Selling your AirPods online isn’t a big deal if you know where to look. The tricky part is picking the right platform, since each one balances price, speed, and hassle differently.
In this article, I’ll walk you through the best places to sell your AirPods, how each one works, and which one makes the most sense for you, whether you want the highest payout, cash in hand today, or a sale with no haggling.
How to prepare your AirPods for sale
A few minutes of prep protects your payout, regardless of which platform you pick.
- Remove your AirPods from Find My. A pair still linked to your Apple ID can’t be used by the next owner, and it’s the fastest way to get a sale delayed or an offer lowered.
- Reset them using Apple’s instructions for your model.
- Charge the earbuds and the case, since buyers and inspectors will want to test them.
- Include the original charging case.
- Give everything a quick clean so the condition you report matches what arrives.
For the full walkthrough, see our guide on how to prepare your AirPods for sale.
The best places to sell your AirPods
The Whiz Cells: Overall best place
The Whiz Cells is the best place to sell your AirPods online if you want a stress-free sale while still getting the most money.
The Whiz Cells is a direct AirPods buyback platform that has paid out over $49 million for phones, tablets, audio devices, and smartwatches since 2012, with free shipping on every order.
According to our recent AirPods buyback comparison study, on average, The Whiz Cells pays 34% more than other buybacks like ItsWorthMore for AirPods.
Pros and cons of selling AirPods on The Whiz Cells
Pros
- Pays more on average than competitors.
- Payment issued within 24 hours of receiving the device, often the same day.
- 20-day price lock, so your quote doesn’t drop while you ship.
- Multiple payout options: PayPal, bank transfer, Visa card, gift card, and check.
- Direct buyer, not a listing site, so no dealing with buyers who ghost or haggle.
Cons
- You accept a quote rather than setting your own.
- Requires shipping the device (shipping is free), so it’s not an instant cash-in-hand option.
How to sell your old AirPods to The Whiz Cells
- Go to The Whiz Cells
- Navigate to Sell Your Audio, and click on Apple.
- Choose the Apple AirPods model you’d like to sell.
- Confirm the device condition.
- Lock in your quote, get an offer, and click checkout.
- Follow the on-screen instructions to ship your AirPods for free.
- Get paid within 24 hours of your AirPods arriving.
Facebook Marketplace: Best for local sales
If you don’t mind meeting a buyer in your local area for cash, you might want to consider Facebook Marketplace.
Transactions are free with no listing/commission fee. You post your AirPods with photos, the model, the condition, and your asking price, mark the listing for local pickup, and wait for the messages to roll in. Agree on a meetup, hand over the pair, and walk away with cash.
Sounds simple, but brace yourself for lowball offers, endless negotiating, and buyers who cancel or ghost at pickup time.
Pros and cons of selling your AirPods on Facebook Marketplace
Pros
- Free to list and free to sell with local pickup.
- Same-day cash is possible if a buyer is nearby.
- You set the price instead of accepting a fixed quote.
Cons
- Lowballers and no-shows.
- No buyer protection on cash deals.
- Lost time spent messaging, haggling, and rescheduling.
Swappa: Best online marketplace
Swappa is a peer-to-peer marketplace for used tech gadgets. It follows a similar process as Facebook Marketplace but includes a listing verification stage where you have to prove the authenticity and ownership of the item.
While there’s a huge community backing Swappa, there’s no guarantee of a fast sale. That’s not all; you spend time setting up an account, getting past the verification stage, negotiating endlessly, and most importantly, paying a 3% seller fee plus PayPal processing fees on every sale.
Pros and cons of selling your AirPods on Swappa
Pros
- You set the price, with no fixed quote capping what you can ask.
- Verified listings and PayPal protections on both sides.
Cons
- No guaranteed sale. A listing can sit for a while with no buyers.
- Fees add up: a flat 3% seller fee on the sold price, plus PayPal processing of 3.49% + $0.49. That’s roughly 6.5% of your sale gone before you ship.
- You handle the packing and shipping yourself.
- Refunds are issued by the seller through PayPal, so a buyer dispute lands on you.
In case you’re wondering, Apple Trade In doesn’t value AirPods, instead they only “offer” to recycle AirPods for free.
Final verdict: Ready to sell your AirPods?
Each platform wins in a different situation, so the right pick depends on what you care about most.
- Choose The Whiz Cells if you want a guaranteed quote, free shipping, and payment within 24 hours of arrival, in the payment method of your choice. No listings, no haggling, and no waiting on a buyer.
- Choose Swappa if your AirPods are in great shape and you’re happy to wait for a buyer who’ll pay your price.
- Choose Facebook Marketplace if you want cash in hand today and don’t mind meeting a stranger to get it.
For most people, The Whiz Cells is the easiest and most reliable way to turn old AirPods into cash.
Frequently Asked Questions on Where To Sell AirPods
Where can I sell my used AirPods for the most money?
The Whiz Cells is the best place to sell your used AirPods, offering top-market cash payouts for AirPods with free shipping and a fast turnaround time.
Can I sell my AirPods without the charging case?
No, you can’t sell an AirPod that has no charging case, as it is essential to make the Pods functional.
