Your company is replacing its business phones, and IT has Swisscom Buyback on the shortlist. That is a sensible reflex: the brand is familiar and the process is well established. It gets more complicated when the same storeroom also holds laptops, smartwatches and a box of devices with cracked screens.
In short: Swisscom Buyback Business is a good fit if you are only returning mobile phones and tablets. Everlink buys smartphones, tablets, computers and smartwatches in a single operation, including broken devices. You receive a fast offer, certified data erasure compliant with the GDPR and the Swiss data protection act, and a direct contact who is also reachable on WhatsApp.
What does Swisscom Buyback Business offer?
Swisscom Buyback Business is the device take-back programme Swisscom runs for business customers. According to the Mobile Buyback Business page on swisscom.ch (accessed 18 September 2026), the key terms are as follows:
- Devices: "Buyback Business is only available for the return of mobiles and tablets." Fixed-line telephones and computers are excluded.
- Damaged devices: accepted, for example when the screen is cracked, the touchscreen no longer works properly or the device cannot be switched on.
- Valuation: an estimate within 48 hours, valid for 30 or 60 days depending on the agreement.
- Collection: Swisscom organises shipping and collects the devices free of charge.
- Data erasure: carried out with Deal Certify software; you receive a certified deletion report and a detailed processing report by email.
- Payment: made within 30 days of receipt of your bill, or the value can be donated to SOS Children's Villages (a tax-deductible donation, according to Swisscom).
- Eligibility: all Swiss companies registered in the Commercial Register, including those that are not Swisscom customers.
- Processing partner: RS Switzerland.
These are genuine strengths. Free collection, a named erasure tool and a charitable donation option will appeal to many sustainability and CSR teams. For a company returning a few dozen smartphones, it is a solid choice.
Where does Swisscom Buyback reach its limits?
The limit is not the quality of the service. It is the scope.
Computers are left behind
A fleet refresh rarely involves phones alone. The end of a lease, a site closure or a new IT policy tends to release laptops, tablets and smartwatches at the same time. With Buyback Business, the computers need a second provider: a second contract, a second inventory and a second erasure certificate. For the IT team, that means twice the coordination and twice the filing. Our guide to selling company laptops and IT equipment explains how a mixed estate can be handled.
Payment follows a 30-day term
The 30 days run from receipt of your bill. If your finance team is counting on the proceeds to part-fund the replacement devices, that timing matters in the cash-flow plan.
Buyback and re-equipment are separate
Buyback Business takes back your old devices. Sourcing replacement hardware is a separate matter, and the Buyback Business page does not cover it.
Subsidiaries outside Switzerland
The programme is described for Swiss companies with a Commercial Register entry. If your group also has offices in Germany, France or Austria, collection of devices located abroad is not stated on their public website, so it is worth asking before you plan a group-wide refresh.
Everlink: one contact for the entire estate
Everlink is an independent Swiss B2B partner with sites in Zug and Basel. It buys back corporate phone and IT fleets and supplies tested refurbished devices, across Switzerland and Europe. It does not sell mobile subscriptions, so its offer is not tied to a carrier contract (see independent vs carrier phone fleet buyback).
Every device in one pass
Smartphones, tablets, computers and smartwatches, all brands. Broken or faulty devices are welcome and valued for parts. There is no need to pre-sort what is "eligible" and what is not: the fleet leaves in one go, with one inventory and one certificate.
No workload for IT and procurement
The process has four steps, and only the first one is yours:
- Describe your fleet: models, quantities and rough condition, via the contact form, by email or on WhatsApp.
- Receive an offer quickly, valued line by line, with no commitment.
- Everlink collects, wipes and sorts. Packing and transport are arranged for you, by on-site pickup or inbound logistics, and the administrative unlocking is worked through together with your team.
- You get paid once the fleet has been received and checked.
Devices can be handed over as they are, with no factory resets and no removing accounts one by one. There is no portal to configure and no account to create: you deal with a person who knows your file.
Certified erasure and IMEI inventory
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). Your company receives an erasure certificate per batch, issued in its name, together with a complete inventory by IMEI or serial number. Each unit is tracked from buyback to resale. Our article on certified data erasure for mobile fleets explains what the certificate should contain.
Documented payment
After inspection, the final offer is confirmed and the transfer goes out without delay. It comes with a Swiss QR-bill (the standard Swiss invoice format with a scannable payment code), the full inventory and the erasure certificate. Settlement is in Swiss francs or euros, whichever you prefer.
Sell and re-equip with the same partner
Do your teams need replacements? Everlink also supplies refurbished smartphone fleets for business: consistent batches tested unit by unit, condition and battery health disclosed, tiered pricing by volume and warranty included.
Comparison: Swisscom Buyback Business or Everlink?
| Criterion | Swisscom Buyback Business | Everlink |
|---|---|---|
| Mobiles and tablets | Yes | Yes |
| Computers and laptops | No (per their public page) | Yes |
| Smartwatches | Not stated on their public website | Yes |
| Damaged devices | Yes | Yes, valued for parts |
| Valuation | Estimate within 48 h | Fast offer, no fixed deadline |
| Collection | Free, organised by Swisscom | Organised by Everlink (on-site pickup or inbound logistics) |
| Data erasure | Deal Certify, certified deletion report | GDPR and Swiss FADP compliant, certificate per batch |
| Inventory | Detailed processing report | By IMEI or serial number |
| Payment | Within 30 days of your bill, or donation | Transfer after inspection, CHF or EUR, Swiss QR-bill |
| Re-equipment | Not part of Buyback Business | Refurbished fleets from the same partner |
| Contact | Swisscom service | Direct contact, WhatsApp |
| Coverage | Swiss companies | Switzerland and Europe |
Which option suits your company?
Swisscom Buyback Business is a good fit if:
- your fleet consists only of phones and tablets;
- a donation to SOS Children's Villages supports your CSR goals;
- a 30-day payment term is not a problem for your finance team.
Everlink is a good fit if:
- your estate mixes phones, tablets, laptops and smartwatches;
- you want one operation, one inventory and one certificate;
- subsidiaries or sites outside Switzerland are involved;
- you plan to re-equip your teams with refurbished devices;
- you prefer a direct contact to a service desk.
Checklist before any return
Whichever provider you choose, three preparations pay off:
- A rough inventory: models, storage, quantities and condition. Even an incomplete list speeds up the offer.
- Clarity on locks: identify which devices are still enrolled in your MDM or linked to Apple or Google accounts. A locked device loses much of its value, so settle how unlocking will be handled before collection.
- Proof of erasure: ask for a certificate and an inventory by serial number. This is the document your data protection officer or auditor will request. For the full picture, see our guide on how to sell a company phone fleet in Switzerland.
Frequently asked questions
Does Swisscom Buyback Business accept laptops?
No. According to Swisscom's public page, Buyback Business is only available for mobiles and tablets; computers and fixed-line telephones are excluded. Everlink buys laptops together with the rest of the fleet.
Do you need to be a Swisscom customer to use Buyback Business?
No. Swisscom opens the programme to all Swiss companies with a Commercial Register entry, including those that are not Swisscom customers.
How long does Swisscom take to pay?
According to its public page, payment is made within 30 days of receipt of your bill. You can also choose to donate the value to SOS Children's Villages.
Does Everlink accept broken devices?
Yes. Broken or faulty devices are valued for parts and taken in the same operation as working devices.
How quickly does Everlink pay?
As soon as 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.
Does Everlink work outside Switzerland?
Yes. Pickups, inbound logistics and deliveries cover Switzerland and Europe, including France, Germany, Italy, Austria and the Benelux countries, with settlement in Swiss francs or euros.
Describe your fleet, receive a fast offer
Send us your device list, even an incomplete one, via the contact form, by email to info@everlink.ch or on WhatsApp at +41 78 220 72 80. The offer comes with no commitment. Learn more about how it works on the Everlink home page.