Last week, Microsoft began offering consumers $200 for their old iPads. The program required quite a bit from customers, including their physical presence in a Microsoft Store. The money was also given as a gift certificate for Microsoft Stores, with encouragement to use the cash toward the purchase of a Surface tablet.

This week, Microsoft has begun offering money for just about any mobile device. The company now claims consumers can earn up to a $350 cash back rebate by trading in their old iOS or Android smartphones and tablets. Of course, this trade-in deal also requires quite a bit from consumers.

First off, the $350 advertised is the upper limit on how much customers can get for their trade-in. The real amount will be based on the brand, model, and condition of the device traded in. For example, trading in last’ year’s iPhone 5 (64GB version) in anticipation of tomorrow’s iPhone 5S launch would net customers a maximum of $315, while a Samsung Galaxy S4 (64GB version) would trade in for a maximum of $275.

The deal is only a rebate, so it requires that customers purchase a new Windows Phone or Windows Tablet. After using the Microsoft “Trade-Up” website to get a quote, they will be asked to enter the serial number of their new Windows device, as well as an address. The traded-in device will have to be mailed0-in by the consumer, and a prepaid Visa card will then be sent out for the amount of the device.

Though Microsoft has already lowered the prices of its failing Surface tablets, it seems determined to to lower them any more. These roundabout discounts might be perfect for customers in the market for Windows Phones or Tablets, but that doesn’t appear to be a large segment of consumers – and such deals aren’t likely to change that.

(via ZDNet)