How to Prepare Your Phone for a Valuation
A small amount of preparation makes the valuation faster, the offer firmer and the experience smoother. Here's the checklist we'd send a friend. General guidance only, not a confirmed valuation.
Reviewed by the PhonesForCash buying teamLast reviewed
This guide reflects practical device identification, inspection and resale considerations used by our buying team when assessing phones and other devices. It is general guidance, not a confirmed valuation.
Before you message us
- Confirm the model — see identify your iPhone or find your Samsung model
- Check storage — guide: how to check phone storage
- Charge the phone — at least 50% so we can run display, camera and battery checks without a flat-battery interruption
- Photograph the device — front, back, edges, screen powered on. Clear photos let us give a tighter guide figure
- List faults honestly — cracks, dead pixels, battery warnings, locked accounts. Disclosure earns a fair offer; concealment shrinks one
Before you visit
- Bring the box and accessories if you still have them — original charger, cable, headphones, SIM tool. Bundles improve offers on newer flagships
- Sign out of accounts if you're confident the phone is going. iCloud, Google, Samsung account, Find My, banking apps. Not essential to do beforehand — we can guide you in store — but it speeds things up
- Remove your physical SIM. For eSIM see SIM and eSIM before selling
- Bring valid photo identification — driving licence or passport. PhonesForCash requires identification under its store buying and compliance procedures, and additional proof of ownership may be requested for newer or higher-value devices
What we'll do at the counter
We confirm the model and storage, check the IMEI for blacklist / lock status, test the display and touch, cameras, battery, speakers, buttons and charging. The whole process is normally 5–15 minutes. For the full breakdown see how PhonesForCash tests phones.
Honest disclosure works in your favour
An estimate sent on WhatsApp assumes the description is accurate. If a fault is found in store that wasn't mentioned, the firm offer reflects that. Honest descriptions almost always translate into the WhatsApp figure becoming the final figure.
Common mistakes
- Sending a single blurry photo and the wrong storage figure
- Saying "battery is fine" without checking Battery Health — see why battery health affects value
- Forgetting to mention the screen has a hairline crack along the edge
- Arriving without ID — we can't legally complete a purchase without it
What you don't need to do
You don't need to factory reset before visiting (it can help, but we'll guide you through it), don't need to clean the device with anything more than a quick wipe, and don't need to back up at the counter — bring a charged phone and we'll do the rest.
Common questions
Does cleaning my phone increase its value?
A quick wipe with a microfibre cloth makes inspection faster but won't change the grade. Polishing scratches with abrasive cleaners can make things worse — don't.
Should I back up before visiting?
Yes if you intend to sell that day. See our backup guide — it takes a few minutes on Wi-Fi the night before.
Can I just turn up?
Yes — walk-ins are welcome at our St Helens counter. WhatsApp-ing first gets you a guide price and shorter wait.
Want this applied to your specific device? Send the model and we'll come back with a realistic guide figure.
Related reading
Device Knowledge Centre →
All selling, valuation and recycling guides.
What to do before selling your phone →
The complete master checklist.
Back up before selling →
iCloud, Google, photos, WhatsApp.
Factory reset before selling →
Safe wipe instructions.
How we test phones →
What happens at the counter.
Sell my phone →
Start a valuation.
Visit PhonesForCash St Helens →
Counter address and opening hours.