You are replacing your employees' phones and Sunrise is your carrier? Sunrise will offer to take back the old devices when you buy the new ones. That is convenient for a handful of renewals. For an entire fleet, with tablets, laptops and broken devices, the logic is different.
In short: Sunrise buyback is a trade-in discount. The value of your old device is deducted from a new purchase or credited to your Sunrise account, and according to Sunrise it is not paid out in cash. Everlink, an independent Swiss partner, buys the whole fleet (smartphones, tablets, laptops, smartwatches and broken devices) with a fast offer, certified GDPR and Swiss data protection compliant erasure, and payment by bank transfer with a Swiss QR-bill.
How does Sunrise buyback work?
On its business buyback page (accessed 18 September 2026), Sunrise Business sums up the offer in one sentence: it determines the value of your device based on its condition and deducts the amount when you buy a new one. Devices that are not good enough for a credit are disposed of in an environmentally friendly way.
The Sunrise buyback help page (accessed 18 September 2026) gives the details:
- Devices: selected phones, tablets and smartwatches purchased in Switzerland.
- Who can use it: existing Sunrise customers and new customers.
- Form of value: an immediate discount on a new device, or a credit to your account within a maximum of two months after final valuation. Sunrise states that "the buyback value will not be paid out in cash."
- Broken devices: devices rated "Broken" are not bought back but can be returned to Sunrise shops for recycling. Devices rated "Perfect", "Good" or "Damaged" qualify.
- Data: you must delete all data before trading in; Sunrise's partner also deletes data or physically destroys the memory chip if necessary.
- Return deadline: within 14 days of receiving the new device, using the return packaging enclosed with it.
What Sunrise buyback does well
The programme has clear strengths for everyday renewals:
- Less to pay up front. The trade-in directly reduces the price of the new device, which keeps the purchase simple.
- A price known in advance, with a safety net. If the final valuation is lower, you can decline and Sunrise returns the device to you free of charge, according to its device buyback page (accessed 18 September 2026).
- Responsible disposal of devices that no longer have trade-in value.
- A Swiss refurbishment partner. According to IT Magazine (July 2023, accessed 18 September 2026), Sunrise worked with Recommerce in Steinhausen and aimed to take back at least 20,000 devices a year by 2025.
For an employee who changes phone as part of a subscription, it is simple and effective.
Why a corporate fleet falls outside this model
Sunrise buyback is designed as an exchange at the moment of purchase. A company selling its estate usually has other constraints.
The value stays with the carrier
Discount or account credit: the trade-in value remains tied to Sunrise. If your finance team wants to recover the value of the old fleet as cash, or if you re-equip your teams elsewhere (with refurbished devices, for example), this mechanism does not fit. A dedicated buyback offer for corporate fleets is not stated on their public website, so you would need to ask Sunrise Business directly.
Laptops and broken devices still need a solution
The programme covers selected phones, tablets and smartwatches. Laptops are not mentioned, and devices rated "Broken" go to recycling without any value. Yet a refresh often frees up laptops at the same time (see our guide to selling company laptops and IT equipment), and dormant stock tends to include cracked screens.
A device-by-device logic
A 14-day return window and packaging shipped with each new device: this channel is built for individual exchanges. For 200 devices spread across several sites, the inventory, tracking and consolidated proof of erasure become the real challenge.
Everlink: sell the fleet, do not just trade it in
Everlink is an independent Swiss B2B partner with sites in Zug and Basel. It buys back and re-equips corporate phone and IT fleets across Switzerland and Europe. To understand the difference between the two models, read our comparison of independent vs carrier phone fleet buyback.
What does Everlink buy, and how are you paid?
Everlink buys smartphones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches from companies, all brands and any condition. Broken or faulty devices are valued for parts instead of going to recycling for nothing. Valuation is done model by model: reference, storage capacity, functional and cosmetic condition, and battery health. You promptly receive an offer valued line by line, with no commitment, then a firm offer after physical inspection on receipt. Once confirmed, the transfer goes out without delay, together with a Swiss QR-bill (the standard Swiss invoice with a scannable payment code), the full inventory and the erasure certificate. Settlement is in Swiss francs or euros. You are not tied to any carrier or purchase: the value of your estate goes back to your treasury, and you remain free to re-equip your teams wherever you like. If you are only selling phones, see our guide on how to sell a company phone fleet in Switzerland.
A process that puts no load on your teams
- Describe your fleet via the contact form, by email or on WhatsApp: models, quantities, rough condition.
- Receive a fast offer.
- Everlink arranges collection, by on-site pickup or inbound logistics, in Switzerland and Europe.
- Everlink wipes, sorts and pays you.
Devices can be handed over as they are. Everlink works through the administrative unlocking with you and takes care of resets and erasure.
Consolidated proof of erasure
Every device is wiped in compliance with the GDPR and the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (the FADP, revised in 2023 and often called the nFADP or revFADP). You receive a certificate per batch, issued in your company's name, and an inventory by IMEI or serial number, with each unit tracked from buyback to resale. That is the document your data protection officer will ask for. Our article on certified data erasure for mobile fleets details what it should contain.
Re-equip with refurbished devices, if you wish
Everlink also supplies refurbished smartphones for business: consistent batches tested unit by unit, warranty included, tiered pricing by volume.
Comparison: Sunrise buyback or Everlink
| Criterion | Sunrise buyback | Everlink |
|---|---|---|
| Smartphones | Yes (selected models) | Yes, all brands |
| Tablets and smartwatches | Yes (selected models) | Yes |
| Laptops | Not stated on their public website | Yes |
| Broken devices | Recycled, no trade-in value | Accepted, valued for parts |
| Form of value | Discount or account credit, no cash payout | Bank transfer, CHF or EUR |
| Tied to a purchase | Yes, linked to Sunrise | No |
| Valuation | Estimated at the point of sale | Fast offer |
| Logistics | Return within 14 days, packaging supplied | On-site pickup or inbound logistics |
| Data erasure | Customer deletes; partner deletes again or destroys chip | GDPR and Swiss FADP compliant, certificate per batch |
| Inventory | Not stated on their public website | By IMEI or serial number |
| Coverage | Switzerland (devices purchased in Switzerland) | Switzerland and Europe |
Which option should you choose?
Sunrise buyback is a good fit if:
- you are renewing a few devices with Sunrise and want to reduce their price;
- the devices returned are in reasonable condition and on the eligible list;
- a credit on your Sunrise bill suits you.
Everlink is a good fit if:
- you want to recover the value of the old fleet by bank transfer;
- the fleet includes laptops, tablets or broken devices;
- you are re-equipping elsewhere, or with refurbished devices;
- you need a consolidated inventory and certificate;
- you have sites or subsidiaries outside Switzerland.
If you are coming out of a rental contract, also read our guide to end-of-lease mobile devices.
Frequently asked questions
Does Sunrise buyback pay out in cash?
No. According to the Sunrise help page, the buyback value is not paid out in cash: it is deducted from a new device or credited to your Sunrise account.
Do you need to be a Sunrise customer to use Sunrise buyback?
Sunrise says the programme is open to existing and new customers. Because the value is tied to a purchase or a Sunrise account, it does assume a relationship with the carrier.
Does Sunrise buyback accept broken devices?
Devices rated "Broken" are not bought back, but they can be returned to Sunrise shops for recycling. At Everlink, broken or faulty devices are valued for parts.
Does Everlink buy laptops?
Yes. Everlink buys laptops together with smartphones, tablets and smartwatches, in a single operation.
How does Everlink pay?
Once your fleet has been received and checked, the final offer is confirmed and the transfer goes out without delay, with a Swiss QR-bill, the inventory and the erasure certificate.
Describe your fleet, get a fast offer
Two lines are enough: what you have and how many. Write to us via the contact form, by email to info@everlink.ch or on WhatsApp at +41 78 220 72 80. An itemised offer follows quickly, with no commitment.