Every instant-offer site promises a fast, painless sale, but they split sharply on one practical question: does someone come to your driveway, or do you drive the car to them? Of the 20 car-selling services we track, eleven pick the vehicle up for free, two of the biggest names may charge a fee for home pickup, and a handful still require an in-person visit to a store or dealer. If your car does not run, that difference is the whole decision.
Eleven buyers that come to you for free
Free pickup is standard among the specialist and junk-car buyers, and a few mainstream services match it. Most of these hand over payment at the door, though several inspect the car at collection before the check changes hands.
| Service | Coverage | What happens at pickup |
|---|---|---|
| Peddle | US, multiple city markets | Check handed over after the pickup partner inspects the car |
| CarBrain | US contiguous states | On average paid and picked up 24-48 hours after accepting |
| Wheelzy | All 50 states | Same-day cash on the spot; offer guaranteed not to decrease |
| DamagedCars.com | US nationwide | Most cars purchased and picked up in 24-48 hours |
| Cash Auto Salvage | 50 states plus DC | Same or next-day pickup; the offer number is what they pay |
| CashForCars.com (Copart) | US nationwide, 200+ locations | Check handed over as you hand over the keys |
| Cash for Junk Cars Online | 45 states | Paid on the spot before the tow; most pickups within 24-48 hours |
| GiveMeTheVin | US nationwide | Free pick-up or drop-off; paid by check the same business day |
| CarBuyerUSA | Continental US | Free inspection, title work and pickup; inspection can take up to 48 hours |
| WhipFlip | PA, OH, DE, NJ, part of MN | Reps come to you and payment is guaranteed before keys transfer |
| Driveway | US | A valet picks up the car and you are paid on the spot, by check or digital payment |
Carvana and CarMax: home pickup exists, but read the fee language
Carvana offers driveway pickup as soon as the same day, but its site says pickup is available “for an additional service charge, for customers in specific locations” — while drop-off at Carvana hubs and vending machines is “always free.” CarMax similarly lets you choose home pickup instead of a store appointment, with the caveat that it is not available in all locations and “distance restrictions and fee may apply.” Both pay only at the appointment, after an inspection confirms the car matches what you described online. So with either, the free path is the one where you do the driving.
Where you still drive the car in
- Kelley Blue Book Instant Cash Offer — redeemed in person at a participating dealer; KBB does not pick up or pay directly
- EchoPark — you bring the car to a store, where staff confirm the online quote matches the vehicle; selling within 48 hours of the offer earns an extra 00
- AutoNation — a quick in-store inspection, then same-day payment by check or instant Zelle; no home pickup option is stated
- webuyanycar.com USA — same-day payment after an inspection at one of 87 US branches, though a mobile buying service brings the appointment to you in some areas
Cars.com Sell & Trade sits in the same camp for its instant-offer path, since the cash offer comes from a local dealer; its alternative is a free private listing where you arrange the sale yourself. PrivateAuto is fully do-it-yourself: it verifies buyers and funds for private sales, but you find the buyer and title transfer happens in person. Dealr takes the opposite approach — its AI agent negotiates across hundreds of buyers and handles the whole sale with no listings or meetups, though a typical sale completes in under 2 weeks rather than same-day.
The practical takeaway: if the car runs and you live near a store, the drive-in buyers pay same-day and cost nothing. If the car does not run, or you simply do not want to spend an afternoon at a dealership, stick to the eleven free-pickup buyers above — and before booking Carvana or CarMax home pickup, check what the service charge is for your address, because their free options assume you come to them.