Let me paint a familiar picture. You upgrade your phone, spend approximately four minutes transferring your data across, and then put the old one face-down on the kitchen counter “just in case.” Three months later it’s still there, now buried under a pile of school letters and a half-eaten packet of digestives.
We’ve all done it. But here’s the thing — that old phone is almost certainly worth real money right now, and the longer it sits there, the less it’ll be worth. Phone values depreciate quickly. The time to act is sooner rather than later, and trading it in is genuinely one of the easiest ways to put some extra cash back in your pocket without much effort at all.
Here’s everything you need to know to do it properly.
What Does “Trading In” Actually Mean?
Trading in your phone means handing it over to a buyback service or retailer in exchange for cash or credit. Unlike selling privately — which involves listings, photos, answering messages from strangers, and praying the buyer doesn’t claim it arrived broken — a trade-in is clean and simple. You get a quote, you send it off (usually with a prepaid label), and you get paid.
The trade-off is that you’ll typically get a little less than a private sale might fetch, but for most people — especially busy parents who don’t have time to faff around — the convenience is absolutely worth it.
How Much Could You Actually Get?
More than you’d expect, honestly. Even phones that are two or three years old can fetch £50–£200+ depending on the make, model, and condition. Flagship models in good condition do particularly well.
Samsung phones tend to hold their value reasonably well, which makes a samsung trade in a genuinely worthwhile exercise. If you’ve got a Galaxy S series or an A series handset sitting around, it’s worth getting a quote before you assume it’s not worth anything.
The key things that affect your phone’s value are:
- Condition — Does the screen have cracks? Are there any dents? Be honest when you fill in the condition report, as services will check and may revise your quote if there’s damage you didn’t declare.
- Storage size — Higher storage models fetch more.
- Whether it’s locked to a network — Unlocked phones are generally worth more.
- Age — The sooner you act after upgrading, the better.
Where Should You Trade It In?
This is where a lot of people go wrong — they either head straight to their network provider or they stick it on a Facebook marketplace group and hope for the best. Neither is necessarily the smartest move.
The best approach is to use a comparison site to trade in phone and see what multiple buyback services are offering side by side. Prices can vary significantly between services for the same handset, so spending five minutes comparing can easily be the difference of £20–£50 or more.
Look for services that are reputable, have good reviews, and offer a clear returns policy if they decide to revise your quote after inspection. A trustworthy service will always give you the option to have your phone returned rather than accepting a lower price.
Getting Your Phone Ready to Trade In
Once you’ve chosen a service and accepted a quote, there are a few things to do before you send it off.
1. Back everything up. Photos, contacts, WhatsApp chats — all of it. iCloud, Google Photos, or just plug it into a laptop and do it the old-fashioned way. Don’t skip this step.
2. Sign out of your accounts. This is really important. Go into your settings and sign out of your Apple ID or Google account, and make sure Find My iPhone or Google’s Find My Device is turned off. If you don’t do this, the new owner (or the refurbishing service) won’t be able to use the phone properly, and your quote could be affected.
3. Do a factory reset. Once you’re backed up and signed out, restore the phone to factory settings. This wipes everything and protects your personal data.
4. Dig out the accessories. Some services will pay more if you include the original box and charger. Have a look in that drawer where you keep all the cables — it might be worth the rummage.
What If the Phone Is Broken?
Good news: you can often still trade in a phone with a cracked screen or a dodgy battery. You’ll get less for it, but it won’t necessarily be worth nothing. Some services specialise in broken or faulty handsets, so don’t write it off without checking.
Is It Worth It for Older or Less Premium Phones?
It depends, but usually yes. Even if you only get £20–£30 for an older budget handset, that’s still better than it collecting dust in a drawer — and better than it ending up in landfill. E-waste is a real problem, and getting your old phone into the hands of a refurbisher means it gets a second life rather than contributing to it.
The Bottom Line
If you’ve got an old phone sitting around, trading it in is one of the lowest-effort ways to make a bit of extra money from something you’ve already paid for. It takes about as long as filling in an online form, there’s no awkward buyer negotiation involved, and you’re doing something genuinely good by keeping electronics out of landfill.
With household budgets under pressure, it really does make sense to squeeze every bit of value out of the tech you already own. So go on — dig it out from under those school letters. Future you will be glad you did.
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