From trash to treasure: how to sell your phone step by step

Ever wondered how to be sure you’re getting the best price when you sell your phone?

If you want to learn how to recycle old phones for money, this detailed guide will teach you everything you need to know. We cover everything from which mobile recycling companies offer the most cash, to how to prepare your phone for recycling.

We also have helpful tips for selling your old phone privately and getting cash for a broken or damaged phone.

Whether you’re upgrading your current mobile phone or you’ve just found an old handset in the back of a drawer, keep reading to find out your next steps.

How much could you get for your old phone?

Depending on the make, model and condition of your phone, you could get £500+ for cashing it in.

Generally speaking, the newer your phone model is and the bigger the brand, the more it will be worth. iPhones, Samsungs and Google phones will fetch more cash than Blackberry phones, for example, and an iPhone 15 Pro Max will be worth more than a 2019 iPhone 11 (as long as it’s in good condition).

The price you’ll get for your used phone will also vary depending on which company you sell it to. We had a look at some of the most popular phone models at the time of writing to see what resale value they have. The prices in the table below are the highest cash prices we saw for each model after checking a range of different sites.

It’s worth noting that these prices are for phones in fully working condition with no damage.

The payment method you accept will have an impact on how much money you can get for your old phone too.

For example, some of the companies willing to pay cash for old mobile phones and other electronic items will actually give higher cash value in the form of store credit or a gift card. £230 in cash could quickly become £260 if you’re happy to accept payment as credit instead.

This can be a smart way to go if you’re planning to buy a new phone after selling your current one. You can use the cash value of your old phone to reduce the cost of your new device.

Where can you recycle mobile phones?

There are many different companies that will offer you money for your old mobile phone. These generally fall under one of the following three categories: 

• Mobile networks
• Phone providers
• Designated phone recycling companies

Mobile networks

If you trade in your phone with a mobile network through a recycling programme like Samsung Trade-In or O2 Recycle, you can usually choose whether you get paid in cash, credit, or money off your bill.

The great thing about recycling your old phone with a network provider is that most of them don’t require you to be a customer. The downside, however, is that mobile networks don’t seem to offer the highest prices.

They can be very convenient if you’re already with, or switching to, a certain network. For example, if you’re an EE customer or considering switching to EE, you can sort out your new handset and get rid of your old one at the same time with EE Trade-In.

Phone providers

Another option is to take your old mobile handset back to the original manufacturer in exchange for money off a new handset.

If you’re trading in an old iPhone, you can get a prepaid Apple trade-in kit sent straight to your door, or just drop your old device off at your nearest Apple Store.

They’ll give you an immediate online estimate of your device’s trade-in value, which will be paid to you in the form of a discount on your next Apple device. Or, if you’re not planning to buy a new phone straight away, you can get the value of your trade-in put on an Apple gift card instead.

Both Apple and Samsung now accept a range of the most popular mobile phones, not limited to iPhones and Samsung phones. These include the iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone SE and Google Pixel 6. They’ll give you the value in the form of an instant discount on your next purchase.

Phone recycling companies

There are a huge number of companies dedicated to recycling mobile phones. They buy and resell used phones and other unwanted electronics, giving instant cash to anyone who gets a quote and sends their old device in (as long as the device arrives in the condition they stated).

While there are some you’ve almost definitely heard of (such as musicMagpie, Amazon Trade-In, Mazuma Mobile and Envirofone), it’s worth shopping around to find the best deal, rather than just settling for a name you know.

Which of these places will give you the best price?

We compared the prices offered by a selection of phone recycling companies, mobile networks and phone providers.

The prices refer to the amount each company was offering for an iPhone 13 (256GB) in perfect working condition (no cracked screen, broken camera or any other damage). You’ll see the prices can vary quite significantly.

In terms of cash value, we found that these comparison sites were always able to find the best price out of all the sites we checked. So, if you were short of time and only wanted to check one site, we’d recommend going through a comparison site. However, if you want to trade in for store credit, you’ll need to do a little more research to find the best deal.

*Highlighted prices: Sell My Mobile, Compare My Mobile and Compare and Recycle all found the best cash value offer for this phone (£329), but the best overall offer is Mazuma Mobile’s £335.50 exchange value offer.

Tips for recycling your old phone

As we’ve seen, there are lots of different ways to recycle your phone. If you follow the simple steps laid out in this section, you should be able to sell your phone quickly and easily, and hopefully get a great price for it too.

Do your research

As soon as you start checking a few sites to see what price they’re offering for the make and model of your phone, you’ll quickly get a rough idea of how much money you can make. Once you know how much your phone is worth, you can compare quotes and judge which offers are most lucrative.

But while it can be tempting to go with whoever is offering the best price, there are a few other important factors to consider.

Once you’ve found a company you’re thinking about going with, ask yourself the following questions:

While one site might offer you the most cash for your mobile, this doesn’t necessarily mean they’re the best company to go with. You should also factor in things like whether you’ll have to travel a few miles to get to the drop-off point, or if your payment will take weeks to come through.

For example, if one company offers you £120 for your old phone and is willing to pick it up from your home for free, this might make them a better choice than a company offering £125 but requiring you to drop your phone off at a Post Office.

Get your quote

Whichever site you’re using, the process for getting your quote will be very similar.

You’ll first need to enter the make and model of your phone, then select the condition it’s in. If your phone isn’t in great condition, don’t worry. While phones that are in ‘like new’ condition will fetch the most cash, many companies also allow you to sell broken phones.

Bear in mind that you won’t get anywhere near as much money for a broken phone as you would if it was in good working condition. This is because if it’s broken or damaged, the company won’t be able to sell it on as a refurbished handset. Instead, they’ll just recycle it for its parts, which means it holds less resale value to them.

Your next task is to find out whether your handset is locked into a particular network or unlocked. An unlocked phone is worth more to a buyer than a locked handset because it isn’t limited to one network. If you buy an unlocked phone, you can take out a contract with any mobile network provider and the handset will be compatible.

If your phone is locked into a contract with your current provider, you can call your network provider and ask them for a Network Unlock Code. Following the steps to unlock your phone will instantly increase the value of your old device, which means more cash for you.

You may also need to have your IMEI number to hand. An IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) number is your handset’s unique 15-digit serial number. This number is used to check the phone’s country of origin, manufacturer and model number. You can find your phone’s IMEI number in your settings.

Prepare your phone for recycling

Before you recycle your mobile phone, you’ll need to remove all personal data. Make sure you do all of the following things before sending your phone off but don’t forget to back up your data somewhere safe. If you fail to back up your data, you’ll lose all of your files, messages and settings.

1. Do a complete factory reset

A factory reset (also known as a hard reset) will erase all of your data from the phone. This includes all of your apps and the data stored on those. That’s everything from your call history and text threads to your photos and notes. You can find the factory reset function in your device’s system settings.

2. Remove the SIM card

Your phone’s SIM card may still hold some of your contacts or call logs, so you should always remove it before parting with your phone.

3. Sign out of all of your accounts

You’ll need to sign out of all personal accounts on your device. This includes your email, social media and messaging apps, as well as your Apple ID or Google account.

4. Remove the phone from your list of trusted devices

If you don’t remove your old phone from your list of trusted devices, you run the risk of the phone’s new owner being able to access your accounts.

5. Unpair any other devices from your phone

If you leave any of your other devices paired with your phone, the new owner may be able to access your personal data through those paired devices. This includes everything from your Samsung Galaxy Watch or Apple Watch to tablets like the iPad Air.

Pack up and send off your phone

Most bigger mobile phone recycling companies offer free postage when you recycle your phone with them. After receiving your quote and confirming your order, your chosen company will usually send a postage label to your email.

Then, all you need to do is package your phone up, attach the label and send it. Bear in mind that while some companies will send you a sale pack with the packaging you need for sending your device, most will only send a postage label and you’ll need to sort out the packaging yourself.

If you’re sorting your own packaging, make sure your device is protected inside the box by using a shock-absorbing material like bubble wrap or packing paper.

Another important thing to consider is whether your device will be insured during its journey to your chosen company.

Check the terms and conditions of the website you’re using before you send your device to check if they accept responsibility for phones that get lost or damaged in the post. Some sites will recommend you pay extra for registered shipping just in case. This usually costs between £3 and £6 and is probably worth paying for the peace of mind it’ll give you.

Where you need to go to send your parcel will also depend on the company you use. For example, Mazuma Mobile allow customers to drop off their old phones at their nearest DPD drop-off shop.

Perhaps the most convenient way to send your phone is via musicMagpie or CeX, who both have a free courier service, so you don’t even need to leave your house.

Selling old phones privately

Sites that allow you to set your own asking price and sell your phone privately include eBay, Facebook Marketplace, Gumtree and Mozillion.

With private selling, you might get a better price for your old mobile phone, but this method requires more effort than simply trading in your handset.

When you sell your device using a mobile phone recycling programme like musicMagpie, CeX or Apple Trade-In, you pay for the convenience of their service. They’ll probably offer less than what the device is actually worth, but they will do all the hard work for you.

You’ll need to do some research in order to settle on a reasonable price for your handset. This is pretty simple to do; just search for your phone make and model to see what price other people are listing the same device at.

We found an unlocked iPhone 13 Pro (256GB) listed for £495 on eBay. Compared to the price offered by Sell My Mobile (£389), there could be some extra profit to be made.

We also saw people listing the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra (512GB) for £580 and the Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max (128GB) for £695 on eBay.

However, there’s no guarantee that your phone will sell for the price you set it at. You also need to factor in all of the hassle associated with listing a product on a site like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, negotiating with potential buyers, and posting the item once it sells.

Extra tips and things to consider

Here are a few extra tips that might help you when selling your phone, depending on which method you choose. Some of these tips relate to getting the best price for your handset, while others will help make the process easier if you’re selling privately.

Collectable phones

While you might think your clunky old Nokia phone isn’t worth anything, vintage phones actually make great collectors’ items. If you have a rare phone that’s in full working condition, you could make yourself some decent money by selling it online through a marketplace like eBay.

According to Mobile Phone History’s 2020 guide, vintage phones like the Apple iPhone’s first model (the Apple iPhone 2G) and the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X could sell on eBay for as much as £2,000. You can boost the value in most cases by including the original packaging.

If you do happen to own one of these valuable vintage models, you could sell it now, but if you were to wait a few more years, the value could climb even higher.

Be smart about when you sell

The time you sell your phone may impact the price you get for it. This may seem obvious, but when people are on the lookout for a new phone, they generally want to get the best, most up-to-date model. However, not all of us are willing to pay the full price, which is why so many people go down the second-hand/refurbished phone route.

This can work in your favour if you’re selling a relatively new and popular mobile phone model. For example, if you’re looking to sell a Sony Xperia 5 V, the absolute best time to sell would be in the window of time before the next model is released. This is because your Sony Xperia will be the latest model with the most recent operating system, meaning its value will peak. Once a newer model is released, your current model will drop in value.

This method isn’t always possible to put into action because you’d have to be selling your mobile within a few months to a year of buying it in the first place. But, if you do find yourself in the position where you’re selling a very new model, you could be in luck.

List your mobile on multiple platforms

Selling privately means there’s nothing to stop you from listing your device on multiple different platforms at the same time. This will increase your chances of making a sale because your item will be seen by more people who are in the market to buy second-hand phones.

However, make sure you remove your listing from all sites once your mobile has sold. If you don’t, you run the risk of selling your device twice and having to refund a customer.

Sell to someone you know or someone in your local area

Selling to someone you know personally or even just someone in your local area eliminates a lot of the risks associated with private selling. This is simply because you already have some sort of connection to the buyer, which means there’s less chance for things to go wrong.

You may not need to worry about it getting lost or damaged in the post, as you could deliver the mobile to them by hand if they live locally. This will mean you don’t have to pay postage, packaging or insurance costs.

Ask around your family and friends to see if anyone is in the market for a second-hand phone. You could also post about your device on social media to reach out to your wider social network and ask your friends to share the post with their own networks.

Make sure you don’t put yourself in any situations where you feel uncomfortable or unsafe. If you don’t know the buyer, you could meet them in a public place rather than a private residence or go with a friend.

Why you should recycle your phone, even if it’s not worth anything

Recycling is always better than throwing away; you're doing less damage to the planet and you could positively impact someone else's life.

Environmental benefits

Yes, recycling your old phone can get you a decent wad of cash in your pocket, but this isn’t the only reason you should be doing it.

In fact, a refurbished mobile emits 91% less CO2 than a new one (Source: Compare and Recycle). Even if your old mobile isn’t in good working condition, it can still be given a second life, as it will contain valuable materials that can be extracted for recycling or reuse.

Throwing your mobile phone in the bin is, at its best, a huge waste of its recycling potential. However, the biggest tragedy of mobile phones being thrown away with household waste is the damage this does to the environment.

If your old phone is sent to landfill, the chemicals inside the phone’s battery can seep into the ground and any groundwater below. This is very harmful to the surrounding areas, essentially poisoning the earth.

At its core, recycling your old mobile is more environmentally friendly than throwing it away, which means you’re helping to protect the planet. Who can say no to that?

Charitable benefits

If you want to donate your mobile phone to charity, there are plenty of places to do this.

By donating your phone to Little Lives UK, you can directly help children and families by providing them with devices that will make a huge difference in their lives.

Other charities that happily accept mobile phone donations include Oxfam, RSPCA, WaterAid, Animal Free Research and Omega.

Virgin Media’s Community Calling scheme (in partnership with the environment charity Hubbub) is also helping transform lives by providing free mobile phones for asylum seekers and survivors of domestic abuse.

Alternatively, you could donate your old phone to Vodafone’s Great British Tech Appeal scheme, in partnership with Barnardo’s. Vodafone will clean up and repackage your old phone, before donating it to someone in need. They’ll also provide the recipient with six months of free data, calls, and texts.

Three’s Reconnected scheme also provides people who need it with a free phone, data, calls and texts. They work in collaboration with LetsLocalise, Business in the Community and the Good Things Foundation.

Many charity shops offer a mobile phone donation service too, so you could also check with your local store to see if they’ll accept your old phone.

Get ready to sell your mobile phone today

No matter what make or model your old phone is, it’s very likely someone will be willing to pay you for it.

Whether you sell your old phone to your network provider, use a comparison tool to find an online recycling company, or sell it privately, you now have everything you need to find the best deal. And it’s not just fully working devices you can get cash for. Although you’ll get a reduced price for them, you can sell your broken phones online too.

There’s no reason why anyone should ever throw their old phone in the bin. You can earn easy money by recycling your old phone while protecting our planet at the same time. And even if your old handset isn’t worth anything at all, it can still be donated to recycling companies like RecycleNow.

So, now it’s time for you to do some research and find out how to get the most cash for your old mobile. Consider which is the easiest method for you and make sure you check out a few different companies and don’t just settle for the first offer you see. As you compare deals, don’t forget to consider factors like postage, payment methods and customer reviews too.