If you have dusty, outdated electronics taking up valuable space in your closet, consider cashing them in for Costco bucks. Officially called the "Costco Trade-In" program, this online process lets you responsibly recycle your old devices and get paid in the form of a Costco Shop Card, which you can use for more purchases throughout the store.
But here's what's changed: You can no longer get a physical Costco Shop Card — only digital ones are available now, which limits where you can spend your trade-in money.
And it's not as simple as boxing up your device and marching to your nearest warehouse like you would for the Costco return policy or to claim a Costco price match. The whole process is handled online, and you'll need to mail in your device and wait for payment.
One huge perk is that you can spend your trade-in earnings on things like groceries — something you just can't do if you're trading in your used devices at the Apple Store or Best Buy. But there's some effort involved (hint: it's a lot of waiting), and you'll want to comparison shop since trade-in values can vary significantly between retailers.
What changed with Costco's Trade-In program?
Costco has made several updates to their electronics trade-in program that shoppers need to know about.
No More Physical Shop Cards
The biggest change: Costco quietly discontinued the option to receive a physical Costco Shop Card for your trade-in. Now, you'll only receive a digital Shop Card via email. This means you can't use your trade-in earnings at the following places:
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Self-checkout stations
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Costco gas pumps
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Food court kiosks
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Costco car washes (if your location has one)
You can still use your digital Shop Card for regular checkout lanes at the warehouse and for online purchases at Costco.com, even without a membership.
More Electronics Brands Accepted
The good news? Costco now accepts way more than just Apple products. You can trade in electronics from brands like Samsung, Google, Dell, HP, and more (see the full list below).
Streamlined Quote Process
You no longer need to hunt down your device's serial number or IMEI number. Instead, you simply select your device type, manufacturer, model, and storage capacity to get an instant quote estimate.
How to Use the Costco Trade-In Program
Costco partners with Phobio, a company that specializes in device trade-in services, to run this program entirely online. This means you don't need to pack up your gear and actually head to a Costco. In fact, the only actual involvement Costco has is that once your trade-in gets accepted by Phobio, they send you a digital Costco Shop Card via email.
Follow these steps:
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Enter your trade-in information on Phobio's website
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Get a quote
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Then mail in your device using a prepaid shipping package.
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Once your trade-in is accepted, receive a digital Costco Shop Card via email.
KCL TIP: A digital Costco Shop Card lets you make purchases on Costco.com or in person at any Costco location, even without a membership. But you won't be able to use a digital Shop Card at self-checkout stations, Costco gas pumps, the food court kiosks, or the Costco car wash.
What kinds of devices can I trade in?
With the Costco trade-in program, you can send in a wide variety of electronics from multiple brands. Keep in mind that the devices must be able to power on, in good working condition (no physical damage, water damage, or software problems), and free of activation locks (including programs like Find My Mac). If they do find damage, your trade-in estimate can drop dramatically, so it's best to be honest.
Here's what you can trade in:
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Phones: Apple, Samsung, LG, Motorola, Google, Huawei, and OnePlus
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Laptops: Apple, Asus, HP, Acer, Dell, Lenovo, Microsoft, and MSI
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Tablets: Apple, Samsung, and Microsoft
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Smartwatches: Apple, Samsung, and Garmin
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Desktop Computers: Apple and Microsoft
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Media Players: Apple TV (though the trade-in value is typically very low — around $5)
Generally, devices need to be from around 2017 or newer to qualify for a trade-in quote, though some categories have cutoffs closer to 2018 or 2019.
How long does a Costco trade-in take?
According to Phobio, the entire Costco trade-in process takes about two to three weeks.
The first part of the Costco Trade-In process goes pretty quick. You select your device type (phone, laptop, etc.), the manufacturer (Apple, Google, etc.), the series and family, then the storage capacity on Phobio.com, and you'll get an instant quote estimate displayed on screen.
If you decide you want to move forward with their quote, the next steps go a bit slower. Let me explain what I mean:
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It will take 3 - 5 business days to receive the prepaid shipping supplies needed to mail in your device.
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You'll wait another 3 - 5 business days for the shipped item to arrive at Phobio.
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Phobio will inspect your device to make sure it's in working condition, then wipe the data and approve your trade-in.
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Once approved, you'll wait 3 - 5 business days to receive your digital Costco Shop Card by email.
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When you have your card, you can shop!
Is Phobio legit?
I dug into the corporation who runs the Costco Trade-In Program — Phobio, LLC — and found out they're a legit company, based in Kennesaw, Georgia.
They've been in operation since 2010 and specialize in mobile device trade-in. According to their website, they've handled the trade-in process for large companies like Amazon, Apple, Motorola, and B&H. Phobio also owns a site called Assembly, where they resell the used electronic devices to other businesses.
Although they currently have an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau, I did see quite a few negative reviews and comments from people who had issues with their Phobio trade-in. (Note: These reviews weren't necessarily specific to the Costco program.)
Here are a few common issues that customers brought up:
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Lower trade-in value after they inspect your device.
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Inspection process brings up previously unknown defects.
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Delay in receiving gift cards.
On the plus side, Phobio does make the process pretty transparent with the ability to track the status of your trade-in using an email address and confirmation number. They also have a live chat available on weekdays.
Is the Costco Trade-In program worth using?
The Costco Trade-In program now accepts a much wider range of electronics than it used to, including phones, laptops, tablets, smartwatches, desktop computers, and even Apple TV devices from major brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Dell, HP, and more.
As for the trade-in values, you'll definitely want to comparison shop. I recently compared Costco's offers against other major retailers and found some surprising results. In some cases, Costco actually beat competitors, including Apple themselves.
For example, here are some estimates I was quoted in January 2026 for two different Apple devices.
Trade-In Values Compared
Amount is paid via retailer gift card or store credit.
iPhone 16 Pro Max 1TB (With a Major Carrier Like Verizon)
As you can see, Costco's trade-in program offered me the highest value for an iPhone 16 Pro Max, even beating Apple by $2 and Best Buy by a whopping $277.
MacBook Pro 13" (2020) — Core i5 2.0 Ghz - 512 GB SSD
For the MacBook Pro, Costco came in just under Best Buy's offer at $195, but still beat Apple's $185 quote. Costco is literally offering more than Apple for Apple's own products.
Costco's trade-in values are competitive — sometimes even the best option — but the switch to digital-only Shop Cards is a significant limitation. However, if you primarily shop inside the warehouse at regular checkout lanes or online on Costco.com, the digital Shop Card will work great, and you can use your trade-in earnings on groceries.
But if you rely on self-checkout, frequently fill up at Costco gas stations, or love grabbing food court deals, you won't be able to use your digital Shop Card at those locations. In that case, you might want to consider trading in at a competitor who offers more flexible payment options.
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