GameStop and Best Buy trade-ins: are you paid in cash or in store credit?

Does GameStop buy iPhones?

Yes. GameStop's trade program covers more than games: it lists video games, consoles, controllers and accessories, and also iPhones, Android phones and tablets. A store associate checks the item at the counter, and the device generally needs to work and be signed out of its account. GameStop offers two ways to be paid, trade credit or cash, and the credit figure is generally the higher of the two, because a trade program is designed to keep the money in the store. Which devices a location takes, and on what terms, changes over time, so check GameStop's trade page or call the store before you go.

Is a Best Buy trade-in paid in cash?

No. Best Buy pays for trade-ins with a Best Buy gift card, or applies the value to something you are buying there; it does not pay cash. You look up the item on the Best Buy trade-in site, get an estimate, and either bring it to a participating store with a photo ID or ship it in with a prepaid label. When it is shipped, the gift card arrives by email after the item has been inspected. The card spends like money at Best Buy, on anything the store sells. That is a good deal if you were about to buy something there anyway. It is not a way to turn a device into money you can spend elsewhere.

What a trade-in is built for

A retail trade-in is a discount on your next purchase at that retailer. If you are handing in an old console the same day you buy a new one, or trading a phone toward an upgrade, store credit does exactly what you need and the process is convenient. The catch only appears when what you wanted was cash: the credit can only be spent in one place, and a cash option, where one exists, is generally set lower than the credit.

How a local cash buyer differs

We only pay one way: cash, in person, the same day. You tell us the make, model and condition, or send a photo. We meet by appointment in the Albany area, or come to you anywhere in the Capital Region. We look the device over with you and give you a firm number on the spot; if you accept, you are paid before you leave, and if you do not, you keep your device. Nothing is shipped and there is no card to spend. The how it works page covers each step.

Consoles, games and the things a trade counter may pass on

We buy current consoles and older ones, with or without controllers, along with games, handhelds and accessories. We also buy the rest of the shelf a trade counter may not take: laptops, cameras and lenses, smartwatches, VR headsets, drones, headphones and computer parts. A console that will not read discs or a phone with a cracked screen is still worth asking about. The game consoles page lists what helps us give you an answer quickly.

Which one fits

If you are buying your next device at that retailer, take the trade-in; the credit is worth more to you than it would be to anyone else. If you want money you can spend anywhere, sell it for cash. Before either, sign the device out of its account and reset it, since a console or phone still tied to an account cannot be resold by anyone. Then tell us what you have through the game consoles page or the phones page, and we will let you know the same day whether we can buy it.

Quick answers

Does GameStop buy iPhones?

Yes. GameStop lists smartphones and tablets in its trade program alongside games, controllers and systems, and pays in trade credit or cash. Check with the store first, because what each location takes can change.

Is a Best Buy trade-in paid in cash?

No. Best Buy pays for trade-ins with a Best Buy gift card, or applies the value to a purchase you are making there. It does not pay cash.

Where can I sell a game console for cash near Albany?

Cash For Electronics Albany buys current and older consoles, games and accessories for cash, in person, the same day, by appointment in the Albany area or at your door across the Capital Region.

Ready to ask about yours? Visit Sell your game console in Albany for cash. See our selling video games and controllers. See our selling a phone. Back to all guides.