Best Ways to Sell Your Car Online

More Americans are buying their cars online. This means that selling a car online — either through online retailers like CarMax and Carvana, or through a platform like Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist — can be a good option for drivers interested in selling their car outright or valuing it as a trade-in.

Selling your car online can be more convenient and flexible: You can complete the entire car-selling process, or part of it, from the comfort of your home and at your own pace. Many online car-buying sites will even come to your home to pick up the car and hand you a check on the spot.

» MORE: How much is your car worth?

Top online car-selling platforms

CarMax

Good for selling cars of any age

CarMax buys cars directly from customers in more than 40 states. For an online appraisal, enter your car's 17-digit VIN or license plate number along with the registration information, mileage, vehicle options and any loan information. You must also provide your ZIP code, email address and fill out a brief vehicle condition questionnaire.

CarMax buys vehicles of any age and reconditions the cars it buys to sell to retail customers or sells them at auction to wholesalers. After your online appraisal you will have to bring your car to any CarMax store within seven days for a vehicle inspection. If there's no significant undisclosed damage, you will receive a bank draft on the spot for the quoted amount.

CarMax buys vehicles that are not paid off as well as leased vehicles (as long as the leasing company allows sales to independent dealers at the time).

» Read our review of CarMax

Peddle

Good for older used or damaged cars

Peddle buys cars in all 50 states, offering consumers a price online and picking up their vehicles at no cost. Trading in a vehicle isn't an option, unlike with other sites. But Peddle differs as well in that they specialize in buying old, damaged and non-working cars.

To sell your vehicle to Peddle, you’ll need to enter the year, make, model, trim and mileage, and whether you have a title and what kind (clean, salvage or rebuilt). You will also answer questions about the vehicle’s condition and damage history, and Peddle says it will email an offer within minutes.

The offer is good for seven days. If you accept the offer, Peddle will arrange a time to pick up the vehicle. Peddle contracts with professional tow-truck drivers, and those drivers conduct an inspection to make sure your car matches the description you provided online. The operator will hand you a check or cash before towing the vehicle away. (If the condition doesn't match, Peddle may calculate a new offer amount.)

» Read our review of Peddle

Carvana

Good for trade-ins and selling cars outright

Carvana buys cars outright and accepts trade-ins. The retailer says it makes its best offer upfront and will not match another price or negotiate.

To request an offer on the Carvana website, you'll provide your car's 17-digit VIN or license plate number, mileage, vehicle options and condition information. If you have a loan or lease on the car, you’ll be asked for information about that too. You’ll send photos of the current odometer reading and driver’s licenses of anyone listed on the title and registration. If you own the car, you'll need a picture of the front and back of your paper title. If you have a loan, you'll need a photo of your registration and of the 10-day payoff statement from the lender.

When you sell or trade with Carvana and live in one of its local service areas, you can arrange to have the vehicle picked up or to drop it off at a Carvana hub or vending machine. There may be a fee for home pickup. Vehicle pickup isn’t offered if you live outside of a local Carvana market. You will be responsible for getting the vehicle to a Carvana location or vending machine.

» Read our review of Carvana

GivemetheVIN

Good for motorcycles, RVs, ATVs and more

GivemetheVIN, or GMTV, buys vehicles directly from individuals for resale on the wholesale marketplace. GMTV differs from some online buyers in that it does not also sell cars directly to consumers, so trading in a vehicle is not an option.

To sell your vehicle, you’ll need to enter your car's 17-digit VIN or license plate number online along with the mileage, vehicle options and any loan information. You'll also provide your ZIP code and email address, and fill out a brief vehicle condition questionnaire.

GMTV will email an offer range within minutes. If you’re still interested, a buyer will call for more details about the car’s condition. You’ll be asked to upload photos of the exterior and interior of the car, as well as under the hood, and to provide photos and descriptions of any damage. The buyer will then get back to you with an exact offer, which is negotiable but only good for 24 hours.

Once you agree on a price, GMTV will send a sales contract to sign. GMTV will arrange to pick up the vehicle within 10 days, or you can choose to drop it off yourself at a GMTV office or a Manheim auction lot. You will receive a check on the spot.

» Read our review of GivemetheVIN

CarGurus

Good for comparing offers from multiple dealers

CarGurus buys used vehicles directly from consumers in 36 states and the District of Columbia using instant price bids from a nationwide network of car dealers. CarGurus differs from some online auto buyers in that it does not also sell cars directly to consumers, so using the sale of your car to negotiate a trade-in is not an option.

To sell your vehicle, you’ll need to enter your car's 17-digit VIN or license plate number online along with the mileage, vehicle options and any loan information. You'll also provide your ZIP code and email address and fill out a questionnaire, which asks basic questions about vehicle damage and overall condition. CarGurus CarOffer will email a cash offer, typically within a minute or two.

If you accept the offer, a CarGurus agent will reach out to arrange the details of the sale. You will be asked to describe any damage to the car and upload a photo of your driver’s license along with photos of the car’s odometer and title. Once everything is agreed, you can schedule when and where you'd like a driver to pick up your car; it's usually within three to 10 days. In the meantime, CarGurus will mail you the sales contract, which you can sign when the car is picked up. At pickup, the driver will do a visual inspection of your vehicle to ensure that it matches the description you provided online, and then hand you a check.

» Read our review of CarGurus

Algo

Good if you don’t want to trade in a car, and for small commercial vehicles

To sell your car to Algo, you’ll need to enter your car's 17-digit VIN or license plate number, mileage, vehicle options and any loan information. You'll also need to provide your ZIP code, email address and phone number and fill out a brief vehicle condition questionnaire for an estimated value.

Someone from Algo will contact you within a few hours to arrange a virtual inspection. The virtual inspection is done on a video call and takes 10 to 20 minutes. You can also opt to answer questions over the phone and upload photos instead. Algo will email or call within a couple of hours with a decision. If you receive an offer, it's good for 24 hours.

If you accept the purchase offer, you'll be asked to mail the vehicle’s title to Algo for verification. After Algo receives the title, a representative will schedule a pickup from your home or another site of your choosing. You'll receive a check on the spot.

» Read our review of Algo

» MORE: How to sell your car yourself

Alternative options for selling your car online

• Kelley Blue Book arranges instant cash offers through its network of partner dealers. Information is sent to nearby dealers for bids. Unlike Kelley Blue Book's widely known estimates of values, Instant Cash Offers provides an offer to purchase. Dealers are free to adjust value if vehicles do not meet descriptions. Offers are good for 7 days, and you must take the vehicle to the purchasing dealer.

• AutoNation buys cars through its extensive chain of new-car franchises but will make an offer online. You must deliver your vehicle to the store. Offers are good for seven days and 500 miles.

• Shift buys (and sells) cars online, including cars with loans, and may make offers on leased vehicles. Offers are good for seven days, and it offers free returns for seven days on purchased vehicles. Shift also arranges financing, and picks up as well as delivers vehicles.  But note that the company charges a service fee that is added to the purchase price. Other platforms, like Carvana, don’t charge such service fees.

How to sell your car online

1. Find out how much your car is worth. To do this, most online car-buying platforms require you to enter the car’s 17-digit vehicle identification number — or its license plate number — and confirm the make, model, mileage, color and operating condition.

You’ll also typically have to answer detailed questions about the car’s condition and history like the following: Has it been in an accident or flooded? Does it have aftermarket modifications? Does it have scratches or dents? Bear in mind that offers from online retailers may not always reflect what your car is worth; it's what these particular buyers are willing to pay at that particular moment. For example, you might get a lower offer for an older car, a high-mileage car, a car with mechanical issues or a salvage title car because such vehicles are typically not easily resold or financed.

2. Decide whether you are trading or simply selling. Most online car buyers also sell cars directly to consumers and say their trade-in price does not differ from their purchase price, meaning they won’t buy trade-in from you for a certain amount, then sell it for twice that amount.

3. Disclose current loans or leases. Many, but not all, online car-buying companies will buy a vehicle that you are still making payments on, and some will buy out a lease if the manufacturer allows it. Use an auto lease buyout calculator to see if the offer is fair. But if you owe more than the offer you receive, you must provide funds to make up the difference.

4. Provide photos of the vehicle. Alternatively, some companies may arrange to view the vehicle in person to inspect its condition. Or a company representative might wait to inspect the vehicle at the pickup or drop-off time. If the vehicle’s condition is worse than you described, the company could change its offer. Note that some buyers may not ask for this step until you have accepted an initial offer.

What to expect if you sell your car online

After you’ve accepted an offer, a representative will email or call to arrange a time to either pick up the vehicle at your home or have you drop it off at a pickup point. In most cases, fees are minimal. Some companies may charge an administrative fee, deducted from the offer price. The seller may also be charged if they back out of the signed sale agreement.

While each company handles title and registration paperwork in its own way, expect to upload copies of your registration, title and driver’s license to get the ball rolling. Sales contracts, odometer statements and power of attorney may arrive for electronic signature or through overnight mail.

Note that most companies will hand you a payment when they take the vehicle, typically via a check or a bank draft, which can take several days to clear. Some offer payment via direct deposit or even cash. Before handing off your car, be sure to remove the license plates and clear the car of any personal items and leave only the items that came with the car when you bought it, such as the car manual, keys and car mats. If your online offers don't meet your needs consider selling your used vehicle to other consumers via Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.