Amazon Trade-In Program Guide: What Is Amazon Trade-In and How Does It Work?

Lots of us have piles of unwanted clutter in our homes — whether it be old gadgets and gizmos or books we have lying around — but sometimes we forget that our trash might be another person’s treasure.

There’s hidden value in lots of items you’ve not even considered the prospect of selling — and that’s where Amazon’s trade-in program can help. Whether you were planning to list them on Craigslist for free or throw them in the trash, you should consider trading them in for Amazon credit — you might be surprised at how much you could get back.

What is the Amazon Trade-In Program? 

Amazon’s trade-in program is aimed at promoting sustainable business practices by repurposing old goods for resale and limiting the amount of valuable tech and books simply being tossed away. 

The aim is that people repurpose their old items and customers can buy a range of technology and books at a fraction of the cost of what a brand-new version would cost.

What Items Can I Sell Using Amazon Trade-In?

Amazon’s trade-in program is primarily focused on old tech and books. This means all the below are eligible to be traded in exchange for Amazon vouchers and account credit.

• Mobile phones and accessories.
• Cameras, camcorder, and camera equipment — for example, lenses, cases, chargers, etc.
• Laptops and Tablets.
• Gaming equipment — for example, headsets, mics, controllers, consoles, etc.
• Games, DVDs, and Blu-Ray discs.
• Books and reading materials.
• Music equipment – for example, music players, speakers, sound systems, etc.
• Internet equipment — for example, routers, leads, wired internet adaptors, etc.
• Amazon Kindles and E-readers

While trade-ins are limited to these, for the time being, Amazon sellers can sell a lot more than just tech and books on the site.

How Does Amazon Trade-In Work?

When technology or books are traded in, you’ll receive credit — in the form of Amazon vouchers – to buy new goods when you exchange old ones. They take your old goods, restore them if they can, and resell them to consumers looking for cheaper alternatives to high-cost tech.

Anything that’s too damaged and not fit for resale will be recycled by Amazon’s approved list of recyclers — to make sure these goods aren’t simply tossed in landfills or global E-waste dumps. 

When you trade something to Amazon, they’ll offer you a quick quote on how much the value of the item(s) is worth and provide free shipping of the product(s) back to Amazon’s facilities for repurposing. You will receive payment for the item(s) once they’ve been accepted at the depot.

When Amazon first released its trade-in program, there was no requirement to confirm or state the condition of products that were being shipped in. 

To combat waste or broken goods being shipped en masse, Amazon introduced a verification process, so customers can specify the quality of the goods and be offered more credit in exchange for high-quality and functioning products — meaning customers are now rewarded for choosing well-maintained products to send in. 

How to Submit Items in Amazon Trade-In

To trade your products into Amazon, follow these quick and easy steps:

• Head over to Amazon Trade-In. 
• Here, you’ll see a list of all the eligible products that Amazon will accept — simply click on the item categories that you’re looking to trade in. If you can’t find the products you have, expand the menu by clicking on “Find More Items”.
• Select the condition of your item. 

• Fill in the form that provides additional details about shipping, payment options for the account, and how many products you’re planning to send. Then submit the request. 
• Amazon will show you all the shipping information and give you printouts which you can print out and attach to the package(s).
• Drop off the returns package(s) at your nearest post office or Amazon courier and wait for the vouchers to roll in!

Upon receipt, Amazon will value your product(s) based on condition and checks to make sure they’re in the condition you say they are. 

Typically, you’ll receive more money for products that are in good or excellent condition, and you’ll likely receive less money if the items are looking a bit worse for wear.

Amazon will not confirm the trade-in value for your item until they receive your goods and will only pay out once this has been received and confirmed.

Amazon reserves the right to contact you for further instruction about the product(s) and, if necessary, alter the initial quote based on their own checks and cancel a trade-in if they think you’ve sent the wrong product(s) or suspect you’re trading in stolen or counterfeit goods. Make sure you’re extra careful when filling in the forms. 

If there are any changes, Amazon will notify you before the transaction is agreed. Once this is all settled, you’ll receive payment in the form of vouchers, gift cards, or account credit.

If you’re shipping old devices with sensitive data, Amazon destroys all data for you to guarantee customer privacy. However, you should exercise caution and do this yourself beforehand.

Some Things to Consider

Before trading your products, there are some terms and conditions you need to consider before going ahead with your trade-in.

These include:

• Currently, the trade-in program is only available in the USA. This means you can only do an Amazon trade-in if your account is registered to a street address in the US.
• Before trading in any electronic goods, you first need to unlock and deregister your devices. If a device is locked or registered it can’t be repurposed — so you could lose out on additional renumeration. 
• Any gift cards, vouchers, or account credits are deposited directly into your Amazon account upon receipt and valuation of the goods. You can only use those gift cards from the same account and can’t be shared with other accounts.
• Sometimes, Amazon offers trade-in discounts on products you can buy after trading in goods. For example, you might find that products from Amazon subsidiaries — like Fire TV devices, Kindle e-readers, and other accessories from Amazon — will have limited-time offers after your trade — letting you get more for your buck. 
• Once you’ve submitted your trade-in items online, you must ship them within 45 days after you’ve made the agreement. Otherwise, the trade-in will be terminated.
• Amazon reserves the right to delay a trade-in for up to 25 days after receiving the item and calculating its value.

4 Tips for Using Amazon Trade-in More Effectively

To get the most out of your Amazon trade-in, here are some handy tips so you don’t miss out on some great deals.

1. Make sure anything you send works — Functional items in good or mint condition are likely to be much higher value than those that don’t work and end up being recycled. Trading in higher-value items gives you greater rewards.
2. Browse the deals — Those who use Amazon Trade-In are offered special discounts on a range of Amazon-backed products. Using these deals may mean you can get more of the products you need for less.
3. Clean your products… — Giving your products a good scrub or dusting can help improve their condition and help you increase your valuation if everything is also in working order.
4. …But be honest about the condition — However, if you are looking to ship off tattered products, being honest about the condition can save you a lot of hassle and back-and-forth with Amazon in approving you for credit.

If you want to do more than trade in goods — and learn the art of reselling on Amazon — check out our guide.