How to Get Paid on Cars.com

If you sell your used car on Cars.com, you’re going to want to get paid. There haven’t been many great ways for sellers to get paid for their car—on Cars.com or elsewhere—until now.

We’ll show you a solution that protects you against the scammers that abound on Cars.com and other vehicle listing sites.

Cars.com is amazing for getting a lot of eyes on your listing, but it doesn’t have any transactional infrastructure.

Listings sites, such as Cars.com and eBay Motors, function as “meetingplaces.” Meetingplaces connect potential buyers and sellers—and then leave them in the lurch to negotiate all of the logistical details that go into getting the transaction done.

For example, Cars.com doesn't provide payment support. They leave you and the buyer to navigate payment on your own. Here are your options:


Fortunately, we’ve created a better way. Our payment solution is called PrivateAuto Pay. It’s so easy and intuitive, you’ll wonder where it’s been all your life.

Physical cash is a bit sketchy, especially in high-value transactions.

Here are the drawbacks to receiving a physical cash payment:


PrivateAuto Pay allows you to pay cash—digitally. All the benefits of physical cash, none of the drawbacks.

Peer-to-peer payment apps like PayPal seem convenient, but they’re awful for a private-party car transaction.


PrivateAuto Pay is like Venmo for high-dollar transactions.

Bank transfers are an annoying and cumbersome way to get paid.

1. Inconvenient. You and the buyer need to have multiple back-and-forth exchanges to orchestrate the transaction. You’ve got better things to do with your time and attention.
2. Slow. Transfers can take days to fully process due to low account limits. If you’re smart, you won’t hand over the title until you’ve received the funds into your account. This forces the buyer to pay you, then wait—an act of faith on their part. It also turns what could be a quick transaction into a drawn-out affair.
3. Potentially risky. Exposing your bank account details opens the door to fraud.

PrivateAuto Pay enables instant transfers between verified user accounts 24/7 with no limits or transfer fees. Encrypted data keeps your information secure. You get escrow-like safeguards in the palm of your hand, and the PrivateAuto deal flow keeps both you and the buyer protected.

Credit card payments have processing fees and are a potential fraud risk.

If you're smart, you won't even think of accepting a personal check unless you wait for it to clear—and who wants to deal with that delay and uncertainty?

While cashier’s checks are more trustworthy, even they can be forged. The only way for you to be certain a cashier’s check is good: meet the buyer at their bank and have the bank verify the funds.

If you want to skip the inconvenience (and the limited banker’s hours), welcome to PrivateAuto Pay.

PrivateAuto Pay is our banking integration that facilitates instantaneous, unlimited fund transfers, any time of day, any day of the week. No transfer fees. No hassle. Just pure convenience.

PrivateAuto Pay is great for users of PrivateAuto, but what about someone selling their car on Cars.com? We’re glad you asked.

We’ve created a bridge product that allows you to start a deal anywhere and finish it on PrivateAuto with PrivateAuto Pay for payments. We call it DealNow.

Here’s how DealNow works:

1. Invite the buyer to DealNow via a custom link.
2. Enjoy identity verification, in-app messaging, and a test drive scheduling feature (none of which require you to exchange contact info).
3. Meet the buyer and let the buyer drive your car.
4. You and the buyer go together through a step-by-step transaction process in which you each confirm relevant details right in the PrivateAuto mobile app. From mileage to the VIN to the condition of the vehicle, we help you both prevent any errors.
5. You and the buyer each electronically sign an official bill of sale. This is stored in your PrivateAuto account as a legal record you can refer to down the road.
6. The buyer is prompted to initiate payment via PrivateAuto Pay.
7. You instantly get a notification of funds received in your PrivateAuto Pay account and confirm receipt.
8. You sign over the car title and hand over the keys.

DealNow is so smooth, so safe, and so fast that you’ll never want to sell a car without it. No matter where you find your buyer—from Cars.com to Craigslist to the friend of a friend—DealNow will help you get the deal done and get paid, right now.