Cash A Phone
Cash A Phone (PhoneCycle Pty Ltd) is an Australian online trade-in platform founded in 2012 that purchases used mobile phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, and gaming consoles from individual consumers nationwide, paying within 24 hours of device assessment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersHeidelberg, Australia
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Cash A Phone does
Cash A Phone (operated by PhoneCycle Pty Ltd, ABN 71 152 085 295) is an Australian online device trade-in and recycling service founded in 2012. The company operates a direct-to-consumer web platform where individual customers identify their device model, receive an instant price quote based on device type, storage capacity, and one of five condition grades (As New/Excellent, Good/Fully Functioning, Fair/Fully Functioning, Faulty, and Dead), print a prepaid shipping label, and receive payment within 24 hours of device assessment via Bank Transfer or PayPal. The business serves individual consumers nationwide across Australia, with mentions of active trade-in traffic from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Perth, and Adelaide.
The platform's product portfolio spans mobile phones (iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel, Huawei, OPPO, Nokia, Sony, ZTE, Xiaomi), iPads, Android tablets, MacBooks, Apple Watch, gaming consoles (PlayStation, Nintendo), and iPods, plus a bulk trade-in service for enterprise customers that includes free courier collection, professional valuation, and reporting. The underlying technology is an online quoting and trade-in workflow with a model- and condition-driven valuation engine and an automated assessment pipeline; no AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or proprietary technology assets are disclosed.
Cash A Phone monetizes by purchasing used devices from consumers and reselling or recycling them through secondary channels, generating gross margin on the spread between buy and resale prices. Customer acquisition relies primarily on organic search and direct website traffic, supported by comparison-style content positioning against named competitors Mazumamobile and Mobilemonster, plus social media presence on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Over its 10-year operating history, the company has paid out over $13 million to customers; no external funding, parent company, or institutional ownership has been disclosed, and the business appears to operate as an independent, founder-led private limited company.
Cash A Phone firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Cash A Phone
- Legal name
- PhoneCycle Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://cashaphone.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Cash A Phone (PhoneCycle Pty Ltd) is an Australian online trade-in platform founded in 2012 that purchases used mobile phones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches, and gaming consoles from individual consumers nationwide, paying within 24 hours of device assessment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Cash A Phone industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Device Trade-In Services
- NAICS
- Used Merchandise Retailers (4595), Electronics and Appliance Retailers (4492)
- SIC
- Retail-Computer & Computer Software Stores (5734)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Mobile Device (Smartphone/Tablet) Trade-in & Recycling (BPALAIAG)
Keywords
Where Cash A Phone is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Heidelberg
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Cash A Phone business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Device Purchase and Resale: Cash A Phone purchases used mobile devices, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, and smartwatches from individual consumers at quoted prices. The company acquires devices in various conditions (working, faulty) and presumably resells or recycles them through secondary markets.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Per-device pricing based on model and condition |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Cash A Phone product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Cash A Phone runs an online device trade-in platform that buys used mobile phones, iPads, tablets, MacBooks, Apple Watches, gaming consoles, and iPods from individual consumers at quoted prices, based on model and condition, with free prepaid shipping and payment within 24 hours of assessment. The company accepts devices in five condition grades, including faulty and dead devices, and resells or recycles the inventory. A bulk trade-in service is also offered for businesses with free courier collection and professional valuation.
Product overview
Cash A Phone operates a device trade-in and recycling marketplace that enables consumers to sell their used electronic devices for cash. The core offering is an online quoting and buyback platform accessible via the website, where customers search their device model and condition to receive an instant price quote, print a prepaid shipping label, and receive payment within 24 hours of device assessment. The product portfolio includes trade-in services for mobile phones (iPhone, Samsung, Google Pixel, Huawei, OPPO, Nokia, Sony, ZTE, Xiaomi), iPads and tablets (iPad, Galaxy Tab, Microsoft Surface), laptops (MacBook), smartwatches (Apple Watch), gaming consoles (PlayStation, Nintendo), and iPods. The company also offers a bulk trade-in service for business customers. The platform accepts devices in five condition grades and both working and faulty devices. Cash A Phone is operated by PhoneCycle Pty Ltd ABN:71 152 085 295 and has been operating for 10 years, having paid out over $13 million to customers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mobile Phone Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used mobile phones for cash, with instant quoting, free shipping labels, and payment within 24 hours of assessment. Prices vary by model and storage, e.g., iPhone 16 128GB at $640.00 and iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB at $732.77.
- iPad Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used iPads for cash, supporting models across multiple iPad generations with instant quotes and free shipping. Prices range up to over $1,500 for high-end iPads with maximum storage.
- MacBook Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used MacBook laptops for cash, offering instant quotes and free prepaid shipping.
- Apple Watch Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used Apple Watch devices for cash, covering Watch Series 3 through Watch Ultra 2 models.
- Gaming Console Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used gaming consoles including PlayStation and Nintendo devices for cash.
- Tablet Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used Android tablets including Samsung Galaxy Tab and Microsoft Surface devices for cash.
- iPod Trade-In Service Online platform enabling consumers to sell or trade-in their used iPod devices including iPod Classic, iPod Nano, and iPod Touch models for cash.
- Bulk Trade-In Service Bulk device trade-in service for businesses and organizations, featuring free courier collection, professional valuation, and comprehensive reporting for enterprise customers.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over $13 million paid out to customers across 10 years of operation
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Cash A Phone
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Cash A Phone technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Cash A Phone partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Cash A Phone competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Back Market: Global refurbished electronics marketplace operating as both a buyer and seller of used devices. Overlaps with Cash A Phone's downstream resale side and increasingly with trade-in/buyback flows.
- Decluttr: US/UK trade-in and resale platform that buys used electronics, CDs, books, and games for cash. Comparable mail-in model with broader category breadth than Cash A Phone.
- Samsung Trade-In: Manufacturer-operated trade-in program accepting Samsung phones, tablets, and watches for credit toward new purchases. A well-capitalized competitor serving the same consumer trade-in intent as Cash A Phone.
- Apple Trade In: Apple's official device trade-in program accepting iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other devices for credit toward new purchases. Represents direct competitive pressure on Cash A Phone's core Apple device trade-in volumes.
Direct peers
- ecoATM: US-based device trade-in operator with thousands of automated kiosks that buy used smartphones and tablets for cash. Same underlying buyback/resell business model as Cash A Phone, just delivered through kiosks rather than a mail-in platform.
- SellCell: Device trade-in comparison platform that aggregates buyback quotes from multiple recyclers, operating as a meta-channel in the same consumer trade-in market Cash A Phone serves.
- Mobile Monster: Australian device trade-in service directly named by Cash A Phone as a head-to-head competitor. Operates an identical buyback model for used smartphones, tablets, and electronics with instant online quotes and free shipping.
Emerging players
- Swappa: Peer-to-peer used device marketplace connecting individual sellers with buyers. Represents an alternative model in the same consumer device trade-in space, bypassing professional buyers.
Regional players
- Mazuma Mobile: UK-based device trade-in service also explicitly named by Cash A Phone as a competitor in price comparisons. Operates the same consumer buyback model for used phones, tablets, and electronics.
- Gazelle: Pioneer US online device trade-in service, offering instant quotes, prepaid shipping, and cash payment for used electronics. Same consumer-facing buyback model and value proposition as Cash A Phone.
Market position
Strengths2 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Cash A Phone social profiles
Digital presenceCash A Phone financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Cash A Phone leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Cash A Phone funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Cash A Phone M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Cash A Phone
What does Cash A Phone do?
Cash A Phone runs an online device trade-in platform that buys used mobile phones, iPads, tablets, MacBooks, Apple Watches, gaming consoles, and iPods from individual consumers at quoted prices, based on model and condition, with free prepaid shipping and payment within 24 hours of assessment. The company accepts devices in five condition grades, including faulty and dead devices, and resells or recycles the inventory. A bulk trade-in service is also offered for businesses with free courier collection and professional valuation.
Is Cash A Phone a public or private company?
Cash A Phone is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Cash A Phone founded?
Cash A Phone was founded in 2012. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Cash A Phone based?
Cash A Phone is headquartered in Heidelberg, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Cash A Phone make money?
One revenue line is on record: device Purchase and Resale.
Who are Cash A Phone's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Back Market, Decluttr, Samsung Trade-In and Apple Trade In. Direct peers are ecoATM, SellCell and Mobile Monster. Swappa is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Mazuma Mobile and Gazelle.
Does Cash A Phone have an API?
No public API is recorded for Cash A Phone.
What industry is Cash A Phone in?
Cash A Phone's product category is Device Trade-In Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPALAIAG, Mobile Device (Smartphone/Tablet) Trade-in & Recycling. Its NAICS code is 4595 and its SIC code is 5734.