How To Get Paid With Venmo When Selling Your Car

Venmo won’t cut it for most car transactions—unless you want to do the deal over days or weeks with multiple fund transfers. With a limit of $4,999, Venmo is too lightweight, unless you’re selling an old beater.

We’ll show you a better way to get paid for your car—safely and quickly.

How To Get Paid for a Used Car with Venmo

If you’ve got an old junker that’s priced under Venmo’s $4,999.99 weekly transfer limit, here’s how to proceed:

  1. Confirm that your Venmo account is set up and linked to your bank account or debit card.
  2. Arrange to meet the buyer in a safe, public location.
  3. Let the buyer inspect the vehicle, check the VIN, and take it for a test drive.
  4. If they’re ready to buy, have them send the payment to your Venmo username.
  5. Wait for the payment confirmation (this usually takes a few minutes).
  6. Once you’ve received confirmation, take off your license plates, hand over the keys, and sign over the title.

Other Reasons Venmo Isn’t Great for Car Sales

Beyond its low transaction limits, Venmo has several other drawbacks that make it less than ideal for car sales:

No Buyer Verification

Venmo doesn’t verify the identity of its users beyond basic account creation. As a seller, you could be dealing with a buyer using a fake name or stolen identity. For high-value transactions, this lack of verification leaves you vulnerable to fraud.

No Integrated Bill of Sale

Venmo provides no way to create or sign a bill of sale. Without this document, you have no proof of the agreed-upon terms of sale. If the buyer later claims the car wasn’t as described or there are issues after the sale, you’ll lack the documentation needed to protect yourself in a dispute.

Lack of Vehicle-Specific Features

Venmo has no features tailored to vehicle transactions. You can’t record the odometer reading, transfer the title, or handle other car-specific details within the app. This leaves you to manage these crucial aspects of the car-selling process on your own.

Risk of the Money Going to the Wrong Person

Venmo transactions are based on usernames or phone numbers. If the buyer makes a typo or you provide incorrect information, the buyer’s money could go to someone else. Not good.

No Seller Support for Large Transactions

If something goes wrong with your car sale, Venmo’s customer support isn’t equipped to handle the complexities of high-value vehicle transactions. You’ll be left to resolve any issues on your own, which could be problematic if the buyer disputes the transaction.

A Better Way to Get Paid for Your Car

DealNow gives you Venmo-like convenience, with no transaction limits. In an intuitive workflow that guides you through every stage of the transaction. 

  • Bank-level security: Your funds are protected with advanced encryption and held in an FDIC-insured account. You can easily transfer the money to your regular bank account.
  • No transaction limits: Selling a luxury vehicle or a collectible car? No problem. 
  • Instant funds: Just like Venmo, you’ll receive payments instantly. No waiting for checks to clear or bank transfers to process.
  • Works around the clock: DealNow operates 24/7/365, just like Venmo. Want to close the deal on a holiday? You’ll still get your money right away.
  • Buyer identity verification: Unlike Venmo, DealNow verifies the buyer’s identity. This gives you extra peace of mind when selling your vehicle.
  • Escrow-like safeguards: Both you and the buyer complete a digital bill of sale in the app. This protects you and the buyer and circumvents the catch-22 common with high-dollar private-party transactions (you won’t release the car until you’ve been paid, and the buyer doesn’t want to part with funds until they have some assurance they’ll get the car. A digital bill of sale stored in the cloud gives the necessary assurances so the transaction can proceed.

Ready to sell your car?

Payments FAQ

What is the safest payment method when selling a car?

DealNow is the safest payment method when selling a car. Unlike physical cash or checks, DealNow does instant, verified transfers of any amount directly between you and the buyer.

DealNow’s platform ensures secure transactions by:

  • Verifying both parties’ identities
  • Confirming the buyer has sufficient funds before the transaction
  • Providing a digital bill of sale
  • Enabling instant transfers without transaction limits

With DealNow, you get the immediacy of cash with Venmo-like mobile simplicity. Funds are held in FDIC-insured accounts with easy offboarding to your regular bank.

Personal checks are the least secure payment method for sellers, especially in high-value transactions such as car sales. Here’s why:

  • Bounced checks: There’s no guarantee of sufficient funds in the buyer’s account.
  • Delayed verification: It can take days for a check to clear, leaving you in limbo.
  • Fraud risk: Fake or altered checks can be difficult to spot immediately.

PayPal is not ideal for high-value sales. 

  • PayPal charges a 2.9% + $0.30 fee for goods and services. For a $60,000 vehicle, that’s almost $1,800 in fees.
  • Buyers can dispute transactions for up to 180 days, which could cause issues long after the sale.

DealNow facilitates high-dollar transactions without percentage-based fees.

To maximize your car’s value, go for a private sale rather than a dealership trade-in. Here’s why private sales give better results:

  1. Cut out the middleman: Dealerships factor in their profit margin, while private buyers pay directly for the car’s worth.
  2. You’re in charge of pricing: Set your asking price based on research, not a dealer’s evaluation.
  3. Showcase what makes your car special: Highlight specific features or maintenance that boost your car’s value.
  4. Sell on your own timeline: Avoid the sales pressure often found at dealerships.
  5. Connect with motivated buyers: Private buyers may pay a premium for a car that perfectly matches their desires.

While private sales require more effort, they typically net 15–25% more than trade-ins. To get the best return, research your car’s market value, craft an appealing listing, and prepare for meetings with potential buyers.

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Be the first to know when DealNow for dealers goes live.

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Join the waitlist!

Be the first to know when DealNow for dealers goes live.

Interested in*