On a recent decluttering spree, I found three old cellphones, two tablets, and several power cords for laptops I no longer own. Since you can’t just toss electronics or even some power cords in the trash, I tend to chuck them into storage to deal with later.
But is it possible my old tablets or smartphones could do more for me than take up space? As it turns out, if you have gadgets that are still in good working condition, it’s worth it to try turning your clutter into cash.
Best Places to Sell Your Used Electronics for Cash
The good news is there are plenty of places to sell your computer, smartphone, gaming console, digital camera, smartwatch, or other old electronics in exchange for cold, hard cash. Some are direct buyers, while others are peer-to-peer marketplaces.
With so many options out there, the not-so-good news is that it’s hard to tell which are worth your time. So before you commit, check out these reputable places to sell your used devices to ensure you get top dollar and avoid scams.
1. Amazon
Amazon has become a one-stop shop for everything under the sun, so it’s no surprise it’s also a massive platform for selling used stuff. Fortunately, you can sell devices in any condition on Amazon. So your electronics don’t need to be in perfect condition.
First, set up an Amazon seller account providing your tax information and other personal details. Then, you can list your gadget on the site. If your device isn’t in perfect condition, be honest in your description so you don’t mislead anyone, which could result in a return or bad review.
Amazon takes a flat $0.99 cut of the final sale price plus any additional applicable fees. For example, if you choose fulfillment by Amazon (they take care of the shipping, returns, and customer service), you pay additional storage and inventory costs.
If that sounds like too much work, the Amazon trade-in program is a no-hassle way to unload your used device. But you only get an Amazon gift card in return, though that’s the same as cash if you shop Amazon frequently enough.
2. BuyBackWorld
BuyBackWorld accepts the widest variety of used electronics from the largest number of brands. It buys smartphones, tablets, desktop computers, laptops, gaming consoles, and smartwatches in addition to unusual electronics like headphones, musical equipment, calculators, and drones — just about any used electronics you can imagine. You can even get a custom quote for products not listed on their website.
Get a quote for your device by answering a few questions on their website. Then select how you want your payment: by PayPal, direct deposit, check, BuyBackWorld gift card, or prepaid debit card. Print the prepaid shipping label and mail your device.
Or you can request a free shipping kit including the prepaid label and everything you need to pack and mail your device.
Once it receives your shipment, BuyBackWorld inspects your device to ensure it matches your description. You get paid within 48 hours. If it adjusts the quote after inspection, you can accept the new offer or have your device shipped back to you.
3. Craigslist
For decades, Craigslist has been a popular site to resell just about anything, and electronics are no exception. As a simple collection of online classifieds, there are no fees involved. But you have to do a bit more work than you would with a direct buyer.
Create a listing on the site complete with photographs and an accurate description. Then meet the seller in person to exchange money and your device. Just be on the lookout for Craigslist scams.
See our article on Craigslist selling tips for more info.
4. Decluttr
DeCluttr is another highly popular website that buys miscellaneous tech, including smartphones, tablets, e-readers, smartwatches, gaming consoles, MP3 players, and media players. And if you’re working on decluttering your whole house, it even takes a bunch of other random stuff, including CDs, DVDs, video games, books, and even Legos.
Start on the website or download the Decluttr app for Android or iOS. Then, select the product you want to sell and its condition to get a price quote. If you accept the offer, check out, and the app or website will generate a prepaid shipping label.
Once Decluttr receives and processes your merchandise, as long as it passes inspection, Decluttr processes your payment the next business day via PayPal or direct deposit, whichever option you selected during the checkout process.
If Decluttr adjusts the quote after inspection, it sends a revised offer via email with a breakdown of the reasons for the new assessment. You have 14 days to accept or reject the new offer, which you can do in your account dashboard on the Decluttr website or in the app.
5. eBay
It’s difficult to talk about selling anything, including electronics, without mentioning eBay. It’s one of the world’s largest peer-to-peer selling platforms, operating in 180 countries and featuring around 1.5 billion active listings and 185 million active buyers on any given day.
Its extensive reach makes it an ideal place to sell your used electronics in whatever condition.
As with any peer-to-peer marketplace, eBay is a DIY platform. You must create and post your own product listings, which means taking original photos and providing accurate descriptions of your old electronics.
The marketplace offers two selling options, auction and Buy It Now. Buy It Now lets buyers immediately claim your gadget for a set price, whereas the auction feature allows multiple buyers to bid, with your device going to the person willing to pay the most.
With either format, you have the option to set a minimum price. If buyers offer a lower amount than your minimum price on a product set to Buy It Now, the system automatically rejects the offer. Otherwise, you can accept the offer or send a counteroffer.
Similarly, the auction feature lets you set a starting bid, so there’s a built-in minimum price. You can also set up an auction with a Buy-It-Now price. So if a buyer is willing to pay your price, they can immediately purchase your device. If not, they have to bid in the auction.
There are no fees to list up to 250 items per month. But once your device sells, eBay takes a 10% to 15% cut of your profits. So factor that into your pricing.
You also need to decide whether to cover the shipping yourself or have the buyer pay for it. If the latter, eBay recommends a shipping cost based on your device’s description when you create your listing. You can buy discounted shipping labels through eBay once your device sells.
See our article for more eBay selling tips.
6. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook isn’t just for social networking anymore. It’s become a competitive selling platform for a wide variety of products, including used electronics.
Listing a device for sale on Facebook Marketplace is straightforward, especially if you already have a Facebook account.
Once you log in, navigate to the Marketplace. Then just upload images, add a short description, and set your price. There are no fees to list or sell your devices, but expect buyers to negotiate and price accordingly.
One bonus of Facebook: You can visit your potential buyer’s profile page to review any past feedback and ensure they’re a serious buyer. Once you make the sale, you must meet with the buyer in person to make the exchange.
7. GadgetGone
GadgetGone offers an instant quote after you answer a few questions about your electronic device and its condition. It buys various electronics, including phones, tablets, wearables, laptops, headphones, iPods, and game consoles.
Just select the product you want to sell and its condition, and the website quotes you a price. If you like the offer, mail your device using the prepaid shipping label.
Once GadgetGone receives your shipment, it inspects your device to ensure it matches your description. GadgetGone offers some of the fastest payouts for a mail-in program, often getting you cash in as little as two days after it receives your stuff.
It makes payments via bank transfer, PayPal deposit, Virtual Visa card, or an Amazon or Target gift card.
8. Gazelle
On the pro side, Gazelle lets you skip the hassle of reselling your electronics yourself and gives you near-instant cash. On the con side, it only accepts a limited number of devices and brands, including Samsung, Google, and Apple phones as well as iPads and MacBooks.
Start by selecting your device on the website. Answer a few questions about its condition, and get an instant quote. If you’re happy with the offer, you can ship your device to Gazelle using the free shipping label it sends you.
Once Gazelle receives your shipment, it inspects your device to ensure it matches your description. Then, it pays you via PayPal, check, or Amazon gift card within three to five business days. If it adjusts the quote after inspection, you can accept the new offer or have your device shipped back to you.
9. Gizmogo
Gizmogo is one of the few retailers that buys electronics in any condition, including broken and nonworking devices, because of their commitment to keeping old devices out of landfills. Plus, even nonworking tech can be valuable, as your old gadgets contain recyclable parts. However, Gizmogo pays less for nonworking devices.
Gizmogo accepts any type of used electronics, including cellphones, tablets, Kindles, laptops, desktop computers, gaming consoles, cameras, drones, smartwatches, iPods, media players, headphones, speakers, and smart home devices.
Even if your device isn’t listed, you can send it in for a quote. Even if they can’t offer you any money for it, at least they can responsibly recycle it. And if they won’t pay you for it, Gizmogo can ship it back to you at no charge. So you have nothing to lose.
To sell your gadgets to Gizmogo, search for your device on their website. Answer a few questions about its condition and get an instant quote. If you accept the offer, complete the checkout process and choose your preferred payment option: PayPal deposit, check, bank transfer, Amazon gift card, or charity donation. The Gizmogo website generates a shipping label, letting you ship your device for free.
As with other direct-buyer websites, Gizmogo inspects your device to ensure it matches your description. It pays within one business day after review. And if your device doesn’t match your description, Gizmogo sends a revised offer. If you reject the new offer, it will return your device at no charge.
10. GreenBuyback
GreenBuyback accepts devices in any condition, including cellphones, laptops, tablets, headphones, wearables, video game consoles, smart home devices, and cameras. And if you have an electronic device not listed on its website, it does custom quotes.
Start by searching for the device you want to sell, and then use the drop-down menu to select its condition. If you like the instant quote, proceed through the checkout process, and ship your gadget using the prepaid shipping label.
Once GreenBuyback receives your device, a team member inspects it to ensure it matches your description. You can choose payment via PayPal or check, and GreenBuyback will process it within 24 hours after it reviews your device.
11. ItsWorthMore.com
ItsWorthMore.com is a highly regarded buyer that happily pays for used gaming consoles, smartphones, laptops, tablets, iPads, desktop computers, smartwatches, cameras, or drones. It even buys miscellaneous computer accessories like keyboards.
To sell your tech, find your device on the website and answer some questions about its condition. Then, ItsWorthMore.com gives you a quote. If you accept the offer, print the prepaid shipping label and mail your device.
Choose how you want to receive your payment — via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle, digital check, or an old-fashioned paper check — during checkout. You can also pay an extra $15 for two-day shipping and 24-hour processing. It’s a unique feature that’s helpful if you’re selling valuable tech and need extra cash fast.
Once ItsWorthMore.com receives your device, it inspects it to ensure it matches your description and pays within two to three business days after that.
12. Nextdoor
Like Facebook, Nextdoor is a social network. But unlike Facebook, it limits the network to your local area. Thus, when you sell on Nextdoor, you only deal with your neighbors.
To sell using Nextdoor, head straight to the For Sale & Free section, which features an array of free and cheap stuff, including the occasional old electronic gadget.
Listing on Nextdoor is similar to any peer-to-peer marketplace. Create and post your own product listings, including taking original photos, researching pricing for comparable devices, and providing accurate descriptions.
The buyer pool is smaller since Nextdoor limits your visibility to include only nearby neighborhoods, but you can drop your product off nearby rather than deal with shipping.
13. Swappa
Swappa is a popular peer-to-peer marketplace for selling used tech. It claims to offer a higher payout than buyer websites and boasts lower fees than PayPal.
However, Swappa limits selling to smartphones, tablets, laptops, virtual reality headsets, and smartwatches. Further, all electronics must be in good condition, so they don’t allow broken phones or nonworking tech.
Sellers must create their own listings, which means uploading photos and writing catchy titles and product descriptions filled with keywords. Fortunately, Swappa guides you through the process by asking a few questions and giving you a bar chart showing price fluctuations to help you set a fair price.
It’s free to list, but Swappa takes a 3% cut of the final sale price. Also, it uses PayPal exclusively to process payments, which gives you a level of protection. But it also comes at a cost since PayPal also takes a payment processing fee. Be sure to figure that into your listing price.
14. uSell
The third-party intermediary uSell maintains a network of buyers ready to purchase electronics. You don’t have to do anything to sell your gadgets. They find buyers for you and take care of the fulfillment and customer service. All you have to do is mail them your device.
It’s one of the few buying websites that takes electronics in any condition, including broken ones. It accepts various devices, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktops, smartwatches, game consoles, and cameras.
To start selling, list your gadget on the site and then ship it to uSell using the free shipping label they send you.
Receive payment via PayPal or check within five days of the buyer’s receipt as long as your device matches the description. If a buyer disagrees with your assessment, you have seven days to respond to their revised offer.
Final Word
If you decide to sell your used gadgets directly to a cash-for-electronics website instead of listing them for sale yourself, it’s always best to compare going rates to ensure you get the best price. Use a comparison tool like Flipsy, BankMyCell, or SellCell. Despite the names, these websites compare offers for all types of tech.
And if you opt for an in-person sale using a peer-to-peer marketplace, ensure you stay safe by only meeting buyers in a public place and avoiding payment by check.
