You can trade your old electronics for Costco gift cards. Here's how

If you have some old electronics around the house, you might be able to turn those into groceries. 

Costco offers an electronics trade-in program where you can send your old devices and get a store gift card in return — you don’t even have to be a Costco member.

Also: A Costco membership comes with a free $20 gift card right now. Here’s how to get it

Here’s how it works.

A third party called Phobio handles Costco’s electronics trade-in program. After heading to the trade-in site, choose your device type and model from a list. The site will ask you questions, like whether the device powers on, works, and is in good physical condition. Phobio will make an offer based on your answers.

The program takes a wide variety of devices, even those as old as 2013 in some cases. General prices are:

• Phones: Up to $750
• Laptops: Up to $1,080
• Tablets: Up to $400
• Smartwatches: Up to $200
• Desktops: Up to $1,025
• Monitors: Up to $400
• Media players: Up to $40

Even if your device isn’t in perfect condition, it may still be worth trying.

To test potential value, I checked the offer for a Pixel 8 Pro in good condition. Phobio offered a $350 Costco card. For comparison, the going rate on eBay is about $400 to $500, and the trade-in rate on Google’s official store is $699. You’re getting about 85% of the value you would if you just sold it, but you don’t have to deal with the hassle. 

I also tried trading in the oldest Pixel phone I could, the Pixel 5. Selling that phone on eBay could get you $100, with Google offering $245. Phobio offered me $30. 

Also: You can trade in old electronics for Amazon gift cards. Here’s how it works

If you take the offer, you can either print a prepaid shipping label and mail it in your own box or wait to receive a prepaid shipping box. You can choose from a physical Costco Shop card, which you’ll get in 1 to 2 weeks, or a digital Costco Shop card, which will arrive in 3 to 5 days. You can use either version online or in-store — no membership necessary. 

Costco’s trade-in program obviously isn’t the best route if you’re trying to get maximum value, especially if you’re trading in to upgrade your phone. Still, it is a good way to easily score a gift card for something sitting around your house while saving on groceries.