Wireless phone plans in Canada are among the most expensive worldwide. The cost-per-gigabyte in Canada is 1,000 times more than Finland, 25 times more than Ireland and France, and seven times more expensive than Australia. But that’s not the only expensive part of having a cell phone – buying the cell phone itself is becoming increasingly costly. It often costs more than $1,000 to purchase a smartphone in Canada.
With such high prices, some Canadians are trading in their phones to reduce costs. Cell phone trade-in plans offer a way for Canadians to reduce the amount they spend on a new phone by exchanging their old phone.
Many cell phone providers and manufacturers offer discounts or credits for trading in your old phone. It’s cost effective and it’s sustainable by recycling the phone instead of throwing it out.
Can You Get Cell Phone Trade-In Plans In Canada?
Canadian cell phone manufacturers, retailers, and carriers offer trade-in plans. The value you will receive depends on the condition and market price of your phone. Most manufacturers, carriers, and retailers offer online and in-store trade-in assessments to determine the value of your phone.
Instead of going site-to-site to find which carrier, manufacturer or retailer offers the best deal for you, aggregators such as PlanHub can help you determine the best choice.
Manufacturer Cell Phone Trade-In Plans In Canada
The three major cell phone manufacturers are Apple, Samsung and Google, and each of them have a cell phone trade-in program.
Apple
If you own an iPhone, you can trade it online or in-store. You can find out the estimated trade-in value of your iPhone by going to the Apple website. When you trade in your phone to Apple, they’ll provide you with a credit that you can apply right away towards your purchase or onto a gift card that you can use at anytime.
Android
If you have an Android phone, you can trade-in your old phone with Samsung and receive a credit. You can then use the credit towards the purchase of a new eligible phone with them. You can complete the entire process online with Samsung.
After requesting a trade-in, Google will provide you with a prepaid trade-in kit via mail. This will allow you to mail your old phone to Google’s third-party partner. They will assess the value and issue a refund.
Retailer Cell Phone Trade-In Plans In Canada
- Best Buy. You can trade in your phone and any device by bringing it in-store alongside any manuals, accessories, and packaging. Once the device has been assessed and valued, you will be given a Best Buy gift card.
- Amazon. You can receive a quote online by providing your device’s serial number and answering questions about its condition. Amazon will then send you pre-paid packaging with delivery instructions. Once received and assessed, you will then be issued an eGift Card.
- The Source. Their Trade Up Program offers a Gift Card worth the device’s current trade-in value. This can reach a maximum of $850.
Mobile Carrier Cell Phone Trade-In Plans In Canada
- Bell. Bell’s Trade-In Program offers users a credit of up to $700 that can be put toward monthly phone payments or to purchase accessories.
- Rogers. Rogers’ Trade-Up Program offers online quotes to assess the value of your device. Once you trade your device in via mail or in-store, you can put this credit toward your phone bill or to buy accessories.
- Fido. The FidoTrade Program offers an online assessment of the phone, which requires you to run an at-home diagnostic test on the phone. You can then mail in your device to undergo an inspection to determine the final value. The credit can be put toward a new phone or accessories.
- Koodo. Koodoo’s Trade-In Program accepts phones from any carrier. Trade-ins are done in-store and credits must be used before leaving the store – this can be put toward a new phone or accessories.
- Virgin. Virgin Mobile’s Trade In and Trade Up Program allows users to trade their device online or in-store to redeem up to $700. In-store credits can be put toward your monthly bill or accessories. Money made from online trade-ins will be added to your bill credit.
What Should I Do Before Trading-In My Cell Phone?
It’s essential to prepare your phone before trading it in. In order not to lose anything important, backup your photos, apps, files, contacts, music, and any other important information you may have stored on your device.
It’s vital to protect your information by wiping the data from your device before trading or selling it. You can store this information on a memory card, hard drive, or your computer until it can be re-uploaded to your new device.
If your old phone is the same brand as your new phone, such as an iPhone, Android, or Google device, and you use cloud storage – you can automatically re-import your data on the new advice. Remove any SIM or memory cards stored in the phone or accessories on your phone before sending it in.
Do You Need To Own The Phone To Trade It In?
In general, you’ll need to be the legal owner of the phone and be clear and free of any liens from third parties. Basically, your phone must be paid off before you can trade-in for a different phone to save on costs.
What Happens If You Choose The Phone Leasing Option?
Many cell phone providers will allow you to lease a phone for 2-years, after which you can either give back the phone, buy the phone or upgrade to a new one. If you choose to lease your phone, you won’t own the phone outright, which means you can’t use it to trade it in.
However, if you pay the outstanding amount of the phone after your 2-year lease, you can trade-in the phone for a new one. However, depending on the outstanding amount and trade-in value, it may be more economical to simply lease or finance a new phone after your current lease is up.
Alternatives To Trading In Your Cell Phone
You don’t need to use a trade-in program to recycle and make money off of your old device – you can also sell it online. Marketplaces, including Kijiji, eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook Marketplace offer the ability to resell your old device. There are also various other websites available that you can sell your phone on, including Orchard and Go Recell.
Can You Simply Buy A Cell Phone Outright?
You can purchase a new phone at full price instead of leasing it. You can purchase the device via credit card or a personal loan if you’re looking to spread the costs over a few months. A personal loan can be acquired through a bank, credit union or online lender, which can be paid back in installments. However, it’s best not to take on more debt than you can handle. So before you do, ensure you assess your finances and check your credit score to see if it can help you qualify for a low rate.
Trade-In Programs Reduce Waste
By trading-in your phone, you can reduce unnecessary waste. An estimated 5.3 billion mobile phones were predicted to be discarded worldwide in 2022, according to the International Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) forum. As much as 40% of all lead found in landfills is contributed by consumer electronics. Furthermore, mercury is often found in cell phones. It can negatively impact and imbalance the environment, as this liquid can travel into streams and rivers, moving into our food system and affecting our health. By recycling your phone, not only can you make money, but you extend the life of your phone and prevent a working phone from going directly into a landfill, affecting our environment and health.
The Takeaway Of Cell Phone Trade-In Plans
Smartphones are becoming exceedingly expensive, with the price of some devices surpassing $1,000, but buying a smartphone doesn’t have to come without a return. By recycling your device, you can receive money to be put toward a future phone or phone bill. This can help lower costs for your new device while being sustainable for the environment and your wallet.
