and others for cash instead of the drawn-out bill-credit path carriers push, and runs a peer-to-peer marketplace for used devices as an alternative.
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08
Carrier trade-in (Verizon / AT&T / T-Mobile) #
Bill credit over 24-36 months
Value is paid out as monthly bill credit spread over two to three years, contingent on staying on a qualifying plan the whole time - cancel early and the remaining credits usually stop.
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09
BuyBackWorld #
Instant quote, check or PayPal
An online instant-quote buyback platform covering a broad range of consumer electronics beyond just phones, with payment by check or PayPal.
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10
ItsWorthMore #
Cash, operating since 2012
Buys smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, consoles, cameras, and headphones, and has been running as a dedicated buyback service since 2012.
FAQ
Which service actually pays cash, not store credit?
ecoATM pays instantly at its kiosks in cash, PayPal, or Venmo. Apple Trade In offers PayPal cash in the US as an alternative to its gift card. Most other big-name programs - Best Buy, Samsung, Amazon - pay in store credit or gift cards only.
Is store credit ever worth more than cash?
Often, yes. GameStop's store credit option typically pays about 20% more than its cash payout for the same device, and Best Buy and Amazon only offer credit in the first place - so if you were going to spend the money there anyway, credit can be the better deal.
What happened to Decluttr?
Decluttr shut down its trade-in service in June 2025. It still shows up in a lot of older buyback guides that have not been updated since.