Amazon Trade-In and Recycling, Explained
Amazon Trade-in pays a gift card for eligible phones, tablets, consoles and Amazon devices, and recycles small electronics by free mail-in label or drop-off.
By Olivia HarperContributing writer. Policy checked .
On this page
Store programs change. This is a summary in our own words of Amazon's own pages on Amazon Trade-in and device recycling, read on October 26, 2026. The Trade-in page on Amazon.com shows the current offer for your device.
What you can trade in
Amazon lists these kinds of devices as eligible, from Amazon and from other brands:
| Kind of device | Examples Amazon names |
|---|---|
| eReaders and tablets | Kindle, Fire tablets, iPad |
| Streaming players | Fire TV Stick, Chromecast, Apple TV |
| Audio | Echo devices, Bluetooth speakers, headphones |
| Home security and networking | Ring and Arlo devices, wireless routers |
| Phones | Apple, Google, Samsung, LG and Motorola |
| Gaming | Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles, games and accessories |
Amazon says customers traded in 835,000 devices in 2025.
How a trade-in works
- Get an offer. Find your device on the Trade-in page and answer the questions about its condition.
- Prepare it. Deregister or unlock the device before you send it.
- Send it in. Drop it off free at a participating location, or ship it free within 45 days with the label Amazon emails you. You supply the box.
- Wait for the appraisal. Track it in Your Trade-in Account while Amazon checks the device.
- Get paid. Payment comes as a digital Amazon Gift Card. Some customers qualify for instant payment.
Select locations also take trade-ins in person: an associate looks at the item and confirms or changes the offer.
What sets the value
The value depends on the make, the model and the condition. Amazon looks at whether the device works and holds a charge, whether the screen is cracked, and whether you include accessories such as cords and mounts. If the inspection finds a different condition, Amazon may change the offer. You can accept the new value or have the device sent back free.
Discounts on a new Amazon device
- Trade-in promotion: some eligible trade-ins also earn up to 20% off a new qualifying Amazon device, limited to one per account, per device category, per calendar quarter. Amazon says a device too worn to resell can still earn this discount.
- Trade-in rebate: you can buy the new device first, keep using the old one, then send it in after the new one arrives and get 20% of the new device's price back, excluding certain fees.
Recycling instead
Amazon also runs a recycling program for small consumer electronics, useful for items with no trade-in value. Request a free mail-in shipping label through Amazon's recycling form, or drop the item at a Staples or an Asurion or uBreakiFix location.
What happens to your old device
Amazon says US trade-ins go to one of three engineering workshops. There, devices are wiped, deregistered and reset to factory settings, and staff check more than once that no personal data is left. A typical inspection covers about 20 points, such as battery life, ports and wireless. Devices that pass are refurbished and resold; badly damaged devices that cannot be reset go to recycling.
Tips
- Back up and sign out first. The device is wiped, so save your data before you send it.
- Include the accessories. Cords and mounts can raise the offer.
- Answer the condition questions honestly. A mismatch at inspection changes the offer.
Sources
Amazon Trade-in program, What happens to traded-in devices and Amazon Sustainability, Customers, Amazon. Checked October 26, 2026.