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How to Sell a Broken iPhone (Tons of Options)

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In the past, I wrote about the many ways you could sell your phone.  In these guides, I usually focused on cellphones that actually worked.  While there’s a market for working cellphones, let it be known that there’s a market for broken phones as well.  You just need to know where to look.

Whether your phone’s screen is broken, is unable to make calls or maybe it doesn’t turn on, there are many ways to sell it online.  Don’t throw it away just yet!

In this guide, I want to talk about the many reputable ways to sell your broken iPhone, no matter how bad of shape it’s in.  In some cases, you will have to do the dirty work to sell it on your own, whereas some websites will offer you an instant cash quote on the spot.  Some may even offer store credit.  Yes, even if it’s broken.

If you have a broken iPhone, don’t throw it away just yet as it may be worth a few bucks.

What Defines a Broken iPhone?

According to most of the retailers I talked to and researched, the following conditions will often deem your iPhone “broken”…

  • doesn’t recognize the SIM card
  • can’t connect to Wi-Fi
  • can’t make phone calls
  • non-working fingerprint sensor and/or Face ID
  • touchscreen malfunctions (doesn’t work, etc)
  • LCD defects
  • water damage
  • doesn’t power on
  • bent frame
  • logic board failure such as audio, touch, etc
  • liquid damage but powers on

If you’re shaking your head yes to any of these, then it’s best to classify your iPhone as being broke to get a reliable quote.  While it may be tempting to lie about your phone’s condition, these websites do test your phone before paying out, so it’s best to be honest to avoid any troubles.

If you want an instant quote, most of these websites will ask very specific questions, so just be honest in your answers to get an accurate quote.  They do check the condition before paying, so lying will get you nowhere.  These forms are very easy to use, trust me on this.



Preparing to Sell Your Broken iPhone

Whether you sell it online for an instant quote or decide to do it on your own, you will want to perform a few tasks before shipping your phone out.  In doing so, you can be assured your phone is accepted and you keep your data safe.

  • backup everything on your phone, from the photos to data and the settings
  • perform a factory reset
  • remove iCloud from a device (this is a must if selling online)
  • remove all accessories, cases, etc
  • remove the SIM card

In doing all of this, it can help ease the process.

How to Sell a Broken iPhone

Online, there are so many places that will buy an iPhone.  I’m talking more than 20+ reputable companies.

Listed below are the many online websites that will give you an instant quote.  Don’t accept the first quote you receive, though, as they all vary.  It’s best to pick out a few and play around with the quote tool to see who offers you the best.  As you can see near the end of this guide, I did so on a variety of these websites and the prices were all over the place!

Without further adieu, here are some online websites to consider…

Amazon Trade-in

I’m sure you’re already familiar with the online powerhouse, Amazon.  If you want to deal with a leader and don’t mind an Amazon gift card in exchange for your broken iPhone, it could be one to consider.

To start the process, head to this link, let Amazon know what kind of phone you have, and if you’re happy with the quote, you can start the trade-in process.  Amazon does appear to buy broken iPhones, but your results may vary depending on the phone you have.

Amazon allows you to ship in your phone for free, and on average, it takes up to 10 days to receive your credit.  To read more about how the Amazon Trade-in program works, I did a review in the past highlighting how the entire program works.

Decluttr

I have mentioned Decluttr a handful of times, such as in my how to make PayPal money online and how to make $100 fast posts.  In short, it’s an online company that will offer you an instant quote for everything from broken iPhones to even LEGOs.

All you need to do is let them know what kind of phone you have, the capacity as well as your carrier.  With that information, they will offer you an instant price.

If you like the price given, you can accept the offer and then mail it in using their free prepaid shipping label.  Once confirmed by Decluttr, you can get your payment as early as the next day.  I wrote a detailed review in the past, so I do recommend you at least check it out if you’re interested in selling just about any electronic online.

NOTE:  Look for a coupon code before submitting as the company will often add bonuses on top of what they initially offer.

Gazelle

Gazelle is another larger company online that buys a variety of electronics, including some broken iPhones.

When I played around with the website, they appeared to be picky in what they accepted if your phone wasn’t in great condition, but they did accept some of my scenarios.

I would at least play around with the website to see what the may be willing to offer you for your broken iPhone.

ecoATM

If you want cash right now, your best bet may be to find what’s known as an ecoATM.  This machine is located in retailers around the United States and allows you to get cash on the spot.  And, since it’s all automated, you don’t have to deal with a human being, either.

All you need to do is find a kiosk nearby, plug in your phone at the kiosk to let it analyze it.  Once it’s done, you can then receive a price.  You can get at least an estimate before you go, but like most of the sites I mention, it really depends on the condition/phone.  From my research when playing around the website, it seemed to be fair in comparison to the others.  The biggest perk, however, was that you could walk away with cash right now.

If you agree to sell it, the kiosk will give you cash on the spot.

When going this route, it’s so important that you’re 100% honest in selling as they will take a photo scan as well as scan your ID before cash is given out.  All of this is verified by a live agent inside their headquarters.

BuybackBoss

BuybackBoss will get you an instant offer after you answer a few simple questions online.  All you need to do is choose your device, your model, provider, capacity and then condition, and the company will give you an instant quote.

BuybackBoss accepts all conditions, from brand new phones to broken phones that no longer work.

As long as your phone isn’t iCloud locked, you should receive a quote.  When I played around with the site, I received quotes anywhere from $10 to $30.  In some cases, however, the older phones didn’t yield a price offer.

It only takes 60 seconds to get a quote, so I would at least check them out if you want an instant quote.  The company does match any offers, so if you do receive a higher quote, you can email them a price match screenshot to have them match it.



BingBongTec

BingBongTec will buy your used or broken Apple iPhone and is said to offer the “highest prices” and “fast payments.”

To get a quote, you just need to choose your device and then select the capacity and condition.  Once the order is placed, you will receive an email confirmation explaining the next steps as to how to ship it in.

The company offers a free prepaid shipping label and payments are usually issued two days after the package is received.

iBuyLocked

iBuyLocked “buys them all,” from bad IMEIs to financed phones, it seems you can get a quote for almost any broken iPhone.

Like all of the sites I mention on this list, to get a quote from iBuyLocked, it’s no different.  Just let them know what kind of phone you have and the condition it’s in.  With this information, they can then offer you an instant quote.

iBuyLocked offers free shipping and pays you within one to five business days of receiving your phone.

SellBroke

SellBroke will buy your broken iPhone as well as any laptop, tablet and much more.  It’s a website I mentioned in my best ways to sell a laptop online.

To get an instant quote it works much like the others.  Let them know what you want to sell as well as what the condition it’s in.  And, with that information, they can offer a quote on the spot.

If you accept the quote given, they will e-mail you a free FedEx or UPS label in which you can use to ship in your broken iPhone for free.  Once confirmed, they will send out payments via Google Pay, PayPal or a Bank of America company check.

SellShark

SellShark will buy your iPhone, no matter what kind of condition it’s in.  They claim to offer the highest payouts guaranteed, offering you an instant quote on the spot.

To start selling, you be asked to remove your iPhone from your iCloud account and then answer a few questions to get an instant quote.

If you like what you see, simply print out the prepaid shipping label and ship it out.  Upon confirmation, they will pay you instantly via PayPal.

Swift Tech Buy

Swift Tech Buy will offer payments the same day they receive your device, making it one of the fastest paying companies on this list.  They also mention that they pay 10-15% more than their competitors.  This didn’t be the case, however, as they didn’t offer me a quote on all four broken phones I plugged into their quote tool.

The company will buy devices in any condition, even if the screen is cracked or the buttons are falling off, but be forewarned that they do seem to be pickier in comparison to others.  Your results will vary, however.

They offer an instant quote and will send you a shipping label upon confirming the quote received.  It only takes seconds to get a quote.

uSell

As I write this, uSell has paid out more than $49 million to its 450,000+ customers.  It’s another one of the many websites that give you an immediate offer for your iPhone.

If you accept the offer, they will send you a prepaid shipping kit, in which you will send your phone in to get your credit.  Once confirmed, you will receive your payment within five days, either via PayPal or check.

uSell offers a 30-day price guarantee and one of the fastest payment options in the industry, paying out in less than five days upon confirming your shipment.

UpTrade

UpTrade is another storefront that sells both used phones as well as purchases them back from you, even if they are broken.

You answer a few questions about your phone and then get a quote.  In my research, they asked more in-depth questions, but they would still get you an instant quote near the end if they wanted it.

The entire process was extremely simple, and the cool thing about them is that they will pay you more if they find you didn’t describe it as it should have been.

Other Options

Aside from the many options I already mentioned, there are even more to consider.  I’m not going to include them in the list above as they don’t seem to be as popular.  However, as with all of my guides, I try to make them as in-depth as possible.

Here are even more to consider…

All of these options work in the same way, wherein you tell them what you have and they offer you a quote in return.

How to Sell a Broken iPhone on Your Own

To get the most money for your broken iPhone, it’s always best to sell on your own, of course.  Sure, while you have to deal with the buyer, this can often yield 50% more in some cases.  That could be as much as $100 for the newer phones.

I’m not going to describe each option as they are all self-explanatory, but they all work in a similar way.  Create an account, create a listing and then communicate with your buyer to secure a deal.  In the case of eBay, simply ship out your phone once it sells.  It’s that easy.

Out of all the options I mention, I would say this is your best option to make the most, but it could require a pinch more work.

If interested, in selling on your own, I did cover a lot of options in my how to visit a garage sale online, but I will include some of my websites/apps below:

Again, this will be your best bet, but can yield the most cash.  In some cases, you may not pay any fees at all to sell, such as using Craigslist and Facebook Groups, for instance.  Be sure to check out my garage sale guide to learn more about how you can succeed in selling on these platforms.

Who Wins?

I went ahead and got a quote from all of the retailers I mentioned above, and in the table below, I included my estimates to show you what you could get.  I just wanted to do this to give you an idea as to how they all vary in estimates.  That is why it’s so important to get multiple instant quotes if you were looking for an instant payout.  I can’t stress it enough.

In each example, I said the phone was broken (didn’t turn on/cracked screen), was factory unlocked and the condition was “okay.”  I also chose the highest storage capacity for each phone.

NOTE:  Quotes are accurate as of 2020 and are subject to change.  Use it as an estimate only.

iPhone 6

  • Amazon:  $6
  • Decluttr:   $11
  • Gazelle:  $0
  • ecoATM: $4+
  • BingBongTec:  $0
  • BuybackBoss:  $3
  • iBuyLocked:  $0
  • SellBroke:  $3-$19+
  • SellShark:  $5~
  • Swift Tech Buy:  $0
  • uSell:  $5
  • UpTrade:  $4

iPhone 7

  • Amazon:  $12
  • Decluttr:   $15
  • Gazelle:  $0
  • ecoATM:  $8+
  • BingBongTec:  $5
  • BuybackBoss:  $15
  • iBuyLocked: $1-$20+
  • SellBroke:  $3-$64+
  • SellShark:  $5-$20
  • Swift Tech Buy:  $0
  • uSell:  $21
  • UpTrade:  $8

iPhone 8

  • Amazon:  $22
  • Decluttr:   $41
  • Gazelle:  $0
  • ecoATM:  $15+
  • BingBongTec:  $201
  • BuybackBoss:  $30
  • iBuyLocked: $10-$40+
  • SellBroke:  $27-$124
  • SellShark:  $10-$70+
  • Swift Tech Buy:  $0
  • uSell:  $55
  • UpTrade:  $50


iPhone X

  • Amazon:  $46
  • Decluttr:   $64
  • Gazelle:  $68
  • ecoATM:  $35+
  • BingBongTec:  $50
  • BuybackBoss:  $75
  • iBuyLocked: $1-$50+
  • SellBroke:  $17-$132+
  • SellShark:  $30-$150+
  • Swift Tech Buy:  $0
  • uSell:  $70
  • UpTrade:  $10

As you can see, there were some discrepancies.  Some offered more, while some offered much less.  It goes to show you how important comparison shopping truly is.

Other Nominees

It’s hard to say how “broken” your phone is.   While most of the websites mentioned above will offer you a quote for your broken iPhone, the following programs/websites may want your iPhone, but it depends on the condition.

The following websites/programs are one to consider, but don’t get too discouraged if they have no interest:

Final Thoughts

Whether you want to sell your broken iPhone on your own or get an instant quote, you can see that there are a ton of companies that are willing to give you a quote on the spot.

Even if you think no one will want it, at least check out a few of the websites online as you can get a quote within seconds usually.  Even if it’s $10, it’s a lot better than it landing in the trash can and getting nothing in return.  All you need to do is throw it in an envelope with the free provided shipping label.  It doesn’t take much work at all, trust me.

In the end, selling any electronics on your own will yield the most cash, but if you want to sell it to a company for an instant quote, that can work, too.  Just let it be known that you will usually receive up to 50% less.  However, this can save you the headache of dealing with private buyers.

Whatever you decide to do in the end, selling a broken iPhone is possible and you can still make some okay cash.  It’s just up to you to do the research to figure out who’s going to offer you the best quote.

As always, you’re more than welcome to comment in the section below with any questions and/or recommendations you may have.

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Tom Nathaniel

Hi! My name is Tom Nathaniel, and I created LushDollar to help share my honest thoughts on everything money. You won't find gimmicks here. It's the Internet's most honest money site after all. I graduated from Arizona State University, and I have worked in the finance industry since 2006, consulting with multiple Fortune 5000 companies.

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