How To Sell a Car Online (2024 Guide) (2024)

You have a lot to consider when looking at how to sell your car online. In this article, we at the MarketWatch Guides team will help you choose the right selling platform, prepare your vehicle for sale and get the best price without getting scammed. We’ll also highlight some of the best websites to sell your car online to make the process a bit easier.

1. Find the Right Selling Platform

The three main ways to sell a car are through a private buyer, a car selling website or a local dealership. In the following sections, we’ll lay out some of the pros and cons of each method so you can decide which is the best way to sell your car.

Private Sale

Private sales are often the best way to get the most money for your vehicle. If you have the patience to list your car online and meet with buyers, you’ll often be rewarded with a higher sale price since there’s no middleman between you and the car’s next owner.

One downside is that this method requires more time and effort. If you still owe money on the car, a private buyer is also less likely to pay off your loan than a car selling company.

There are a few popular private-party car sale methods:

If you choose to sell your car in a private sale, ensure that the transaction is done as safely as possible. Avoid sharing more personal information than necessary with potential buyers. Also, make sure that you meet potential buyers in a safe, well-lit public location, such as a bank parking lot.

Car Selling Websites

You have a whole host of options if you decide to utilize a car selling site. Online dealers like Carvana and Cars.com offer convenience and a wide range of customer support services to simplify the process. You can often receive instant cash offers and have your car picked up in just a day or two.

The main drawback with this method is that you probably won’t get as much cash for your vehicle as you would with a private sale. You’ll also likely get different offers from one online dealer to the next, so it’s best to compare multiple quotes before you accept an offer.

Our Tips for Finding the Right Car Selling Website

Along with comparing offers from several sites, we suggest exploring the following criteria when looking for the best car selling website:

• Customer reviews: Pay special attention to how smooth the listing process is, how fast payments were received and whether the online dealer offers a hassle-free experience.
• Services: Free vehicle pickups and at-home inspections are two things to look for here, along with how long a company’s offer is valid.
• Industry standing: Strong ratings from organizations like the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and years in business are two things to look for when evaluating a company’s reputation.

Local Dealerships

Before you visit any car dealerships in your area, call to see if they’re interested in your vehicle. Dealers are usually more receptive to buying newer cars in good condition than old cars with high odometer readings. You’ll sometimes get interest in your vehicle as a trade-in (instead of an outright purchase) when you reach out to dealerships.

Similar to online car selling outlets, selling your vehicle to a local dealership isn’t likely to bring you the best price. After all, the dealer will want to resell the car for a profit. The convenience of this selling method is its biggest benefit.

2. Prepare Your Car for Sale

Once you’ve settled on a selling platform, it’s time to get your car ready for the marketplace. The following sections feature strategies that will help you do just that.

Find Your Car’s True Value

You need to know what your car is actually worth before you put it on the market, which is where car valuation sites come into play. The Kelley Blue Book (KBB) site has a tool that can quickly tell you your car’s value on the private market, in a dealer sale or as a trade-in.

Like the KBB site, Edmunds.com also features a tool that can tell you how much your car is worth. All you need to do is provide details about the condition of your car, its trim level and any optional features that set it apart from similar vehicles.

Improve Your Vehicle’s Condition

If anything on your vehicle is broken or overly worn, make sure to address these issues before listing it for sale. Check the tread on your tires, the condition of your brakes and whether all lights are working properly. Anything that might lead your car to fail a state safety inspection should be taken care of before you sell it.

Of course, you also need to give your car a thorough cleaning before you post a listing. Make sure to remove all personal items and clean both the interior and exterior. You’ll want the car to look as spotless as possible before taking photos. A good detailing job could make a significant difference in the sale price for even the most modest of used vehicles.

If there are too many mechanical issues to fix and the cost would be more than what you could sell the car for, it may be time to junk your car.

Take Plenty of Pictures

Having clear pictures of your car from every angle, both inside and out, is an essential part of a good online vehicle listing. Make sure to include photos of the following:

• Front and back seats
• Dashboard
• Trunk
• Engine
• Undercarriage
• All sides of the car’s exterior

A plain background like an empty parking lot is a good way to avoid shadows that might make your vehicle look dirty or dented.

Consider Getting a Vehicle History Report

A detailed listing with plenty of clear pictures and vehicle information goes a long way toward reassuring potential buyers. If you get a vehicle history report using your car’s vehicle identification number (VIN), you provide even more peace of mind to interested customers. Carfax and AutoCheck are two good resources to help you give buyers all the details they need.

3. Close the Deal

If you go the private sale route, people will assume there’s some wiggle room in your price. Be ready to negotiate by setting your asking price a bit higher than what you’d be willing to accept. You also need to be prepared to answer questions from would-be buyers, including the crucial “Why are you selling the car?”

We recommend the following strategies to make sure your private vehicle sale is successful and secure:

• Offer multiple payment options, including cash, cashier’s checks and electronic payment services like Zelle^®, Venmo and PayPal.
• Consider asking for a deposit ($500 is a reasonable figure).
• Allow serious buyers to test drive the car and have it inspected.
• For the actual transaction, meet in a public place such as a bank.
• Give the new owner a bill of sale.
• Notify the department of motor vehicles (DMV) of the sale and follow vehicle title transfer and license plate regulations.

Selling your car to an online or local dealer eliminates much of the hassle that comes with sorting through payment options, haggling over price and transferring the car title. The trade-off is that you’re highly unlikely to get as much money for your vehicle.

How To Protect Yourself From Scams

When selling a vehicle, it’s important to know how to protect yourself from scams. The following tips can help ensure a safe and successful car sale.

• Screen potential buyers: As buyers begin to express interest in purchasing your vehicle, screen the most serious buyers over the phone. Interested, legitimate buyers will be open to a phone call, which gives you the chance to ask questions about what they’re looking for and whether they have financing set up for the purchase.
• Meet potential buyers in person: This can be a helpful strategy to ensure you’re dealing with a legitimate buyer. However, make sure to bring someone you trust with you and always meet potential buyers in a well-lit public place for your safety.

• Avoid sharing personal information: Throughout the sales process, avoid sharing more personal information than you need to. When sharing service records or other relevant documents about the vehicle, make sure to cross out any details that include personal or financial information first.
• Use safe payment methods: When conducting a private sale, you want to ensure a safe and secure transaction. It’s best to only accept cash, cashier’s checks or certified checks to avoid any issues.

Our Top Picks for Car Selling Websites

There are many reputable options when it comes to car selling websites. In our team’s industry-wide review, we named Cars.com, Carvana, CarBrain, Peddle and TrueCar as our top choices for the best car selling websites.

Learn more about our top two picks, Cars.com and Carvana, below.

Cars.com: Editor’s Choice

Cars.com has been in business since 1998 and has one of the strongest reputations in the automotive market. The company holds an A+ rating and accreditation from the BBB. Cars.com gives you the option to sell your vehicle to a dealer within its network or to a private buyer in your area. Our team found that getting an offer from a Cars.com dealer was fast and easy.

Read more: Cars.com review

Carvana: Most Seamless Process

Founded in 2012, Carvana is a relative newcomer to the online car selling market. The company has made a name for itself for its simple, convenient and fast car buying process that can be done entirely from home.

An offer from the company is good for seven days. Once your car is inspected and approved, you get paid with either a cashier’s check or direct deposit. Carvana receives strong customer reviews on sites like Trustpilot and Google.

Read more: Carvana review

How To Sell a Car Online: FAQ

Below are a few frequently asked questions about how to sell a car online.

Our Methodology

Because consumers rely on us to provide objective and accurate information, we created a comprehensive rating system to formulate our rankings of the best platforms to sell your car. We collected data on several providers to grade each company in five key areas. The end result was an overall rating for each provider, with the car selling platforms that scored the most points topping the list.

Here are the factors our ratings take into account:

• Industry standing: Our research team considers ratings from industry experts and years in business when determining this score.
• Platform: Platforms that offer a variety of features, including instant offers and multiple sales options, are more likely to meet consumers’ needs.
• Cost: To compare providers’ average offer prices, our team conducted a secret shopper analysis for a variety of vehicle types. We also considered the fees companies charge to use their platforms.
• Support: Car selling companies that offer strong transaction support received the highest scores in this category. This includes offerings like free pickup service as well as how quickly you receive your payment.
• Customer experience: This score is based on customer satisfaction ratings on the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot as well as our team’s experience reaching out to each platform.

*Data accurate at time of publication.