Once you've decided *not* to throw your extra test strips away — which is the right call — you're left with two good options: donate them or sell them. People sometimes assume these are opposites, one generous and one not. They're really not. In both cases, sealed, unexpired supplies end up with someone who needs them instead of in a landfill. The difference is simply whether you get something back for handling them.
Donating: the straightforward good deed
If you'd like your extras to go directly to a charitable program, several established nonprofits accept sealed, unexpired diabetic supplies and redistribute them to people who can't afford their own:
- Insulin for Life USA accepts unused, sealed test strips of all brands, generally with at least three months before expiration. Donors typically cover shipping.
- SafeNetRx — home to one of the largest drug-donation repositories in the country — accepts unexpired, sealed strips, lancets, and related supplies and redistributes them to uninsured and underinsured patients.
- CR3 Diabetes Association accepts unexpired, sealed strips along with pump supplies and CGM sensors and transmitters.
- The American Diabetes Association also points people toward donating unused supplies rather than discarding them.
Donation ground rules
Across programs, the requirements rhyme: boxes must be sealed, in original packaging, and unexpired (often with a few months' minimum dating). Opened, damaged, expired, or refrigerated-and-lapsed items generally can't be accepted. Always check the specific program's current rules before shipping.
Selling: getting value back while still helping
Selling gets a bad rap it doesn't deserve. The strips you sell still go on to someone who needs affordable supplies — you're not taking anything away from anyone. You're simply being compensated for the boxes you paid for and the time it takes to hand them off. Given that name-brand strips run well over $100 a box at retail, recovering some of that is entirely reasonable, especially if money is tight or you're settling an estate.
Selling can also be faster and easier than donating. With a local buyer, there's no shipping label, no box to pack, and no waiting. With Cell Me, you tell us what you have, get a cash offer, and meet up locally in the Salt Lake Valley to get paid on the spot.
How to decide
A few honest questions usually settle it:
- Would getting some cash back help you right now? If yes, selling makes sense — and the supplies still reach someone in need.
- Do you specifically want it to be a charitable gift? If that matters to you, donating is a beautiful choice. Just budget for shipping and check dating requirements.
- Is convenience the priority? A local sale with no packing or mailing is often the path of least resistance.
- Are the boxes short-dated? Some donation programs won't take them, but you can often still sell them — so selling may be the only way to keep them from being wasted.
Donate or sell, you've already made the decision that matters: these supplies are going to get used.
Whichever you choose, you're doing right by the supplies and by the next person. If you land on selling — or you just want to know what your boxes are worth before deciding — tell us what you have and we'll send a no-obligation cash offer. And if donating is your path, wonderful; the links above will get you started.
Got sealed boxes to turn into cash?
Tell us the brand, quantity, and expiration dates. We'll send a no-obligation cash offer and set up a local meetup across the Salt Lake Valley.