Presuming the item in question has not been damaged, you may sell back installed non-cultured bioware and cyberware for a flat 30 percent of its retail value (book price; taking into account alpha or beta mark up, if any) when changing out cyberware. You must still make an Availability test to acquire the new piece of cyberware. Cultured bioware may not be upgraded using the below rules.
You may upgrade bioware and cyberware by paying the difference between the two pieces of equipment (accounting for grades, if any) plus 20% for the doc’s time and medical materials. You may only upgrade a piece of bioware or cyberware of the same type.
For example, Kayless wants to get a better Control Rig. He currently has a Rating 2, but wants to upgrade to 3.
Martin Tate happens to have one in stock and charges him 133,200¥ for the new Control Rig (Rating 3) and keeps the Rating 2 he just pulled out of Kayless.
So, let’s do the math: Control Rig 3 costs 208,000¥ - 97,000¥ as credit on the old rig (Rating 2) = 111,000¥ for the upgrade. Now to figure out the total to include Dr. Tate’s labor and any other expenses related to the surgery (111,000¥ x 1.2 = 133,200¥).
Another example, Covon goes to Dr. Tate and asks to have his dermal plating removed so he can get titanium bone lacing instead. Dr. Tate gladly obliges, but Covon only receives 30% of the value of the dermal plating and has to pay full price for the titanium bone lacing.
Remember, if you upgrade from 3 points of "normal ware" to the equivalent in alpha grade, the alpha only takes 2.4 Essence points off, but you do not get the excess back—you simply have a 0.6 point “hole” that can be filled with something else at no further Essence cost until the “hole” is exceeded.
Betaware is available as normal during gameplay. However, keep in mind that deltaware can only be purchased and implanted through special deltaware clinics, and these are only available if a Mission gives the character access to them as a special reward. Contacts will not be able to grant you access to a Delta Clinic under normal circumstances.
Recovering from cyber-surgery takes one full calendar week.
Unfortunately this does not apply to cybersuites.