This secret Best Buy deal lets you get a new Pixel 9 for around $100. Here's how it works

Google’s latest lineup of Pixel 9 phones launched last week, and with preorder offers underway, Best Buy is swooping in with an almost too-good-to-be-true offer. 

Also: How to preorder and save on the new Google Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Right now, a trade-in deal at Best Buy is circulating on Reddit that may allow you to grab a new Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro for completely free. ZDNET checked out the deal online to see what the hype was about, and as it turns out, while this freebie offer doesn’t appear to be active anymore, select trade-in values may just allow you to save hundreds of dollars on a new Pixel 9 series phone (for real, some Redditors have already nabbed new Pixel 9 phones under $200). 

Plus, Best Buy is offering a $100 gift card with purchase of the Pixel 9 or a $200 gift card with purchase of the Pixel 9 Pro. So, I tried the deal myself. 

Also: Every Google Pixel 9 model compared: Pixel 9, Pixel 9 Pro, Pixel 9 XL, and Pixel 9 Pro Fold

Here’s how it works 

Pixel 9 Pro’s on the Best Buy website appear to be “coming soon,” so while you may still be able to estimate your phone’s trade in value, the site won’t let you checkout. The Pixel 9 however, is a different story. I have an iPhone 14 Pro (128GB) in Deep Purple for reference. 

To start, I navigated to the Pixel 9 buying page on Best Buy’s site. Then I input my phone’s information in the “Trade in and Save” section on the site. Then I selected a Pixel 9 (128GB) in Obsidian and added it to my cart. Best Buy is offering me $630 for my iPhone 14 Pro, and sales tax will cost me $53. My total cost after trade in is $222, plus I’ll still get a $100 gift card from Best Buy, bringing the total cost of a new Google Pixel 9 after a trade in to (checks notes) only $122 — over $670 in savings on the newly released smartphone. Here’s a screenshot of what my cart looked like. 

On top of those serious savings, I’m also offered three months of Google One 100GB for new subscribers. Best Buy also gives me the option to pickup and trade in at a store of my choice on Aug. 27, or have a new Pixel 9 shipped directly to my home on the same day. 

It’s also worth mentioning that Best Buy will charge your payment method for the full purchase + tax of the Pixel 9, and then refund your final trade in value within 7-10 days, which may be subject to change. 

Also: 5 reasons why Pixel 9 stopped me from ditching Google phones for Nothing

While I am still on the fence about upgrading my phone just yet (I prefer to get a few years’ use before rolling into something new), this deal certainly gives me something to consider. If you’re in the market for an upgrade, too, be sure to check it out while these sweet preorder offers last.