Apple Trade In, Carrier Trade-In or Cash: Where Should Your Old iPhone Go?
The short answer: A carrier trade-in can show the biggest number, but it is usually paid as monthly bill credits over two to three years, and you lose what is left if you leave early. Apple Trade In pays credit or a gift card, not cash, and a mailed-in phone can be re-valued after it arrives. If you want money you can spend anywhere, today, sell it for cash to a buyer who inspects it in front of you.
Paid the same day. Every time.
- Walk in, walk out with cash. No shipping, no waiting. Usually 10–15 minutes at our Hollywood store.
- Ship it to us and we pay the day it arrives. Not 3 to 7 days later like the national buyback sites — the same day we get it.
- Insured both ways, for the full offer amount. Free FedEx label to us, and free insured return if you say no. No hassle.
Inspected in front of you, paid before you leave.
Every September Reddit fills up with the same question. "Best place to sell an iPhone quickly?" has 180+ comments on r/iphone. "DO NOT ship your old iPhone to Apple!" has 440+. And last month r/apple spent 230+ comments on reports that Apple cut its iPhone trade-in estimates while raising Mac and iPad ones.
The honest answer depends on one thing: do you want credit, or do you want money?
The Three Options Side by Side
| Carrier trade-in | Apple Trade In | Sell for cash | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you are paid | Monthly bill credits, usually over 24–36 months | Apple credit or Apple Gift Card | Cash, today |
| Strings attached | Stay on the plan and the installment, or lose the remaining credits | Spend it at Apple | None |
| Can the value drop after? | Yes, on mail-in | Yes, on mail-in | Not if you are paid at the counter |
| Best for | Staying with your carrier for years anyway | Buying the new iPhone from Apple | Switching carriers, paying cash, or just wanting the money |
Carrier Trade-In: Read How the Credit Is Paid
Carrier deals are the ones with the giant headline numbers. The catch is almost always in how it is paid. The "trade-in value" usually arrives as a credit on each monthly bill, spread across a 24- or 36-month installment on the new phone. Pay the phone off early, switch carriers, or drop the line, and the credits that have not posted yet are gone.
That is a fine deal if you were staying anyway. It is a bad deal if it keeps you on a plan you would otherwise leave. Before you accept, ask: is this a one-time credit or a monthly one, for how many months, and what happens if I leave?
If the phone is still on an installment plan, pay it off before you sell it any other way. A phone with a balance owed can be carrier-locked or blocked.
Apple Trade In: Do It at the Store, Not by Mail
Apple Trade In is simple and safe, and it pays credit toward a new Apple purchase or an Apple Gift Card. It is not cash. The 440-comment Reddit thread is about the mail-in version: you send the old phone after you get the new one, and if Apple's inspection disagrees with your description, it sends a lower value and charges back the difference.
The fix the thread lands on is the right one: trade it in at an Apple Store, where it is inspected in front of you. If the number drops there, you keep your phone. We wrote up the whole process in what to do if Apple lowers your trade-in value.
Selling for Cash: What Your iPhone Is Worth
These are the "up to" values on our own model pages for working iPhones. Storage, battery health, carrier lock and condition set the exact number. An unlocked iPhone typically pays 10–20% more than a carrier-locked one.
| Model | Up to |
|---|---|
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | $1,700 |
| iPhone 17 Pro | $1,450 |
| iPhone 17 | $930 |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | $690 |
| iPhone 16 Pro | $635 |
| iPhone 16 | $465 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | $600 |
| iPhone 15 Pro | $455 |
Compare any of these against your carrier's offer after you divide it by the number of months it is paid over. That is the real comparison.
When Each One Wins
- Carrier wins if you are staying on the same carrier for the full term and the credit beats a cash offer by a real margin.
- Apple wins if you are buying the new iPhone from Apple, the credit is higher than cash, and you trade in at the store.
- A private sale wins on price if you have the time and you meet somewhere safe. Read how to sell safely first; the same rules apply to phones.
- Cash wins if you want the money today, you are switching carriers, or you do not want strings on your next two years.
Before You Sell It Anywhere
- Back up to iCloud or a computer, and confirm the backup finished.
- Unpair your Apple Watch.
- Settings → your name → Sign Out. This turns off Find My and removes Activation Lock.
- Settings → General → Transfer or Reset iPhone → Erase All Content and Settings.
- Remove the SIM, or move your eSIM to the new phone first.
A phone that is still signed in is Activation Locked, and no honest buyer can take it.
Selling an iPhone in Los Angeles
- Walk in: 1947 N. Cahuenga Blvd. #104, Hollywood. We check it in front of you and you leave with cash, usually in 10–15 minutes. Do not like the number? Keep your phone.
- Mail-in: free FedEx label, insured for the full offer amount, paid the same day it arrives. If you say no to the final offer, we ship it back free.
- What we buy: working iPhones, carrier-locked or unlocked, free of Activation Lock. We do not buy cracked or broken phones.
Get a cash quote for your iPhone →
What We Buy
Working Macs, iPhones and iPads from 2020 and newer.
Common Questions
Is a carrier trade-in better than selling my iPhone?
Only if you are staying with that carrier for the whole term. Carrier trade-in value is usually paid as monthly bill credits over 24 to 36 months, and you lose the credits that have not posted if you leave early.
Does Apple Trade In pay cash for an iPhone?
No. Apple pays credit toward a new Apple purchase or an Apple Gift Card.
Should I mail my iPhone to Apple or trade it in at the store?
At the store, if you can. It is inspected in front of you, so if the value changes you can keep your phone instead of having the difference charged back.
Does a carrier-locked iPhone sell for less?
Usually. An unlocked iPhone typically pays 10 to 20 percent more than a carrier-locked one. Check under Settings, General, About, Carrier Lock.
What do I need to do before selling my iPhone?
Back it up, unpair your Apple Watch, sign out of your Apple Account to turn off Find My, erase all content and settings, and remove the SIM or move your eSIM.