One of the cool things about Kindles is Amazon offers a trade-in program where you can trade an old Kindle for a gift card credit, plus Amazon will give you 20% off the purchase of a new Kindle, and you can even maximize the savings by using the discount when Kindles are on sale.
However, the value of some older Kindles has dropped dramatically since last year. Prices have gone down so much on models like the Kindle Paperwhite that it might not be worth trading them in anymore unless they are broken or the battery is going bad.
Last year you could get $25 in credit for older Paperwhites, even the 1st generation model, but now Amazon will only give you $5 for a working Paperwhite (models 1-3), the same as a broken one.
The value of the Kindle Voyage also dropped drastically from $50 to only $10.
Frankly the price drops don’t make much sense considering they’ll still give $15 for a Kindle 4 from 2011.
The trade-in values for current 10th generation Kindles is the same as last year, so at least there wasn’t a decline there, but how often are people going to trade in a current model anyway, unless upgrading to an Oasis.
It is worth noting that Amazon accepts Kindles in trade even if they are broken. You can still get $5 plus 20% off the purchase of a new Kindle. It’s a good way to get rid of a broken Kindle, at least.
Below are the current trade-in values for all Kindle models via Amazon’s Kindle Trade-In page as of August 26th, 2021. The price in parentheses is the former trade-in value from last year’s list in November 2020.
Kindle Trade-in Values – August 2021
Kindle 1 – $5
Kindle 2 – $5
Kindle DX – $5
Kindle Keyboard (3rd Gen) – $5
Kindle Touch (4th Gen) – $5
Kindle (4th Gen) – $15
Kindle (5th Gen) – $15
Kindle (7th Gen) – $10 ($15)
Kindle (8th Gen) – $15
Kindle Paperwhite (1-3) – $5 ($25)
Kindle Paperwhite 4 – $30
Kindle Voyage (7th Gen) – $10 ($50)
Kindle Oasis (8th Gen) – $60
Kindle Oasis (9th Gen) – $75
2019 Kindle – $20
Well that’s a real shame. I won’t be trading in any of my old Kindles now, unless they are broken.
I was thinking about trading in my older Paperwhite (2018) for a newer model.
I remember using the trade-in program back in 2018. I traded a basic Kindle towards the purchase of a Paperwhite. I just check the invoice and I got $50 trade-in credit, plus there was a gift-card on the invoice.
It’s as if they do their utmost to make sure you do not buy another Kindle.
Fewer hard- and software updates than the competition.
No colour eInk devices.
Locked in to their own very limited extra options, no Android apps.
Not compatible with Cloud Library.
I am still using it, but the day I find exactly what I want in the competition, I will buy something from them instead.
Unless the Kindles have somehow evolved by then, but I believe this is highly unlikely.
Your right! I hear you can’t even bring your Kindle on an Origin Blue flight.
You’re whoops i tipeit to fast
Maybe it sounds crazy, but for the last few months I’ve been wondering if amazon just wants to get rid of its ereaders altogether. So many sales lately to get rid of stock, then this, to ‘disincentivize’ trade-ins.
And the fact they have not released a new ereader for years, plus their crummy firmware updates, say to me their hearts are not in it.
Maybe they want to streamline things and just have the kindle app.
That’s my thinking, and now, I’m hoping that writing this down triggers an announcement of a brand new 8 inch kindle with 600 dpi and fabulous battery life. 😀
I love ereaders, by the way.
Before everyone bashes Amazon for lowering trade in values…ask what other company even offers a trade in.
Bash them for no large format Kindle. Bash them for lacking margin options. Bash them for special offers displayed as standard. Bash them for a semi-closed reading format…those kind of things.
But remember that you can save 25 percent on a new reader. Let’s say hypothetically that a 400 dollar, 10 inch model emerges this year-you could save 100 dollars.
A Kindle 4 is worth more than a Voyage? Absolutely not. …excerpt when you figure Amazon turns around and resells them refurbished on woot. Easiest way to turn a higher margin on those woot sales is to keep the sale price the same but lower the payout in the buy-back. Watch the next sale.
It really makes no sense. I wonder if it’s a glitch?
It looks like the upcoming Paperwhite is going to be a great upgrade. USB-C, 5 GHZ Wifi (about time), increased security, and of course the new screen. My current Paperwhite work’s fine, and for only $5 I would just as soon keep it.
When they killed the instant 20% on trade-in, I stopped using the program. I’m not sending a Mindle in to wait for a coupon then hope there’s a sale before it expires. It used to be such a great program
I don’t know why people keep saying this. Nothing has changed. They still give you the credit right away and like a month to send the Kindle in.
I keep looking for what you’re describing and it doesn’t seem to be an option. “We will apply an Amazon.com Gift Card equal to a Trade-In value of your old device(s) to your Amazon account once these items have been received by an Amazon facility, appraised and accepted.”
I think it’s just worded awkwardly. I just traded in a Kindle last month for the new Paperwhite and was given the credit and trade discount immediately and I didn’t send in the old Kindle for like a month.