Technologies

Best Places to Sell Your Used Electronics for 2023

Want to sell some of your old gadgets for cash? Here are the best services to use right now.

Whether you’re the type who likes to upgrade their phone or tablet each year, or you just have some extra gear laying around that you’d rather turn into cash, knowing where to look can help maximize your profits. There are a lot of places to sell tech these days, but not all of them are created the same.

It can be hard to find the best price for your device across dozens of websites, so that’s why we’ve rounded up some of the best sites and services out there that will buy your used electronics at a fair price. If you’re ready to start selling your cast-off devices for some extra cash or other incentives, read on.

There are plenty of companies where you can sell electronics — places that’ll happily buy old fitness trackers, smartwatches, gaming consoles, laptops, digital cameras and other electronic equipment. In exchange, they’ll send you cold hard cash, often in the form of a gift card or PayPal transfer. (Not too shabby for that MacBook gathering dust in your closet.) You can even sell your old electronics without having to visit a physical location such as a pawn shop, now that used electronics website options are becoming more popular.And you won’t have to worry about paying for shipping or shouldering the cost of a fee, which is somewhat commonplace with services that sell electronics and old equipment.

The prices offered with trade-in programs on an old device are usually a little lower than what you could sell electronics for, but the reduced price is worth forgoing the headache of trying to sell on your own. Some places will even take broken items, but keep in mind that broken tech will sell at a much lower cost than a gadget that is still in good working order.

Read on to see the best places to sell electronics and gadgets, unless it’s one of these seven used items — those things you should probably never buy or sell.

iphone se 2020 in 6 colors — Turn those old phones into cash.

Apple

Decluttr

Payment Method: Direct deposit, Paypal or charity donation

Turnaround Time: Three to five days, depending on shipping

If you’ve never used Decluttr before, you’re in for a treat. This is one of the fastest bidding services you can use for selling a ton of different kinds of tech. Plug in your details to the form, and you’ll see a bid for your gadget in seconds. As long as it’s a bid you like, you’ll be presented with an option to complete the sale and start the shipping process. Payments are made quickly, which is why this company has one of the highest TrustPilot ratings you can find.

See at Decluttr

BackMarket

Payment Method: Direct deposit

Turnaround Time: Within 6 business days

BackMarket makes it very easy to trade in your old gear for cash in your account, quickly. The company accepts phones, tablets, game consoles and even headphones with payouts of up to $815 depending on the product and its condition. Getting started is quick and easy, all you have to do is answer a few questions and then you’ll see the offer. If you accept, you ship your device out (which is free), and then once it’s inspected they send you the money.

See at BackMarket

Amazon Trade-In

Payment method: Amazon gift card

Turnaround time: Two business days after Amazon receives the item

Amazon’s trade-in program works a lot like its retail store. You do an easy search for an electronic item, enter any necessary details (storage, screen size and so on) and then select the device’s condition. Amazon will then make an offer for your electronic gadget and, if you accept it, provide a free shipping label for the item.

The number of items Amazon accepts spans across a wide spectrum, including video doorbells, wireless routers and other home security devices.

Once you ship the item, Amazon will inspect it to ensure the item matches your original description. If it all checks out, your Amazon account is credited with an Amazon eGift card for the offer amount. If the item is in better condition than you described, Amazon’s customer service promises to pay you more.

If you’d rather trade-in a device in person, Amazon has a list of locations, where you can take Amazon devices and select phones. Amazon states that even nonworking devices can be accepted.

The drawback? Your money is locked to your Amazon account.

See at Amazon

Apple Trade In

Payment method: Apple Store gift card

Turnaround time: Instant if done in an Apple Store. Two to three weeks if done online

Apple’s trade-in program will take devices from a wide range of companies, not just its own. Currently, Apple will accept your laptop, smartphones, tablets, watches and «other» devices and old equipment. If the company doesn’t have a trade-in offer for your device, like iPods or AirPods, Apple will recycle it free of charge.

Apple states it will take two to three weeks to complete the online trade-in process. If you want to place your order for a new device right now, the company will credit your payment method with the trade-in value once it’s processed. Alternatively, if Apple Stores are open in your area, you can visit the store and get an instant store credit for your trade-in. It’s especially helpful with the launch of the iPhone 14.

Using Apple’s trade-in service makes sense if you’re already planning on buying a new iPhone or Mac. It’s not a worthwhile option for someone who wants to buy the latest Samsung Galaxy phone, for example.

See at Apple

Best Buy Trade-In Program

Payment method: Best Buy gift card

Turnaround time: Instant if done in store. Seven to nine business days if mailing in an item.

Getting a quote from Best Buy is as simple as picking a product category, manufacturer, model and condition. Once you’ve filled out the questionnaire, the tool will estimate the unwanted device and give you an instant quote. The offer amount, if you choose to accept it, will only be awarded as store credit in the form of a Best Buy gift card.

The company lists just a handful of stores that don’t participate in the trade-in program.

Best Buy’s payment turnaround time is slower than other services, but the company accepts a wider variety of gadgets — matching nearly every type of electronic device it sells, including various laptop options, smartphone options, wearables, digital camera options, and video game consoles. You can trade in your gaming system, video games, and an iPhone or iPad at the same time, for example.

See at Best Buy

ItsWorthMore

Payment method: PayPal, Zelle or check

Turnaround time: Typically 72 hours after receiving your item(s), but you can pay for 24-hour turnaround.

Unlike the previous services for selling electronics online, the ItsWorthMore program will pay you through your choice of PayPal, Zelle or an old-fashioned paper check.

The process for selling electronic goods entails answering some questions about the old cell phone, tablet, Apple Watch (or other Apple device) or computer you’re selling. ItsWorthMore will then give you an offer and, if you accept it, provide you with a prepaid shipping label. During the checkout process, you can select how you want to receive your payment. You also have the option to pay $15 for two-day shipping and 24-hour processing time. Otherwise, standard shipping and a turn around target time of 72 hours. However, processing can take up to five business days.

When your device is received, ItsWorthMore will verify if the indicated working condition is accurate — that is, whether it’s in good condition, fair, broken, and so on. If there’s a discrepancy, you’ll have a chance to ask for the device back or accept the revised offer.

See at ItsWorthMore

asus-chromebook-flip-c436-0057 — Old laptops shouldn’t just collect dust.

Joshua Goldman/CNET

BuyBackWorld

Payment method: PayPal, direct deposit, BuyBackWorld gift card, prepaid debit card or check

Turnaround time: 48 hours after passing inspection

BuyBackWorld will buy a wide range of products including phones, tablets, iPods, cameras, game consoles, computers, headphones, drones and, well, you get the point. You can even get a custom quote for products that aren’t listed on the site.

After getting a quote and selecting how you want to be paid, send your item(s) into BuyBackWorld. Once they receive your shipment, they’ll inspect your items and you’ll get paid. If the quote is adjusted after inspection, you’ll have the option to accept the new offer or have your device returned to you.

See at BuyBackWorld

More ways to trade in your phone

Technologies

What a Ban Would Actually Mean for DJI Drone Owners and Holiday Shoppers

What’s the secret to a very un-merry shopping season? A brand new, unusable drone.

With Thanksgiving wrapped up and the Black Friday shopping sales here, if a DJI drone is on your holiday wish list, you might want to hit «buy» immediately. The company has issued a stark warning: Its drones could be banned from sale in the US, and the deadline is looming.

The Federal Communications Commission voted 3-0 at the end of October to «close loopholes» that allow tech deemed a «national security risk» to be sold in the US. In plain English, the US government is clearing the path to give DJI the same treatment it gave Chinese phone-maker Huawei, effectively banning its products from the American market.

The US government has deemed DJI, which is based in China, a security risk. It’s also considering a separate ban on TP-Link routers.

DJI is already sounding the alarm, posting on Instagram that a «deadline that could decide DJI’s fate in the US is just 43 days away» (now 19 days away). The company is warning that without an audit, its products could face an «automatic ban.» The US government has long labeled the Chinese drone maker a security risk, and it looks like the hammer might finally be coming down right before the holidays.

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

The vote isn’t the end of the road, however. Future bans would need to target specific products and would require a period of public consultation. But it appears the groundwork is being set for the FCC to block sales of future and some existing DJI drones from US shores, as well as products that use DJI technology.

The government has called for a DJI audit by the end of the year, but if that doesn’t happen, DJI drone products could be banned for sale by default under a national security law.

DJI asks for a security audit before any ban

A representative for DJI told CNET that while the FCC vote references a rule change that doesn’t currently apply to DJI specifically, the National Defense Authorization Act deadline in December would put Chinese companies like it on the FCC’s ban list, «without any evidence of wrongdoing or the right to appeal.»

Adam Welsh, head of global policy at DJI, said the company has repeatedly said it would be open to audit, but that «more than 10 months have now passed with no sign that the process has begun.»

«The US government has every right to strengthen national security measures, but this must go hand in hand with due process, fairness, and transparency,» Welsh said.

Welsh said DJI is urging the government to start the audit process or grant an extension.

Will DJI drone owners need to give them up?

Because the ban would apply to new sales, not drones that have already been sold, a DJI drone you already own would still be legal to use — at least under current rules.

Government agencies, however, are prohibited from purchasing or using drones from Chinese companies, including DJI.

DJI’s drones consistently rank high in their product category. In January, they dominated CNET’s list of best drones for 2025. But some of the company’s newest products, such as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, haven’t been available for sale in the United States.

Even DJI products that are not yet banned may be hard to find. The website UAV Coach has posted a guide to the bans and reports that, due to inventory issues, most DJI drone models are sold out at retailers regardless of future FCC action.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 29 #636

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Nov. 29, No. 636.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle is a real puzzler. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: What a piece of work!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: You can build it in a shop.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

CREW, REAM, LANE, WHEE, DELL, CANE, PULL, REVEL

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

WHEEL, AXLE, LEVER, WEDGE, PLANE, PULLEY, SCREW

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is SIMPLEMACHINE. To find it, start with the S that’s three letters to the right on the top row, and wind over and down.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections Hints, Answers and Help for Nov. 29, #902

Here are some hints and the answers for the NYT Connections puzzle for Nov. 29, #902.

Looking for the most recent Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s NYT Connections puzzle is tough. If you need help sorting them into groups, you’re in the right place. Read on for clues and today’s Connections answers.

The Times now has a Connections Bot, like the one for Wordle. Go there after you play to receive a numeric score and to have the program analyze your answers. Players who are registered with the Times Games section can now nerd out by following their progress, including the number of puzzles completed, win rate, number of times they nabbed a perfect score and their win streak.

Read more: Hints, Tips and Strategies to Help You Win at NYT Connections Every Time

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Middle of the body.

Green group hint: Fill-in.

Blue group hint: Nice place to hang out.

Purple group hint: Card game.