Where can I sell my broken phone for actual cash instead of store credit?

It happened. That sickening crunch when glass meets pavement. Maybe yours is worse—a saltwater bath that turned your iPhone into a very expensive paperweight, or a Samsung that simply decided to stop charging forever. You’re probably staring at that cracked screen right now, wondering if it's even worth the drawer space it's taking up. Most people just toss these things in a "junk drawer" for three years until the battery swells. Don't do that. Honestly, it’s a waste of money. Even a shattered, non-functional device has a "scrap" value because of the gold, palladium, and usable internal components like the logic board or camera modules.

So, where can I sell my broken phone without getting totally ripped off or spending three hours at a kiosk?

You've basically got three paths: the "easy but cheap" route, the "effort but high reward" route, and the "eco-warrior" route. Each has its own pitfalls. If you walk into a carrier store like Verizon or AT&T with a shattered screen, they’ll often offer you $0 or maybe a $20 "recycling credit" toward a $1,200 new phone. That’s a joke. You can almost always do better if you know which platforms actually specialize in salvage.

The Big Players Who Actually Buy "Junk"

If you want the least amount of friction, buyback sites are your best friend. They aren’t like eBay where you have to wait for a bidder; they give you a quote, you ship it, they pay you. Simple.

Gazelle and EcoATM

You’ve probably seen those green kiosks in malls. That’s EcoATM. They are owned by the same parent company as Gazelle. If your phone is truly trashed—like, it won't even turn on—EcoATM is often the fastest way to get five or ten bucks instantly. But be warned: their payouts are notoriously low because you're paying for the convenience of instant cash. If you can wait a week, using their online portal (Gazelle) usually nets a slightly better return for broken tech, though they’ve become much pickier lately about which "broken" models they accept.

Back Market and Swappa

These are the heavy hitters for 2026. Back Market has pivoted heavily into the "BuyBack" sector. They act as a middleman for professional refurbishers. When you tell them your screen is cracked, they blast that info out to a network of repair shops who bid on your hardware. It’s efficient.

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Swappa is different. It’s a peer-to-peer marketplace. Usually, Swappa is for mint-condition gear, but they have a specific section for "Broken" devices. The advantage here? You’re selling to a hobbyist or a small repair shop owner who wants your parts. You’ll almost always get 20-30% more here than a kiosk, but you have to take photos and actually ship it yourself once it sells.

Why "Broken" Doesn't Mean "Worthless"

Let’s talk about why anyone wants your trash. It’s not charity.

A "broken" phone is usually broken in one of three ways:

1. Cosmetic: The glass is shattered but the digitizer (the touch part) and the LCD work.
2. Component failure: The charging port is dead or the buttons don't click.
3. The "Brick": It’s motherboard-dead or water-damaged.

Even if it's a brick, the screen assembly alone might be worth $50 to a refurbisher. The Taptic engine, the speakers, and the camera lenses are all modular. Companies like BuyBackWorld or Decluttr specialize in this disassembly. They are the digital version of an auto-salvage yard.

One thing people get wrong is the "Liquid Contact Indicator" (LCI). If you dropped your phone in the toilet, don't lie about it. These companies check the internal stickers immediately. If they turn red, your "Good" condition quote will plummet to "Faulty" faster than you can click "Confirm." Be honest upfront to avoid the headache of them mailing your phone back to you for free because it didn't meet the description.

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Comparison of Payout Potentials

Forget those perfectly formatted tables you see on corporate blogs. This is the reality of the market right now for a broken iPhone 14 (standard 128GB) with a cracked screen:

• Apple Trade-In: Often $0 for "damaged" units, or a measly $40-60 credit. They just want to recycle it for the materials.
• Decluttr: Generally offers around $70–$90 for "Poor" condition. They are reliable but slow on the inspection.
• eBay (Sold as-is): You might snag $120–$150 because individual repair enthusiasts get into bidding wars. But you have to deal with eBay fees and the risk of a buyer claiming "not as described."
• uBreakiFix / Local Shops: Most local repair shops won't give you cash. They’ll offer you a discount on a repair. However, some independent shops buy "IC locked" or broken phones for parts. It’s worth a phone call, honestly.

Don't Forget the "Data Ghost"

Before you go looking for where can i sell my broken phone, you have to think about your privacy. This is where people get sloppy. If your screen is black and you can't see anything, how do you wipe your data?

If it’s an iPhone, use iCloud.com on a computer to "Erase This Device" and, more importantly, Remove from Account. If you don't remove the Activation Lock (Find My iPhone), the phone is literally worthless to a buyer. It’s a brick. No legitimate company will pay you for a locked phone because they can't refurbish it.

For Android users, Google’s "Find My Device" works similarly. If the touch screen is dead but the display works, you can actually plug in a USB mouse using an OTG (On-The-Go) adapter to navigate the menus and perform a factory reset. It looks ridiculous, but it works.

The "Parts" Market on eBay

eBay is the Wild West. If you have a rare-ish phone or a high-end flagship that’s smashed, listing it as "For Parts / Not Working" is a gamble that usually pays off.

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You’ll see listings like "iPhone 15 Pro Max - Cracked Back - Works Great." Those sell for surprisingly high amounts. Why? Because a back glass repair is a nightmare for a DIYer, but easy for a shop with a laser back-glass removal machine. If your damage is purely cosmetic, skip the trade-in sites and go straight to the enthusiasts.

A Quick Warning on Scams

If you sell on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist, meet at a police station. Seriously. People target "broken phone" ads because they think you’re desperate for quick cash. And never, ever take a check or a "confirmed" PayPal email that doesn't show up in your actual app.

Navigating the Decision Matrix

Still undecided?

If you want the money today and don't care if it's only $20: EcoATM.
If you want the most money and don't mind waiting 10 days: Swappa (Boneyard section).
If you want a fair price and a prepaid shipping label: Decluttr or Back Market.

I’ve used Decluttr personally for an old Pixel that had a "ghost touching" issue. They downgraded my "Good" quote to "Poor," but it was still $40 more than what Google was offering me. The process took about 9 days from the time I dropped it at UPS to the time the money hit my Direct Deposit.

Actionable Next Steps to Get Paid

Don't let that phone sit in your drawer for another year. Every month that passes, the processor inside becomes more obsolete, and the battery chemically degrades, lowering the value further.

1. Verify the Lock Status: Go to your cloud settings (iCloud or Google) and ensure the device is "unlinked" from your account. This is the difference between getting $100 and getting $0.
2. Take "Honest" Photos: if you're selling to a person, show the cracks under a bright light. Don't hide them. It prevents returns.
3. Check 3 Quotes: Spend five minutes checking Gazelle, Decluttr, and Back Market. The prices fluctuate weekly based on the demand for specific parts.
4. Clean the Port: Sometimes a "broken" phone that won't charge just has pocket lint in the Lightning or USB-C port. Pick it out with a toothpick. If it starts charging, your resale value just tripled.
5. Ship it Securely: Use bubble wrap. Even if it's already broken, you don't want it arriving in pieces. If the internal motherboard cracks during shipping because you used a plain envelope, the buyer will claw back their money.

By the time you finish your coffee, you could have a shipping label printed and a few extra bucks headed toward your next upgrade. It’s better than letting it turn into electronic waste.