Where Is the Best Place to Sell iPads?
When the time comes to sell your old iPad, you have a wide range of options, but not all of them will provide you with a great deal. Whether you’re selling a standard iPad or one of Apple’s other models — iPad Pro, iPad Air, or iPad mini — every platform has its pros and cons. If you’ve decided to upgrade to a newer model, make some quick cash, or declutter your home by selling old devices you no longer use, it’s important to choose the right platform.
Before you perform a factory reset, log out of your Apple ID, and hand off your iPad to its new owner, it’s important to understand all your options. Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about selling your iPad. Whether you choose online marketplaces (like Facebook Marketplace), trade-in programs (like Apple Trade), or sell your device at an ecoATM kiosk, we’ll discuss the most important factors: pricing, convenience, and security.
Important Factors to Consider When Selling Your iPad
Before we discuss the specific places you can (and should) sell used iPads, we’ll outline several crucial factors that could influence your decision and help you find the best deal. While every individual seller prioritizes the following factors differently, we think everyone should at least consider all of them before choosing a platform to sell on.
Pricing
The price you’ll get for your iPad depends on its model, condition, storage capacity, market demand, and more. Of course, where you sell your iPad also plays a big part in the size of your payout. Some platforms offer highly competitive prices, while others take out a big chunk for commission or offer lower payouts, charging a premium for the convenience they provide.
Convenience
Speaking of convenience, do you prioritize a quick and easy transaction, or are you willing to put in some effort to get the most cash? With some platforms, you need to create listings and negotiate with buyers, which can be a pain (especially if you haven’t done it before). Meanwhile, others will offer instant quotes and pay you in cash today.
Safety and Security
Selling your old iPad to a reputable buyer is always important. Online platforms can come with risks — for instance, Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace can be hotbeds for scammer activity. On the other hand, trade-in programs with device manufacturers or wireless carriers provide more security, as do dedicated resale services.
Payment Method and Speed of Transaction
How quickly do you need the cash? Will you prioritize an upfront, instant payment, possibly for less money overall? Or are you willing to wait a bit to get the best price possible? Keep in mind that some platforms require you to wait days or even weeks to get paid.
The Best Places to Sell Your iPad
While there are virtually limitless options for selling iPads and other Apple devices, we’ve outlined five different avenues that are all legitimate and trustworthy, from physical stores to online sites and more. These options all have their pros and cons, but it’s hard to say any one of them is “better” or “worse” than the others. It all comes down to personal preferences and analyzing your unique situation.
Which one is the right choice for you?
ecoATM
If you need to sell your iPad fast and get paid instantly, ecoATM is a great choice. We have over 6,500 kiosks located in various retail stores and shopping centers nationwide, allowing you to sell your iPad in minutes — not hours, days, or even weeks like some other options.
Our hassle-free process provides instant cash payouts or your choice of payment to your PayPal or Venmo account. There’s never a need to create listings for your device, and you won’t have to negotiate with buyers either. Furthermore, you won’t even need to ship your iPad, as you simply leave it at the kiosk when you sell it. We’ll even pay cash for some broken iPads, which isn’t always the case for the other platforms in this guide.
ecoATM also offers safe and secure transactions, every time. We scan law enforcement databases to make sure we don’t buy any stolen or lost iPads, and all of our kiosks are located in safe, secure retail locations. While you might be able to get a slightly higher payout if you sell your iPad directly to its new owner, the hassle we can save you is invaluable.
We also take great pride in our eco-friendly practices, as we responsibly recycle every device we can’t resell. Over the years, we’ve helped keep more than 50 million smartphones and tablets out of landfills! When you consider that iPads can leach harmful chemicals into our soil, air, and water, keeping them from being discarded is our highest priority.
How does it work? Locate an ecoATM kiosk near you using the location tool on our website. Bring your iPad and a valid form of identification (such as your driver’s license) to the kiosk, then connect your iPad for an automated evaluation of its condition. We’ll provide you with a cash offer within minutes — all you have to do is accept the offer and walk away with cash in your pocket. It truly is that easy to sell your used iPad with ecoATM!
Apple Trade-In
With Apple’s official trade-in program, you can exchange your old iPad for Apple Store credit, which you can use toward your next new device. There are plenty of advantages to this platform, including a simple trade-in process. Also, like ecoATM, Apple also responsibly recycles old devices that it can’t sell.
That said, there are some negatives to using the Apple trade-in program. For example, there’s no option for a cash payout — you either accept store credit or sell your iPad elsewhere. Furthermore, we’ve found that Apple sometimes offers less value for used iPads than you can get with other platforms. And, it’s also worth noting that Apple doesn’t offer credit for broken iPads, so if it’s cracked or water-damaged, you’ll have to look elsewhere.
If you decide to use this trade-in service for Apple products, you can start by verifying your iPad’s estimated value on Apple’s website. If you like what you see, you’ll send in your iPad through the mail or drop it off at your local Apple Store. Once they receive your device, you’ll receive store credit or a gift card for the Apple Store.
For those of you who want to upgrade to a new iPad or other Apple device, this is a solid platform with plenty of convenience. That said, if you’re unsure whether to stick with Apple or switch to an Android tablet — or you simply prefer a cash payment to store credit — it won’t be your best option.
Best Buy Trade-In
Seeing as Best Buy has been a trusted retailer for decades, you can rely on them to provide a reliable and safe transaction. Best Buy has a similar trade-in program to Apple, although it’s not limited to solely Apple devices. You can trade in your old iPad online or at your nearest Best Buy retail location and receive store credit that you can use on any of Best Buy’s many products.
That said, Best Buy’s program shares a significant negative with Apple’s: You can only trade your iPad for store credit, and there’s no option to get cash instead. If you’re a frequent Best Buy shopper already, their trade-in program can be a solid choice. But if not, it probably isn’t ideal for your payout to come in the form of a Best Buy gift card.
To use Best Buy’s trade-in program, start by visiting their website for a quick estimate. Then, you can either ship them your iPad or bring it to your nearest Best Buy location. When Best Buy receives your iPad, they’ll provide you with your gift card right away. (Like Apple, Best Buy also does not offer trade-in credit for broken devices.)
eBay
eBay is one of the largest and most well-known global marketplaces for selling used electronics. When you create your listing, you can set your own prices and control how your auction unfolds, giving you more control over the process than any of the previously discussed platforms. If everything goes well, selling your iPad on eBay could bring back more money than any of the other options in this guide.
Of course, this control comes with some sacrifices of its own. eBay takes a commission out of every sale made on its platform — for iPads, this amount is typically 15%, which is more than enough to raise some eyebrows. Furthermore, you’ll need to run your own listing, oversee the bidding war, negotiate with buyers, and shoulder all shipping and handling responsibilities yourself.
There’s also the risk of scams on this platform. If you think only buyers get scammed, you might be sorely mistaken! Even though there may be a higher risk of scammer activity with knockoff or counterfeit goods on the platform, sellers also have to be aware of so-called “return scams” in which buyers will request a return even when there are no issues with their purchase. They then use the pending return as leverage to negotiate a better deal than the agreed-upon offer. Even if scams like this are relatively uncommon, they absolutely can and do happen on eBay — and they never happen with ecoATM, Apple, or Best Buy.
To sell iPads on eBay, you’ll first create an account (if you don’t already have one) and set up your auction. Then, you can create an open auction or a “Buy It Now” listing with a set price — or, you can create a listing that’s a hybrid of both options. And, no matter which listing format you choose, make sure to include some high-quality photos of the device!
At this point, the waiting game begins, as you’ll watch bids trickle in. Eventually, the process will complete and you’ll have a buyer, at which point you’ll need to track payments, ship the item, and close out the auction.
Overall, if you’re comfortable selling online and want to maximize your potential profits, this platform is a solid choice as long as you know the risks and have plenty of patience.
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist
These online platforms offer a sort of hybrid option between selling your iPad in a local shop and using a vast worldwide marketplace like eBay. Similar to eBay, these are online options that require you to create and maintain a listing, communicate with buyers, etc. On the other hand, these platforms allow you to sell your iPad locally if you choose, sidestepping the shipping fees and heavy commissions of eBay.
Facebook Marketplace and Craigslist have no seller fees, and if everything goes right, you can get quick cash from local buyers. That said, the potential for things to go sideways is always present, especially if you’re meeting buyers in person to exchange goods and payment. Furthermore, these platforms don’t have the seller protections you’ll find on eBay, and they still require ongoing negotiations for many listings.
If this sounds like the right option for you, you can list your iPad with photos and a designated price. Then, you’ll communicate directly with potential buyers before either shipping them the iPad or meeting them in a public place to complete the sale. If you’re a trusting individual who doesn’t mind a few risks, using these online marketplaces can be quite lucrative.
Which Option Is Best for You?
At the end of the day, the best place to sell your iPad varies based on your priorities. If you need instant cash and want a safe, secure selling process, it’s hard to go wrong with ecoATM. We’re also an excellent choice for those of you who prioritize eco-friendly sales.
Looking for store credit to upgrade to a new iPad? Apple and Best Buy both have reliable, trustworthy programs you can use. Meanwhile, if you want to maximize your potential profits and don’t mind taking a few risks, online marketplaces are always an option.
No matter where you choose to sell your used iPad, there are a few things you’ll need to do before parting with it. Always back up your personal data and sign out of your iCloud account, and don’t forget to remove the SIM card. You should also perform a full factory reset to restore the device to its original settings. Once you’ve completed these steps, you’re good to go!
Now that you know your options, where will you sell your iPad? There are plenty of viable platforms out there — it’s up to you to determine which is the right choice.
