Where to Get the Most for Your Phone: Swappa, eBay or Flipsy?

Let’s get right to it: how much can you get for your phone? Who pays the most?

Prices retrieved: 03/04/2025 Find Current Trade In Prices for Smart Phones @ Flipsy

Of course, payout doesn’t tell the whole story. What about the work?  What about returns, charge backs, answering customer service questions, hidden fees and shipping? Let’s dig a little deeper to compare the differences between each option.

Guaranteed sale

Flipsy offers guaranteed sales, while Swappa and eBay do not. On Swappa and eBay, you must create a listing and wait for a customer to buy. On Flipsy, you only need to search for your device and accept an offer.

• Swappa: No
• eBay: No
• Flipsy: Yes

Time until payment

On Swappa and eBay, payment time is dependent on how long it takes to find a buyer. Once you do, Swappa submits payment as soon as the buyer pays – but PayPal can hold your funds for up to 21 days.

eBay payouts are likewise submitted once the buyer pays, though payout times can depend on the payment method. A typical eBay payout can take anywhere from 3 to 21 days after your listing closes.

Flipsy stores submit payment within 1 to 3 days of receiving your phone, and the entire process can take anywhere from 7 to 14 days.

• Swappa: Depends on time to find a buyer; payment submitted once buyer pays, but PayPal can hold funds up to 21 days
• eBay: Depends on time to find a buyer; payment can take 3 to 21 days afteryour listing closes
• Flipsy: Within 1 to 3 days of receiving your phone, for a total of 7 to 14 days

Payout type

There are three ways to receive your payout: cash (check), PayPal or store credit. PayPal has fees, which can cut into your profit, while store credit limits you to spending your money with the store that buys your phone.

Cash, of course, can be spent anywhere. Swappa and eBay pay via PayPal, while Flipsy offers all three options: cash, PayPal and store credit, so you can choose how you’d like to be paid.

• Swappa: PayPal
• eBay: PayPal
• Flipsy: Your choice of cash, PayPal, or store credit

Free prepaid shipping

Flipsy offers free prepaid shipping. Once you select an offer, you can print a prepaid shipping label and send your phone to the buyer. Some Flipsy stores even send complete shipping kits.

On Swappa, you must include the cost of shipping in your listing. On eBay, you can pay for shipping or you can require the buyer to pay for shipping.

• Swappa: No
• eBay: No
• Flipsy: Yes

Fees

Various fees can cut into your profit, including market, shipping and payment processing fees. Here’s a fee breakdown for each option. 

Swappa

• Listing fee: None, though you can feature your listing for $5
• Shipping fee: Shipping fees come out of the sale, with an estimated average of $10 to $12 per phone
• Market fee: Market fees based on a sliding scale based on the total; most phones will incur fees between $5 and $35
• Payment processing fee: PayPal fees, which are 3.49% + $0.49

eBay

• Listing fee: First 250 listings are free, with upgraded listing features available to purchase
• Shipping fee: Buyers can pay shipping
• Final value fee: 12.55% of total + $0.30
• Payment processing fee: PayPal fees, which are 3.49% + $0.49

Flipsy

• Listing fee: None (there is no need to create a listing)
• Shipping fee: None (prepaid shipping labels or shipping kits are provided)
• Market fee: None
• Payment processing fee: None, if you choose cash/check or store credit. If you choose PayPal, their fees apply, which are 3.49% + $0.49

As you can see, there are trade-offs to using platforms like Swappa and eBay versus Flipsy. For example, Swappa offers slightly higher payouts in some cases, but you have to handle prospective buyer questions and customer service issues, plus possibly have a sold item returned (though you can set your own return policy, you must accept a return if the buyer claims it wasn’t received as advertised).

Conversely, Flipsy offers guaranteed, instant sales and a payout that’s often only a few dollars less than what Swappa will pay.

Ultimately, the best option depends on what you value most: more money, fast sales, convenience, minimal effort or some other priority. Use this guide to help you choose, and don’t forget to compare offers from dozens of stores competing to pay top dollar for your phone on Flipsy.com.

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