ecoATM lists no birthday reward on any page read for this post, and the pages read describe selling a phone, not shopping: a kiosk in a store that pays you on the spot. TopCashback lists an 8% rate for a completed trade-in, but the page doesn’t say what that 8% is calculated on. If you’re clearing out an old phone to help pay for a new one, the price lock, the ID rules and the no-returns terms below are the parts that decide what you walk away with.
What ecoATM Is
ecoATM’s home page says “Recycle your used phone. Get instant cash.” and puts it in numbers: “7,500+ locations in your favorite stores & more,” “Over 50 million devices recycled” and “A+ rating by the Better Business Bureau.” The How it works page says “It only takes about 7 minutes to sell a phone with ecoATM” and that “ecoATM has been buying and recycling phones since 2009.”
Wikipedia’s Coinstar article, where ecoATM redirects, says “On July 2, 2013, Outerwall acquired mobile phone recycling kiosk operator ecoATM, for $350 million (not including debt).” After Apollo Global Management bought Outerwall in 2016, it says the pieces “became separate business entities,” and it lists ecoATM as the one “which includes Gazelle.”
How a Sale Works
The How it works page gives three steps: “Fill us in,” “Get ready” and “Get paid.” In the first you “Tell us about your phone and lock in your offer for 7 days,” and you get a drop-off code. In the second you “Back up all your information and wipe your device to sell,” and iPhone users are told to “make sure you’re signed out of iCloud.” In the third you find a kiosk and drop the device off.
At the kiosk it goes like this: “Enter your Drop-Off Code,” and if you don’t have one, “You can get an offer right at the kiosk.” Then “Our secure connection helps confirm your phone’s make, model, battery life, condition and more so we can get you the most accurate offer.” Next is ID: “We’ll scan your ID and snap a photo (and in some states, we may take your thumbprint).” Last, “ecoATM pays you on the spot. Choose cash, Venmo, or PayPal.” The FAQ says you can sell “up to three devices at one time,” and if you have more, “you can return another day.”
The 7-Day Price Lock
The home page and the How it works page both say an online offer locks for 7 days. The Terms and Conditions, last updated 11/15/2024, word it more carefully: “We may provide you with a promotion to lock in the price of your Device, for a period of seven (7) calendar days.” It’s honored only if you sell to one of ecoATM’s kiosks within those seven days, the device “is not reported lost/stolen,” “You accurately represented the condition of the Device when the Price Lock was made” and the device “is in the same condition as when the Price Lock was made.”
The same terms page also carries an older version, last updated April 10, 2020, and its price-lock list also required Find My iPhone to be turned off. The current terms don’t say that, but the How it works page says “Apple devices must be signed out of iCloud to get the full offer,” so treat it as required.
What Lowers an Offer, and What Gets a Phone Refused
The How it works page lists the mistakes that cost money. “Make sure your battery is fully charged,” because “Phones that don’t turn on may get less money than initially offered.” Damage counts against you too: “cosmetic damage will affect the offer you receive,” though ecoATM “will absolutely accept damaged devices.” For tablets, “Not every ecoATM can accept tablets,” and the page sends you to the kiosk locator to check first.
Some phones are refused outright. “No, ecoATM cannot buy devices with activation lock turned on.” A phone you still owe on is out as well: “If you still owe on your financed phone, no, ecoATM cannot accept your device.” A device reported lost or stolen is rejected, since “We check every device against the CheckMEND database.” The terms also say it must be yours to sell, and if a phone you sold “is determined to be stolen,” ecoATM “has the right to collect civil restitution from you to recover the value (if any) we paid you for the Device.”
One line in the terms is easy to miss. “We will determine, in our sole discretion, whether to present an offer to purchase your Device or to accept your Device without financial remuneration.” In plain terms, the kiosk can take a phone and offer nothing for it, and the FAQ says any extra devices beyond three can be recycled “for no payout.”
ID, Fingerprints and What Happens to Your Data
The FAQ says “an unexpired state-issued ID is required to sell a phone with ecoATM,” and explains why: “We require an ID to prove that you are over 18 years old and to confirm your identity in case the phone sold is reported as lost or stolen.” The terms say ecoATM “will collect and store your User Data and that it may be used and shared with law enforcement and others to prevent fraud and help investigate crimes,” and that it “will use and store your fingerprint only for as long as necessary to prevent fraud and investigate crimes, or as required under applicable law.”
The phone’s own data is a separate question. The terms say ecoATM “does not guarantee or warrant that data, photos, emails, notes, SIM cards, memory cards and/or other files on your Device” will be removed, and that giving over the device is at your sole risk. The FAQ is just as plain: “We do attempt to wipe devices once they arrive at our Louisville, KY processing center, however we cannot guarantee your data will be erased.” A factory reset before you leave the house is the only step that’s in your hands.
Getting Paid, and Why There’s No Undo
The terms say “Subject to availability and eligibility, ecoATM may give you a choice of payment method,” and that cash may be unavailable: “if the kiosk is temporarily out of cash you may only be presented to a Digital Payment Option.” Digital payments are also subject to the payment provider’s own terms. Timing is stated once: “Payments may take up to 96 hours for us to process.” The terms put the burden of getting the details right on you: “You are obligated and responsible for providing us with correct payment information.”
The sale itself can’t be reversed. “All purchases and/or acceptances of devices made by ecoATM are final, and there are no returns or refunds, except as required by law.” The terms say of BonusPay and other post-transaction promotions that “Any such BonusPay or post transaction payment promotion amount is not guaranteed and is made at ecoATM’s sole discretion.” The home page shows a banner that reads “You’re eligible for a bonus.” The text read doesn’t say how the two connect or give a dollar figure, so check what your own quote shows.
The terms also require binding individual arbitration, and they say “You have the right to opt out of binding arbitration within 30 days of the date you first accepted this Agreement,” by emailing the legal address in Section 25(k). They cap ecoATM’s liability at fifty dollars.
The Real Route: Genuine Cashback Rates (8% at TopCashback)
TopCashback’s ecoATM page reads “Get 8% of the price back with our ecoATM Cash Back offers,” and lists the offer as “Completed Trade-In 8%.” The exclusion it names is “Use of a coupon code not displayed on TopCashback,” and it says “Cash Back is calculated only on the item(s) price and does not include taxes, shipping or other fees.” The page was written for stores that charge you, so it doesn’t say what the 8% is calculated on when the store is paying you, or whether the online price quote has to start from the TopCashback button before you visit a kiosk. Settle that before you go, not after.
Price.com’s ecoATM page says “Cash back and coupons are not currently available for ecoATM,” and explains that “standard discount codes do not apply to purchases” because ecoATM is a buyback service. Fluz’s ecoATM address returned a 404 page. Rates move, so check the current number before you order.
What Was Actually Checked
ecoATM’s home page, How it works page (which carries the FAQ, since the standalone FAQ address returned a 404) and full Terms and Conditions were read, along with the TopCashback, Price.com and Fluz pages and Wikipedia’s Coinstar article. The word “birthday” doesn’t appear on any of them. The price tool, the kiosk locator, the app, the wholesale pages and the privacy policy weren’t read, and no kiosk was visited, so nothing here comes from a test sale. Offers change with the model and the day, so no phone prices are repeated.
Eligibility and Cost
Selling takes an unexpired state-issued ID, and you must be 18 or older. The phone has to be yours, paid off, with activation lock and your iCloud account removed. Up to three devices go in one visit. No seller fee appears in the pages read, and the FAQ says selling here avoids “paying processing fees.” What you give up is the ability to undo the sale, so decide before you press the button.
Q&A
Q: Does ecoATM have a birthday reward?
A: None turned up. ecoATM’s home page, How it works page, full Terms and Conditions, TopCashback page, Price.com page and Fluz address were searched for the word “birthday,” and none has a match.
Q: Can I buy a phone from ecoATM?
A: The pages read are about selling. The menu lists “Buy Wholesale Devices” and “ecoATM for Business,” and neither was read, so this post can’t say what buying looks like there.
Q: How long does an online offer last?
A: The How it works page says to “lock in your offer for 7 days.” The terms call it a promotion that ecoATM “may” provide, and it holds only if you sell within seven calendar days and the device is in the condition you described.
Q: What ID do I need?
A: An unexpired state-issued ID, and you must be 18 or older. The How it works page says ecoATM does “not accept Military IDs (except at kiosks located on military bases), passport books or cards, or paper IDs.”
Q: Can I change my mind after the kiosk pays me?
A: No. The terms say “All purchases and/or acceptances of devices made by ecoATM are final, and there are no returns or refunds, except as required by law.”
Q: Will ecoATM wipe my phone?
A: It tries, but doesn’t promise. The How it works page says “we cannot guarantee your data will be erased,” so back up and factory reset the phone before you go.
Q: Is there cashback on an ecoATM sale?
A: TopCashback lists 8% for a “Completed Trade-In,” and doesn’t say what the 8% is calculated on. Price.com says cash back and coupons aren’t currently available for ecoATM.
Compare This To
Gazelle buys phones through its website and pays by PayPal or check, and Wikipedia says Outerwall, then ecoATM’s owner, acquired it in 2015. Gizmogo is another buyback site, and Price.com lists 4% cashback there. MPB buys cameras and lenses. eBay is where ecoATM’s own FAQ says you may get more before fees, though you do the selling yourself.
More Information:
Verified against ecoATM’s home page, How it works page and Terms and Conditions (last updated 11/15/2024, with an April 10, 2020 version on the same page), and Wikipedia’s Coinstar article. Cashback checked on TopCashback, Price.com and Fluz.
