MASSAPEQUA, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jul 15, 2026--
Back-to-school shopping has evolved far beyond notebooks and backpacks. For many families, laptops, tablets, smartphones, calculators, headphones, and other technology have become essential classroom tools, making back-to-school one of the biggest technology shopping seasons of the year—and one of the most expensive. With manufacturers now warning of rising technology prices driven by ongoing memory chip shortages, many families may find this year's purchases even more expensive than expected.
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At the same time, millions of households are sitting on an overlooked source of savings. According to a recent consumer survey, 39% of Americans keep old electronics tucked away in drawers instead of selling or recycling them, often because they're unsure how to securely erase their personal information or simply don't know what to do with them.
PayMore is encouraging families to rethink those forgotten devices by turning them into cash, trading them toward an upgrade, or responsibly recycling them—all while offering professionally tested pre-owned technology at a fraction of the cost of buying new.
As part of its annual Back-to-School campaign, PayMore is offering $10 off qualifying purchases of $100 or more from July 6 through August 31. Combined with the value customers receive from selling or trading in their old devices, the promotion gives families another way to make their technology budgets go further.
"One of the easiest ways to lower back-to-school technology costs is to use the technology you already own to help pay for the technology you actually need," said Erik Helgesen, President and Co-Founder of PayMore. "We see customers every day with phones, tablets, laptops, gaming systems, and other electronics collecting dust at home. Those devices often still have real value, and that value can go directly toward this year's back-to-school shopping."
Unlike retailers that only sell electronics or companies that only recycle them, PayMore gives consumers one trusted destination to buy, sell, trade, and responsibly recycle technology. Customers can purchase professionally tested pre-owned technology, receive instant cash for electronics they no longer need, trade in devices toward future purchases, or responsibly recycle electronics that have reached the end of their useful life.
Every device brought into PayMore is professionally evaluated to maximize its useful life. Before any eligible device is prepared for resale, it undergoes secure data removal to help protect customers' personal information. Whenever possible, electronics are repaired, refurbished, and resold, extending their lifespan while making quality technology more affordable for the next owner. Devices that can no longer be reused are responsibly processed through PayMore's growing network of certified downstream recovery partners, helping recover valuable materials while reducing unnecessary electronic waste.
"One of the biggest reasons people hold onto old electronics is uncertainty," said Stephen Preuss Sr., CEO and Co-Founder of PayMore. "They're worried about protecting their personal information or they simply don't know where to take them. Our goal is to remove those barriers by providing one trusted destination where customers can buy, sell, trade, and responsibly recycle technology with confidence."
The initiative also reflects the continued evolution of PayMore X, the company's long-term vision to create a complete technology lifecycle ecosystem where consumers can buy, sell, trade, recover, refurbish, and responsibly recycle electronics through one trusted destination.
As PayMore continues expanding throughout North America and internationally, the company is bringing affordable technology, trusted electronics recovery, and responsible recycling to more communities than ever before. The company recently surpassed 100 multi-unit franchise agreements signed, reflecting continued demand for its technology resale and recovery model while opening new locations across the United States, Canada, and internationally.
For more information about PayMore's Back-to-School promotion or to find a nearby location, visit PayMore.com.
About PayMore
PayMore was founded in 2011 in Massapequa, New York to obtain and repurpose old electronics and recirculate them back into the marketplace instead of having them pile up in landfills. What started as a mission-driven store on Long Island has quickly become the fastest-growing electronics franchise in the country. By offering customers a boutique retail experience where they can safely sell unwanted electronics and buy new devices.
The brand began franchising in 2020 and now has over 130 operating locations in North America with nearly 500 in current development. In 2025, PayMore was named Gold Stevie® Award Winner – Company of the Year, Green and Clean Technology, recognizing its commitment to sustainability and innovation in the electronics resale industry.
PayMore Stores is a new-age global franchise driving the modern evolution of elevated retail—disrupting the second-hand industry with nimble brick & mortar locations propelled by technology, data, and e-commerce.
Families shopping at PayMore can buy professionally tested pre-owned technology, sell or trade in unwanted electronics, and responsibly recycle devices, helping make back-to-school technology more affordable.
BANGKOK (AP) — Victims of this week’s flash fire at a Bangkok music ba r that took more than 30 lives included four of the six core members of the band playing when the blaze broke out.
The fate of the Totsakan band has been a key focus in Thailand's coverage of the blaze, and as residents expressed their sadness, confusion, outrage and demands for compensation on Wednesday, the sister of the group’s late keyboard player struck a particular note of grace.
“If I can be his representative, I think he would say he doesn’t want to see everyone sad and cry,” said Chanyanuch Pudmon, the sister of keyboard player Preutthipong Pudmon, as she and other family members retrieved his body from Bangkok’s Institute of Forensic Science. “He would not want everyone to see him as he is now, but please remember his smile on stage, playing music that he loves.”
The fire that broke out Sunday night killed at least 32 people and left more than 70 injured, 15 of whom are still in critical condition, according to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration. Wiroon Supasingsiripreecha, chief of the forensic institute, told reporters Wednesday that most of the victims died from smoke inhalation, while a few died from burn injuries.
What set off the blaze at the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar in northern Bangkok and why it caused so many casualties is under investigation. Authorities are looking at whether the venue’s ceiling had especially flammable soundproofing foam, whether its exits were accessible and unlocked and whether the venue was legally registered.
Totsakan was a house band at the bar, and every Sunday they played the kind of good-time roots music that is popular especially in rural areas where traditional beats are played on modern instruments.
The band’s members were among the first to spy a spark from a circuit breaker that may have set off the blaze that roared across the ceiling, which experts suspect was covered with highly combustible material. People rushed for the few and narrow exits in what they said was total darkness.
The chaos was such that even after the blaze was put under control by firefighters and the injured taken to hospitals, it was unclear who had survived and who had perished. However for the band’s leader and singer, Atipat Wijan -- nickname “Ice” -- a big blow came right away.
In an interview with Thai TV Channel 3 just hours after the flames were extinguished, he recalled how the band’s bass player called him to tell him that Nahatai Sajjalert, the lead female singer nicknamed “Breeze″ — who was also his girlfriend — was undergoing CPR in back of the still-smoldering building.
Ice said he tried helping the EMS team resuscitate her, but she could not be revived.
“She wasn’t burned at all. Her body was completely intact. She just looked like she was peacefully asleep,” he recalled.
Ice said it was originally believed that keyboardist Puttipong -- nickname “Kwang” -- had been found and hospitalized, but that was a misunderstanding. He never made it out of the bar. Nattapat Thamnita, or “Biw,” the band’s drummer, was evacuated in critical condition, but also did not survive.
Misery extended to Wednesday when the band announced that its other male singer, Thitiwat Kaewkanha, had died in hospital. He was initially feared dead, but had then turned up hospitalized after a day of frantic searching. According to Thai Rath, Thailand’s most popular newspaper, Thitiwat, whose nickname is “Din,” had burns over 80% of his body.
Other survivors and family members of victims of the fire visited a police station on Wednesday to seek compensation, gather belongings and give their testimony.
Natthaphong Lakhorn, 26, was at the beer hall on the night of the fire with four companions. He was sitting near the stage when the fire broke out. He recounted seeing white smoke coming from the stage, which he at first thought was an effect from dry ice before realizing it was the start of a fire.
“When the fire broke, I just ran, and then all power went out,” said Natthaphong, who said that one of his companions, a relative, died in the fire. “It was so hectic."
Natthaphong said he escaped through the back door of the bar near the bathrooms and that there was a security guard there who was using a flashlight to lead people out, contradicting reports from police that the door was not used. He said he did not recall hearing a fire alarm.
Bandages covered both of Natthaphong’s ears and part of his forehead. Before registering with the police, he said that he plans to seek compensation for his injuries.
Kanticha Singkhon, 25, was at the police station to pick up a handbag and other personal belongings of her mother, who died in the fire. With her mother gone, Kanticha said she is now responsible for her younger brother. She said she wanted the bar owners to be the one who reach out to the victim's families “because they would be going back to their hometowns by now. They won’t have time because each victim came from far away," she said.
A lawyer representing the bar owners told local media that survivors and family members will initially receive 10,000 baht (approximately $300) in compensation.
“It’s not enough money for a funeral — I had to take a loan to arrange my mom’s funeral,” Kanticha said. “I have not had any financial arrangements, and no one has contacted me."
A previous version of this article included an outdated figure of 24 people in critical condition. It has been corrected to use the updated figure of 15.
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Khemmapat Rojwanichkun in Bangkok contributed to this report.
Burned musical instruments sit in front of a music bar fire in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, July 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Kanticha Singkhon, 25, picks up the personal belongings of her mother, who died in Sunday's bar fire, at Phahonyothin Police Station in Bangkok, Thailand on Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)
Musical band leader Atipat Wijan sits with the coffin containing the body of his wife Nahatai Sajjalert who was a victim in a music bar fire as it is transferred from a police hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A relative of a musician Preutthipong Pudmon victim, a victim in a music bar fire, stands beside his portrait as she receives his body at a police hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A relative of a victim in a music bar fire sits near the coffin containing the victim's body inside a vehicle as it is transferred from a police hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, July 15, 2026, (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
Natthaphong Lakhorn, a 26-year-old survivor of the Rong Beer Na Ladprao bar fire, speaks to journalists outside the Phahonyothin Police Station in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, July 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Anton L. Delgado)
In this image made from video provided by Instagram handle @jackfanchan, people move around a fire at a bar in Bangkok, Thailand, Monday, July 13, 2026. (@jackfanchan via AP)
Bottles are seen sitting atop burned tables inside the music bar where a fire killed a number of people in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
A coffin of a victim in a music bar fire is prepared to be handed over to the relatives, unseen, at a police hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A relative of a victim in a music bar fire pays respect to the victim's body at a police hospital in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)
A man puts flowers outside the music bar where a fire killed a number of people in Bangkok, Thailand, Tuesday, July 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Wason Wanichakorn)
