Spark Upgrader lets users stack phone trade-in offers

Spark has launched Spark Upgrader, a service that combines phone trade-in estimates with device offers for mobile buyers. The launch follows commissioned research showing 70% of New Zealand households have at least one unused mobile phone at home.

The service is available online, in stores and through customer care teams. It is open to both Spark customers and non-customers with a New Zealand mobile number. Users can view an estimated trade-in value alongside mobile phone offers, trade-in boosts and exclusive customer offers in a single account view.

Spark said the launch responds to survey findings suggesting many consumers may be undervaluing handsets kept in drawers at home. In the research, 81% of respondents with an unused phone said they either did not know what it was worth or believed it was worth less than $250.

Spark's year-to-date trade-in data shows customers receive an average trade-in value of $265. More recent models can attract much higher estimates, with figures of up to $2,375 for some devices.

Thirty per cent of those surveyed said the main reason they had kept an unused phone was that they did not think it was worth enough to sell or trade in. Spark said Spark Upgrader is designed to reduce that uncertainty by showing customers a trade-in estimate alongside other available offers.

Unused phones

The findings point to a large number of idle devices in New Zealand homes, at a time when operators and retailers are trying to make handset upgrades easier to navigate. Trade-in schemes are now a common feature of the mobile market, but Spark is seeking to distinguish its service by letting customers combine several forms of discount in one transaction.

Customers using the tool can review eligible savings across phone offers, trade-in value, trade-in boosts and exclusive customer offers. These offers can be stacked, rather than forcing customers to choose one discount over another.

Graham Wright, General Manager of Marketing at Spark, said the survey highlighted an opportunity to help consumers better understand the value of old devices.

"For many households, an old phone is more than clutter in a drawer - it could help make the next phone purchase more affordable. What makes Spark Upgrader unique in the market is that it allows customers to stack a heap of savings together - current offers on devices, their trade-in value, and exclusive offers we provide to our customers periodically. With Spark Upgrader you don't need to choose which offer is best - you can have them all," Wright said.

How it works

Users can access the service by logging into their account online or through the Spark app, or by speaking with a customer care team member. Once they see the offers available to them, they can proceed with a handset purchase online or in store.

A new phone purchase through the service requires a 24-month or 36-month interest-free payment term with an eligible Spark pay monthly mobile plan. Trade-in values shown through the tool are estimates and may change after the handset's eligibility and condition are checked in store.

Spark's online trade-in estimate process allows customers to assess a device's condition and receive an indicative value before visiting a store for a final offer. They can then accept or decline the in-store offer after the device has been assessed.

Working phones taken in through the trade-in process are resold to new owners, while devices that have reached the end of their useful life are processed for materials recovery and reuse.

Survey details

The research behind the launch was conducted by Talbot Mills Research through a nationwide online survey of 1,589 New Zealand adults aged 18 and over. Spark said the sample was nationally representative.

The data provides a snapshot of consumer attitudes towards old handsets and suggests uncertainty over resale value remains a barrier to trading in devices.

Spark said more recent premium models can deliver the highest trade-in estimates, citing an online estimate of $2,375 for a Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra with 1TB of storage.