New iPhones ain’t getting any cheaper. With the new iPhone X the most expensive yet, you should think seriously about trading in your old iPhone. And you should use Cult of Mac’s gadget buyback program, because we pay the highest cash prices.

Our popular gadget buyback program pays more for used and broken Apple devices in most cases than rivals like Gazelle, Walmart, NextWorth, Best Buy and Amazon.

And we can prove it…

Cult of Mac’s buyback program pays more

As we enter upgrade season, we’ve teamed up with a U.S. recycling company to offer what we believe is the highest-paying buyback program right here at buyback.cultofmac.com.

We are confident that in almost every case, we can offer more cash than big-name trade-in companies like Gazelle, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, NextWorth and Gamestop. See the charts below, which compare trade-in prices for iPhones in “good” condition, as well as broken iPhones.

But don’t just take our word for it. MacRumors recently conducted it’s own independent price comparison, and came to the same conclusion. In most cases, our partner (MyPhones Unlimited) bested the competition by a healthy margin.

Trade-in prices for good condition iPhones

Below is a chart of the trade-in values for four popular iPhones: the 7 and 7 Plus (32GB) and the 6S and 6S Plus (16GB). As you can see, our trade-in program guarantees the highest cash prices in all but one case. We hate to say this, but if you have a 16GB iPhone 6S on T-Mobile, you might want to trade it in with Gazelle, which pays $20 more than we do. In three other cases, our prices are matched by our competitors. But in every other case, you’ll get more cash by sending your old iPhone to us. We also pay the highest prices for damaged or broken phones.

Of course, this is just a sample. There are too many different models and configurations to compare every case. Please check prices for yourself. It’s easy to click on our buyback page and get a no-obligation quote. You can then compare that with quotes from Gazelle, NextWorth and others.

Note, we chose to compare phones in “good” condition because that’s the most popular option for trade-ins: it’s a good average. Also, prices can fluctuate week to week, and depend on condition, storage capacity, carrier, and sometimes the iPhone’s color. The prices in these charts were accurate as of Tuesday September 19.

Beware describing your old iPhone as “flawless”

The biggest differentiator is condition. As we’ve noted before, be very careful describing your old phone as “flawless,” which is an option with some competing trade-in programs. It’s practically impossible to get the highest prices advertised for trade-ins described as “flawless” or “like-new.” For example, Gazelle says that to qualify as flawless, a phone must look like it’s never been used. “Select this option if your iPhone still looks and functions like you just removed it from factory packaging,” the company’s website says. “The screen must be absolutely pristine.” Gazelle’s website says that 90% of the phones they buy are “good,” which means that 10% are either broken or “flawless” and that maybe one or two out of every hundred are actually flawless. It’s clear that almost no used iPhone can qualify. Of course, if your phone is perfect, that’s what you should trade it in as.

Trade-in prices for broken iPhones

We accept both used and broken devices — even dead iPhones that have fallen in the toilet.

We offer higher prices across the board, but we make especially generous offers for products with broken buttons, cracked screens or water damage, which some other buyback programs won’t touch. If you have broken devices lying around, now’s the time to trade them in.

Store credit versus cash

The situation gets a little more complicated with trade-in programs the offer store credit or a gift card instead of cash. We pay cash for your device, but three of the biggest trade-in programs — Amazon, Best Buy and Walmart — pay in store credit. That means you’ll get a gift card or credit that is only good at the retailer that issued it, and might be a problem if you want to buy a new iPhone directly from Apple.

In the chart below, you’ll see that in the majority of cases, we pay the highest cash price for “good” condition iPhones. However, if your old iPhone is broken or damaged, you may get a higher store credit from Amazon or Best Buy. Amazon’s prices are constantly changing though, so be sure to check.

In a handful of cases, Amazon matches our cash price with an Amazon store credit. If you want cash instead of credit, our buyback program is likely the best option.

Trading in is super easy

All you have to do is click on the gadget buyback page and select what kind of device you have. We’ll mail you a box with a return label already attached. As soon as we receive the device from you, we’ll mail out a check. The entire process, from submitting the form online to getting your check in the mail, usually takes about a week.

We’re able to pay for a wide array of products, not just the newest ones in the best condition. We’ll pay for MacBooks from 10 years ago, iPads run over by cars, and iPhones that have been dropped in a puddle.

Our partner: MyPhones Unlimited

To bring you this new service, we teamed up with MyPhones Unlimited, a startup company based in Fayetteville, Arkansas.

With a passion for recycling and keeping e-waste out of landfills, MyPhones Unlimited has none of the overhead of big recycling companies, which spend millions of dollars on advertising every year. These savings are passed directly on to customers in the form of higher buyback prices.

Nothing goes to landfill

Every device purchased is refurbished and resold so it can find a second home. Anything that is beyond repair is recycled. In addition to buying your used gadgets, we’ll also recycle old devices free of charge. Everything sent to MyPhones is resold, refurbished or recycled. Nothing is thrown away to leak toxins into landfills.

Get your quote today

We hope this program is a great new service for Cult of Mac readers.

Ready to turn your old Apple devices into money? Visit buyback.cultofmac.com now to get your quote.

Alternatives: Mobile carriers, eBay, Craigslist and Apple

Most mobile carriers operate their own trade-in programs, but the price quotes are generally about the same as Gazelle, NewxtWorth and others. For example, AT&T offers $270 for an iPhone 7 32GB; while Verizon offers $302. In both cases, Cult of Mac offers more: $300 and $310 respectively.

You’ll get the best price for old phone by selling it yourself on eBay or Craigslist. Prices for used iPhones are generally significantly higher when you sell it directly yourself. However, we all know the hassles of dealing with Craigslist flakes and eBay fraudsters. And if you sell your iPhone now — before the value drops significantly as the new devices become available — you might be without your phone for several weeks, especially if the iPhone X is delayed as expected. If you trade-in your iPhone with Cult of Mac, you can lock-in a price now, and get a grace period of two weeks before you have to send your old phone to us.

Apple also runs an iPhone Trade-Up program, which offers Apple gift cards in exchange for your old iPhone. Apple’s program offers on average about $200 (as an Apple Store Gift Card) for an 16GB iPhone 6s in Space Gray on AT&T. Cult of Mac offers $185 in cash. For an iPhone 7 32GB Black on AT&T, Apple offers about $325 (also as a gift card), while Cult of Mac will pay $300 cash.

Apple will not accept broken or damaged phones at all. If your iPhone has a cracked screen or broken buttons, Apple will not take it — but Cult of Mac will.

Summary

Cult of Mac offers the highest cash offered anywhere. Even when compared to Amazon’s or Walmart’s gift card programs, we’re often neck-and-neck or oust few dollars less, but of course, we pay cash. And we also dominate broken prices. If you have a cracked screen or a broken button, Cult of Mac is the best program to easily and effortlessly trade in your old iPhone.