Every important recommerce term explained. Commonly found in refurbished electronics pricing, trade-in valuation, grading standards, and market intelligence. It is intended as a reference for resellers, refurbishers, trade-in operators, retailers, and platforms working in the recommerce ecosystem.
Automated repricing is the process of algorithmically adjusting the listed price of a refurbished device in real time based on competitor prices, platform rules, inventory levels, or predefined margin floors - without manual intervention.
Aesthetic grading (also called cosmetic grading) is the assessment of a used device's visual condition - including scratches, dents, screen marks, and housing wear - independent of its functional performance.
Autograding is the automated assessment of a used device's cosmetic condition using AI image recognition, producing a standardised grade without human involvement.
Buyback is a programme in which a retailer, platform, or reseller directly purchases a used device from a consumer or business at a defined price, assuming full ownership and resale risk.
A buyback price index is a benchmark that aggregates and tracks the offered buyback prices for specific device models across multiple platforms and operators over time, providing a real-time or near-real-time view of market value for used devices.
Batch pricing is the valuation of a group of used devices as a single transaction rather than as individually priced units, common in B2B wholesale mixed lots.
Bulk lot valuation is the process of pricing a high-volume inventory lot of used devices as a portfolio, using model mix, expected grade distribution, defect probability, and resale time-to-liquidation rather than unit-by-unit retail assumptions.
Buyback widget is an embeddable front-end component that provides real-time trade-in or buyback quotes on a retailer, OEM, or carrier site without redirecting users to a third-party domain.
Bonus offer is a temporary increment added to base buyback or trade-in value, usually tied to commercial events such as model launches, campaigns, or loyalty tiers.
Condition-based pricing is a model in which the resale or buyback value of a used device is determined by its assessed physical and functional grade, resulting in differentiated prices for the same model across different condition tiers.
Competitor price monitoring in recommerce is the systematic tracking of resale and buyback prices offered by competing platforms, retailers, and resellers for specific device models and conditions - enabling data-driven pricing decisions.
Cosmetic grading is the classification of a used device's physical appearance into a standardised tier based on visible wear including scratches, dents, and screen condition.
Dynamic pricing in refurbished electronics is the automated, continuous adjustment of resale or buyback prices in response to real-time market signals - including competitor pricing, demand patterns, inventory levels, and device lifecycle events such as new model launches.
Data erasure certification is documented proof that device data has been permanently destroyed according to recognised standards such as ADISA, NIST SP 800-88, or R2, supporting compliance with regulations including GDPR.
Depreciation curve is the rate and pattern at which a specific device model loses resale value over time, usually expressed against months since launch as a percentage of original retail price.
Dispute rate is the percentage of completed trade-in transactions that escalate to formal disagreement over assessed value, typically when intake quote assumptions differ from grade on receipt.
Device lifecycle stage refers to the sequential phases a device moves through - such as new, refurbished, certified pre-owned, used, and parts-only - with each stage tied to distinct pricing tiers and buyer segments.
Functional grading is the assessment of whether a used or refurbished device performs as expected across core hardware and software checks, independent of cosmetic appearance.
Functional diagnostics is the automated testing of a device's internal components - battery, camera, sensors, microphone, and connectivity - to determine whether it works as intended, independent of physical appearance.
The A/B/C/D grading scale is the most widely used classification system for assessing the condition of used and refurbished consumer electronics, where Grade A indicates pristine or near-pristine condition and Grade D indicates heavy cosmetic or functional damage.
Grading return rate is the percentage of sold devices returned by buyers due to a mismatch between stated condition and actual condition on arrival.
IMEI status is a device-level flag from checking the International Mobile Equipment Identity against carrier, law enforcement, and platform databases to determine whether a device is clean, blacklisted, SIMlocked, or MDM-locked.
A recommerce market index is a benchmark that tracks the weighted average resale or buyback prices of specific used device models across platforms and geographies over time, providing a reference for fair market value.
MDM lock is a corporate security profile that prevents a device from being configured or used outside the enrolling organisation, making it effectively unusable on the consumer secondary market without authorised removal.
Multi-buyer strategy is a buyback acquisition model where intake offers are routed through multiple competing buyback partners in parallel, selecting the highest offer per device instead of committing volume to a single buyer.
Market-adjusted pricing is an approach where buyback or resale prices are updated continuously from current secondary-market data rather than set manually at fixed intervals.
Price comparison engine is a system that aggregates buyback or resale prices from multiple sources and presents them in a unified view to support selection of the most competitive offer.
Recommerce (also written re-commerce) is the commercial ecosystem of buying, selling, refurbishing, and redistributing used consumer electronics and other goods, with the aim of extending product life cycles and creating value from the secondary market.
A refurbished device is a used electronic product that has been inspected, repaired as necessary, cleaned, and tested to a defined standard before being resold - typically with a limited warranty.
R2 certification is an internationally recognised standard for responsible electronics reuse and recycling, audited by third parties, covering data destruction, environmental compliance, and device disposition processes.
The secondary market for electronics is the market for the resale of previously owned devices, distinct from the primary (new goods) market. It encompasses private peer-to-peer resale, certified refurbished platforms, and institutional buyback programmes.
SIMlock is a software restriction applied by a carrier that limits a device to that carrier's network, reducing the addressable buyer pool and therefore resale value.
Trade-in is the exchange of a used device as partial credit toward the purchase of a new or refurbished device, with the trade-in value offset against the purchase price - typically offered by retailers, carriers, or manufacturers.
Trade-in spread is the difference between acquisition price (buyback or trade-in) and resale price, expressed as absolute value or percentage of resale.
Trade-in abandonment is the percentage of started trade-in or buyback quote flows that do not complete with a submitted device.
Throughput is the number of devices a business can receive, test, grade, price, and list for resale within a defined time period.
White-label buyback is a trade-in or buyback programme powered by a third-party platform but presented under a retailer's, OEM's, or carrier's brand with no visible provider branding.
Common questions about recommerce pricing terminology, answered directly.
Buyback is a standalone purchase - a retailer or platform pays a consumer for their used device directly, with no obligation to buy anything new. Trade-in is transactional - the used device's value is applied as credit toward a new purchase. Buyback prices are typically more market-responsive; trade-in values are often set by the retailer as a sales incentive.
Grade A is pristine - no visible wear, fully functional. Grade B has minor cosmetic marks visible only on close inspection. Grade C has moderate visible wear - scratches, scuffs - but is fully functional. Grade D has heavy damage and may have functional limitations. Price differences between Grade A and Grade C for the same model typically range from 20-40%. Grade definitions may vary by platform (Back Market, Amazon, Refurbed, Rebuy may have all different grading standards).
Refurbished devices typically sell at 30-60% below the new retail price, depending on the model's age, condition grade, and current market supply/demand. A one-year-old flagship in Grade A condition may be 30% cheaper than new; the same model in Grade C could be 55% cheaper.
When a manufacturer announces a new model, the prior generation immediately depreciates in the secondary market - consumers who previously held back on selling or trading in, rush to do so before values drop further, increasing supply. Simultaneously, some buyers upgrade to the new model, reducing demand for the previous generation. This supply-demand shift can cause secondary market prices to fall 15-25% within days of an announcement.
Dynamic pricing is the automated, real-time adjustment of resale or buyback prices based on market signals - competitor prices, inventory levels, demand trends, and device lifecycle events. Unlike manual pricing updated weekly or monthly, dynamic pricing systems update continuously, helping sellers maintain competitiveness and protect margins as market conditions shift.
Batch pricing usually refers to setting a blended transaction price for a mixed lot based on observable grade/model composition. Bulk lot valuation is broader: it models expected recoverable value for large portfolios using assumptions such as defect probability, sorting yield, resale speed, and return risk. In practice, bulk lot valuation is often used at acquisition or tender stage, while batch pricing is used to quote and execute the actual lot sale.
Single-buyer strategy routes all trade-in or buyback volume to one partner, which simplifies operations but concentrates pricing risk in that partner's offer logic. Multi-buyer strategy compares offers across multiple buyers in real time and routes each device to the highest-paying option, improving acquisition yield and reducing exposure to off-market pricing. In both models, using a trusted third-party price reference that indicates fair market value helps operators and buyers align offers more accurately, increasing transaction acceptance rates.
RecommerceIQ tracks buyback and resale prices across 30+ platforms so you always know what the market is doing.
Request a demo →This glossary is maintained by the RecommerceIQ team. Terms are reviewed and updated quarterly. Last updated: February 2026. For additions or corrections, contact our team.