Tiptop Provides Instant Trade-In Credit for Apple Products When Shopping Online

[MacRumors]

Tiptop recently announced the launch of its trade-in service, which provides instant credit for over 50,000 items, including Apple products like iPhones and Macs.

Online merchants powered by Shopify, Stripe, and more can offer Tiptop at checkout, with launch partners including electronics brand Nothing, game controller maker Backbone, pre-owned smartphone market Phonedaddy, and others. Tiptop manages the entire program for a merchant, including the trade-in, payment, and shipping.

After selecting the Tiptop option during checkout on a participating merchant's website, you can search for the Apple product or other item that you would like to trade in, confirm the trade-in amount being offered, and choose to pay the remaining balance in full or in four interest-free installments. To send the item being traded in to Tiptop, customers can scan a QR code to start the prepaid shipping process, or have a courier pick up the item.

Tiptop was founded by Bastian Lehmann, who also co-founded popular delivery service Postmates, and its marketing head is former TechCrunch editor-in-chief Matthew Panzarino. The startup had previously launched a trade-in app, but it is now promoting this trade-in service that online merchants can integrate into the checkout flow.

Article Link: Tiptop Provides Instant Trade-In Credit for Apple Products When Shopping Online

 

[CarletonTorpin]

This feels like it 'could' be the future of e-barter.

 

[Return Zero]

OK, potentially cool, but how much value are we being asked to give up for the convenience? Like, how do their trade-in values compare to Apple's?

 

[coachgq]

OK, potentially cool, but how much value are we being asked to give up for the convenience? Like, how do their trade-in values compare to Apple's?

And I find it super convenient to walk in to an Apple Store and do the trade in and pick up my new item. I have bought my last few phones for the family on promotion with my carrier through the Apple Store. I love it.

 

[MacLawyer]

The more alternatives the better.

 

[StuBeck]

And I find it super convenient to walk in to an Apple Store and do the trade in and pick up my new item. I have bought my last few phones for the family on promotion with my carrier through the Apple Store. I love it.

Awkwardly I'm the opposite. I've had multiple weird issues with pickups that mean its easier to just do it from home with me. The one time I tried to do it in store with Apple for a cell phone I had to bring a Verizon rep instore to get them to agree to make the change.

 

[AppleFanatic10]

So which websites are doing this?

 

[theheadguy]

OK, potentially cool, but how much value are we being asked to give up for the convenience? Like, how do their trade-in values compare to Apple's?

And convenience contributes to value, but does not completely equal it.

 

[turbineseaplane]

I'm confused here

 

[Apple_Robert]

I can see the trade-in value suddenly being different once received and the credit card used for purchases being charged more due to the lesser value.

 

[macduke]

Still haven't tried this since it launched earlier this year. In the past I've had success with Swappa, which is more like Ebay but less scammy. Got much better prices there. But overall I like the convenience of the iPhone Upgrade Program, and the rest of my devices like Macs, iPads and iPhones I keep for a long time and then usually give away to family. And when they're done with them, I sometimes take them back and repurpose them.

For instance, I'm a weather nerd. So I recently took my 2017 10.5" iPad Pro, which my daughter had been using, and turned it into a dashboard that shows real-time conditions from my Tempest Weather Station, in Split View with RadarScope which shows when storms are rolling in as well as severe weather watches. It's on my standing desk upstairs in a public space and the family uses it all the time, like when my kids are getting ready for school in the morning. Then at night I use the Shortcuts app to dim the display and turn it red to be easy on the eyes using an accessibility filter, and have it turn on the flashlight on the lowest brightness level to act as a night light. I also use the Shortcut app to change which app is on which side of the Split View throughout the day, rotating every 6 hours to help minimize burn-in.

It's fun to find new uses for old devices. I currently have an old iPad Air 2 that my son used that I'm trying to figure out what to do with, might Jailbreak it and 3D print a mount for it and try to use it for CarPlay in my wife's older car. I think I've seen an article or video before where somebody did that. I'm just not sure if it can withstand the heat since she has to park outside at her work, and even though it's practically worthless if stolen, it still might look tempting to thieves and then we have to pay for smashed windows.

 

[Ameer_1]

I'm confused. I saw the trade-in price for the 15 Pro is $825 which isn't bad I hope that's the price for the 128 GB model. I don't mind selling my phone each year to them for $825 instead of selling it on eBay or even worse trading it in at Apple for only $570

 

[bartszyszka]

I can't figure out how to list something for trade-in. Did they turn that feature off?

 

[space220]

Just tried it out on one of the sites that currently offer it as a checkout option. A 128GB 14 Pro Max with no damage is $560, while Apple is $630 with all storage levels. 15 Pro is $625 with 128GB. It offers lots of devices as trade-in options though, which is cool. Drop-off uses a UPS QR Code and turnaround time is 2-5 days.

 

[svish]

Should be giving better trade in values than with Apple directly. Good to see this.