Amazon has a trade-in program that pays you for your old tech - here's how it works

Advertisement
Amazon has a trade-in program that pays you for your old tech - here's how it works

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Advertisement

amazon kindle paperwhite Dollar 130

Amazon

  • Amazon has an extensive trade-in program that allows you to turn used electronics, tech, and books into credit that is placed on an Amazon gift card.
  • By visiting the trade-in page, you can check the highest value of your item, which will then be further evaluated by an Amazon employee before the trade-in is complete.
  • If you follow the steps to submit your item and your product is accepted, you'll receive an Amazon gift card within ten days of beginning your application - a win-win for anyone looking to get old items off their hands while being able to earn some money to spend on new products.

When work, social plans, and springtime tasks start to populate your calendar, it's easy to let other things that aren't on the top of your to-do list, pile up (quite literally). I'm referring to the household clutter that appears out of thin air - the kind that should be sorted through in a timely manner, but continuously gets pushed to the "I'll take care of that tomorrow" agenda.

It's normal to donate or sell old clothing and last season's winter-weather gear, but getting rid of electronics typically gets overlooked during the spring cleaning process. Considering the number of new releases and upgrades that happen in the tech world, it makes total sense to have unused electronics lying around the house - and due to environmental concerns, a lot of people avoid tossing their unwanted items in the trash.

Amazon makes the task of tech liquidation a piece of cake by providing a pretty extensive trade-in program. By visiting the Amazon trade-in page, shoppers have the opportunity to browse and send in thousands of eligible items in exchange for a gift card they can use throughout the website. After locating the product you're considering for trade-in and clicking on the "trade-in" button (highlighted in green), you'll be prompted to answer some basic questions about the current condition of your item as well as if it works as described. By filling in this information, you'll see the highest trade-in value of your used product - but the item still has to go through thorough analysis before officially becoming eligible for trade-in.

Advertisement

Basically, products in near-new or excellent condition will result in more money in the form of a gift card, whereas items in poor shape will trade at a lower value. So, when submitting your product for evaluation, make sure you're as detailed and honest as possible so you can be accurately informed about the value of your item. Customers who want more information about the eligibility of their product can visit the Product Eligibility Criteria page for more details.

The online application takes a couple minutes max, and from there, Amazon will provide you with a free UPS shipping label, meaning you won't incur any cost for shipping.

Amazon Prime members are used to waiting very little time for the processing and shipping of their favorite items, but the trade-in process takes a little more time due to the full evaluation procedure. You will be notified about the acceptance or rejection of your product within a couple business days via email, and should receive your shiny new gift card within ten days. Otherwise, Amazon will safely recycle your tech for you.

Former Insider Picks tech reporter Brandt Ranj swears by this program for ridding his house of unwanted products and claims that their trade-in values are fair and that the process from start to finish, is easy to complete.

So do yourself a favor, and get to your "I'll take care of that tomorrow" list. Check out Amazon's trade-in program to see what eligible items you have lying around that could result in some extra spending money.

Advertisement

Check out some of the eligible items below and be sure to visit the site to search more products that are trade-in worthy.

Fire HD 8 Tablet 16GB (7th generation), up to $10 trade-in credit

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8GB, up to $30 trade-in credit

Samsung Galaxy Tab 32GB, up to $50 trade-in credit

Kindle Paperwhite E-reader (7th generation), up to $25 trade-in credit

Advertisement

Echo Spot Smart Alarm Clock, up to $30 trade-in credit

Echo (2nd generation), up to $30 trade-in credit

Echo Show (1st generation), up to $30 trade-in credit

Sonos Play 1, up to $50 trade-in credit

JBL Pulse 3, up to $65 trade-in credit

Advertisement

Sonos Playbar, up to $250 trade-in credit

Bose SoundLink Revolve, up to $60 trade-in credit

See eligible devices and start your Amazon trade-in here

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

{{}}