Selling made easy

Selling made easy

Take the hassle out of private car sales

ID verification

Value and history report

E-sign the bill of sale

Instant payment

License plate
VIN
A valid VIN or License plate is required to list your car on PrivateAuto. Learn more

How it works

vehicle

Get listed.

get found

Get found.

get paid

Get paid.

All within a single easy app. No giving out personal details or contact information. It's so streamlined and intuitive, you'll want to sell another.
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Pricing

Listing fee
$25
Per listing, access the best tools to sell your car privately.

Includes:
  • Your vehicle’s history report
  • Window brochure with QR code
  • Verified buyer funds
  • Buyer ID verification
  • Choose which payment method you’ll accept
  • Chat, test drive, and offer features
Only pay if your car sells
Closing fee
$150
The safe and simple way to close the sale on your own.

Includes:
  • Buyer & seller ID verification
  • Offer accept/reject/counter
  • Verified buyer funds
  • E-sign the bill of sale
  • PrivateAuto Pay
  • Instant money transfer P2P
  • Available 24/7/365
  • No commission or transaction fees
Skip the listing and do the DealNow?

*Disclaimer: Account services are provided by US Alliance Financial, a licensed and insured banking institution. PrivateAuto does not facilitate or handle any funds throughout the transasction. All funds in custody of US Alliance. Buyer financing may require additional fees.

What people are saying:

Steps for Selling Your Used Car on PrivateAuto

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1. Gather necessary documentation

You’ll need your vehicle title and other needed paperwork. Each state has its own documentation requirements for selling your used vehicle, so do your research in advance.
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2. Register on PrivateAuto and get verified

To make PrivateAuto a safe place for everyone, we require email, phone, and driver’s license verification, including facial recognition.
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3. List your car

Easily create your PrivateAuto listing with our step-by-step guide. Bonus: we include a window brochure with QR code scannable to your listing.
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4. Set your terms

It’s your car, so you drive the deal! You can control when, where, and who you meet. Decide whether to accept only ID-verified buyers, or buyers with verified funds. Don’t waste your time with buyers who aren’t verified to your preference.
Vet incoming offers

5. Vet incoming offers

Manage offers in one place with the ability to accept, reject, or counter offers within the app. Listing on multiple sites? Filter all communications through PrivateAuto by sharing your listing link on all platforms. Your personal info is protected: no more giving out your phone number or email address. It all happens in our app.
Choose a buyer

6. Choose a buyer

When you find an offer you like, accept it and proceed to the next step with that buyer.
Schedule a test drive

7. Schedule a test drive

The buyer will want to test drive your car. No more back and forth texts. You never have to give out your phone number. Rather, use our handy scheduling feature to coordinate a time and place for a test drive. (Oh, and you’ll be able to finalize the transaction instantly at the test drive location, FYI.)
E-sign documents

8. E-sign documents

After the buyer is satisfied with your car and the two of you have agreed on a purchase price, you can easily e-sign the Bill of Sale within our app, from your phone. With our shared documents feature you can easily locate the paperwork needed after the sale.
Get paid, instantaneously

9. Get paid, instantaneously

Before PrivateAuto, receiving funds was the most stressful part of the entire selling process, especially for any used car sale over $5,000. There just aren’t a lot of good ways to move large amounts of money conveniently and quickly. Those days are over! Verify and receive funds instantly with PrivateAuto Pay, our innovative banking integration. Guaranteed funds for transactions large and small.
Transfer title

10. Transfer title

Both you and the seller will fill out the necessary information on the back of the car title document.
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11. Cancel Insurance

You don’t want to pay for insurance on a car you no longer own, so be sure to remove the sold vehicle from your insurance plan.

Where is the Best Place to Sell My Car?

When looking to sell your used car privately, you have a few options:

01

PrivateAuto

02

Sell to an online dealer

Such as Carvana or CarMax

03

Local classifieds

04

Online marketplace

Such as CarGurus, Cars.com, or AutoTrader

05

Auction site

such as CarsAndBids, BringATrailer, or eBay Motors

Dangling car keys in front of car blurred out in the background

Private Sale vs Selling to a Dealership

The main benefit of selling your own vehicle to an individual buyer is that you have full control over the price and all negotiations.

Private sellers often get a better price for their used vehicles, since dealerships need to buy low and sell high to make a profit.

In almost all cases, you’re likely to get more money for your car if you sell it yourself versus trading it in or selling to a dealership.

Worried about the amount of time and effort it might take to sell your car privately? That's what PrivateAuto's self-service application is for! We take the work out of private car sales.

PrivateAuto vs Online Dealers


PrivateAuto vs Local Classifieds


Advantages of Classifieds Marketplaces


Disadvantages of Classifieds


PrivateAuto vs Other Automotive Marketplaces


PrivateAuto vs Automotive Auction Sites


The Best Place to Sell Your Used Car Online


How to Sell My Used Car in Each State?

Different states have different requirements when it comes to issues such as:

Whether to leave license plates on the car or remove them
Whether a bill of sale is required or not
Whether an inspection is required or not

That’s why we’ve created a specific guide to selling your car in each state. Click on your state below to learn more.

Where Can I Sell My Car for the Most Money?

Generally, you can sell your car for the most money by going directly to the end buyer and cutting out the middlemen.
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Sell Directly to Private Car Buyers

This means avoiding brokers and dealers who buy used cars and resell them.

CarMax
Carvana
Dealerships
Etc

These intermediaries need to make a spread on every vehicle, so they have an incentive to pay as little as possible for your used vehicle, and to sell it for as much as possible to the buyer.

By selling directly to the person shopping for a new car, you can ask more for your vehicle than a broker or dealer would generally be willing to pay.
Holding cell phone

Use Direct-to-Buyer Marketplaces

To get the most money for your used car, sell it on a marketplace that connects you directly to buyers. These come in many forms, including:

Classifieds
eBay Motors
CarsAndBids
AutoTrader
Craigslist
CarGurus
PrivateAuto
Etc

The Most Secure and Convenient Direct-to-Buyer Solution

Of all the direct-to-buyer marketplaces you could list your vehicle on, only PrivateAuto has the following set of benefits:

Avoid scammers and fakes through buyer verification
Keep your info private by communicating and scheduling through our app
Cut down paperwork hassle with built-in e-signing of the bill of sale
Receive your money quickly and securely with our integrated banking solution

Where Can I Sell My Car for Cash Today?

If you’re in a hurry to sell your car, you can list it across multiple marketplaces to get maximum exposure.

Steer clear of auction-style sites and choose classifieds or marketplace sites that allow you to sell same-day, directly to buyers.

Fortunately, PrivateAuto lets you manage multiple listings through the PrivateAuto app.

You may also consider listing it for less than full market value to get offers pouring in.

Interested in buying a used car? Browse used cars for sale!

Interested in buying a used car?

FAQ on Selling Used Cars


What is the best way to sell a car for cash?

Selling your car online can open you up to a wide audience and allow you to get the best possible price for your car. Avoid dealer and broker sites and stick with peer-to-peer marketplaces.

If you want ultimate convenience, safety, and security for selling your used car, PrivateAuto offers an end-to-end marketplace with integrated banking for instant transactions any time.

Why are private vehicle sales better?


What is PrivateAuto?


Which is the best platform to sell used cars?


Is Carvana a legitimate company?


How does PrivateAuto help me manage offers?


Which is better: CarMax vs Carvana?


Does CarMax give good trade-in value?


How does PrivateAuto vet buyers and sellers?


Is selling your car online a good idea?


Does PrivateAuto provide the necessary paperwork for a successful transfer of ownership?


How secure is the PrivateAuto Pay feature?


What paperwork do I need to sell my car privately?


What do I do with my license plates after I sell my car?


Who pays sales tax on a used car transaction?