Overview
- Amazon made the program available starting Tuesday, August 18, 2026, and it uses a five-step flow: select a model, get an offer, ship free via FedEx, pass a physical and functional inspection, and receive gift-card credit typically within 24 business hours.
- The launch accepts mainly select iPhone and Samsung models (reports cite ranges from iPhone X through iPhone 15 and Galaxy S20 through Galaxy S25 FE) and requires devices to be fully unlocked with a clean IMEI.
- Each customer is limited to two device exchanges every six months and returned phones with iCloud, Google, MDM, operator locks or IMEI reports for theft or fraud will be rejected at inspection.
- Amazon is paying with Amazon gift-card balance rather than cash, a design that channels the value of traded phones back into purchases on its platform and may encourage repeat buying.
- The program is run in partnership with Mexico’s Reducto for device processing and uses FedEx for free shipping, a move Amazon frames as a way to keep phones in circulation and reduce electronic waste as global e-waste volumes rise.