What to Do With Old Cell Phones: Get Cash for Recycled Phones Today

Buying a new mobile phone every few years is a common practice. Today’s average consumer switches cell phones roughly every two to three years. Unless you sell or recycle your old phone whenever you get a new one, you might end up with quite a collection of outdated devices gathering dust in a junk drawer.

When the time comes to declutter, it’s important to know what to do with your used cell phones. You should never throw an old smartphone in the trash, as these devices can release toxins into the air, water, and soil. To reduce the environmental harm of an old phone, you should either sell it or recycle it. Thankfully, services like ecoATM make it easy to exchange your old phones, tablets, and other electronics with our convenient kiosks and instant cash offers.

The Best Ways to Dispose of Outdated Mobile Phones

Improperly disposing of old mobile devices contributes to the ever-growing issue of electronic waste. E-waste contains toxic materials that can cause lasting harm to our environment if handled incorrectly. If you simply toss your old devices in the trash, these hazardous materials end up in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil where we plant our food.

That said, these issues are easily avoided if you recycle your old electronics with ecoATM. While we don’t accept all consumer electronics for recycling purposes — for instance, we don’t currently accept security cameras, e-readers, or many laptop computers — we’re always happy to buy your old phone, tablet, MP3 player, or MacBook. Even if we can’t resell the device to a new owner, we’ll gladly recycle it for you, free of charge.

Here are a few of the most popular ways to responsibly dispose of your old electronics and clear out storage space for your next purchases. Whether you need a new phone that can handle all the latest streaming services or you’re just trying to get rid of some unused items, these are all relatively common methods.

Sell Your Old Phone

One popular option is to sell your old phone to a new owner, keeping it in active use. Of course, there are several ways you can sell a used phone, and your personal preferences largely dictate which one is the right choice for your unique needs.

Online Marketplaces

You could always try selling it on a site like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, although these platforms can be rife with scams, and you’ll need to do some serious legwork. From creating and maintaining a listing to negotiating with buyers and waiting for shipping processes before getting paid, these options are often more of a pain than they’re worth.

Pawn Shops

Another option is to sell your devices at a pawn shop. While this can be a much faster process than using an online marketplace, it’s also likely to provide a bargain-basement price point. Pawn shops make their money by buying valuable items from desperate sellers at rock-bottom rates, so we never really recommend this route.

ecoATM

Here at ecoATM, we gladly pay top dollar for used electronics. The process really couldn’t be simpler either: All you need to do is get a pricing quote (either on our website or at your nearest ecoATM kiosk), prepare your device for sale (back up your data, log out of your accounts, and perform a factory reset), and bring it to your local ecoATM kiosk to complete the sale. It’s a much more convenient process than you’ll find with most other businesses!

Recycle Your Old Smartphone

Even if we can’t resell your old smartphone or tablet to a new buyer, we’ll still offer to recycle it on your behalf for free. ecoATM is committed to a greener future, which is why we’ve already helped recycle over 50 million used devices. Will yours be next?

Use a Carrier or Retailer Trade-In Program (T-Mobile, Apple, Best Buy, etc.)

Plenty of wireless service providers and electronics retailers offer their own version of a trade-in program, in which you swap your old device for credits you can use on a new one. These programs tend to be relatively convenient, as these companies usually make it quite simple to exchange your old phone or tablet for store credit. However, you won’t get cash, so you’ll have to spend your credits at the same store where you sold the device. In addition, some trade-in programs offer disappointing rates that you can beat pretty easily by using a different service.

How to Sell Your Old Cell Phone to ecoATM

Selling your old phone with ecoATM is easy. Just follow these simple steps to turn your used cell phones or tablets into cash today.

Back Up Your Data and Log Out of Accounts

Before you sell your cell phone, back up all your important photos, contacts, and apps. If you have a SIM card, you’ll want to remove it as well. In addition, this is a good time to log out of your Apple ID, Samsung account, Google account, etc.

Perform a Factory Reset

Next, executing a factory reset can restore your old phone to its original settings, a crucial step before reselling it. This will not only help make the phone work like new for its next owner, but it will also remove all of your personal information from the device.

Locate Your Nearest ecoATM Kiosk

It’s easy to find one of our 6,000+ ecoATM kiosks when you use the kiosk locator tool on our website. Our kiosks are located in reputable retail centers across the country, including many Walmart, Kroger, and Dollar General stores.

Drop Off Your Old Phone and Get Paid Today

The final step involves bringing your smartphone to the kiosk. It will evaluate your device and present you with a cash offer. If you agree, you can approve the sale and walk away with cash in hand, or your choice of PayPal or Venmo digital payments. You can also bring your unwanted accessories to the kiosk. While we won’t buy them from you, we’re happy to reuse or recycle your old chargers, cords, batteries, and cases.

Whether you’re an iPhone user or living in the Android ecosystem, ecoATM provides a convenient and profitable platform for you to get rid of your old electronics. Plus, you’re supporting an environmentally friendly cause while you’re at it. Bring your old phones and tablets to your nearest ecoATM kiosk today and see how much instant cash you can get!