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Writer's pictureJeff Guymon

Carvana Trade-In

Updated: Apr 25, 2021

Carvana boasts the saying, “your car buying experience doesn’t end once you get the keys.” Trading in a car can be a stressful process and an overall hassle, however Carvana has cut out the car dealership and reshaped the customer’s buying process by making it 100% online and easy, fast and fun. The Carvana trade-in process has been renowned for its emphasis on consumer satisfaction and high trade-in values.

This article will be addressing and answering the following questions:

This article will walk you through everything you need to know about the Carvana trade-in process with details regarding how to get your offer online, details about your trade-in offer, how you will get paid and what documents to provide to complete the process.


How do I get my trade-in offer?


Carvana offers potential customers a fast and easy trade-in tool; click here to get your real online appraisal in 2 minutes. With this tool, you are required to enter vehicle details consisting of either your license plate and state or vehicle identification number (VIN). If you don’t have either pieces of information, you can also get an estimate by entering in your vehicle’s year, make, model and trim.


Lucky for the seller, Carvana pays top-dollar for their vehicles because they rely on vehicles being sold to them in order to maintain a high inventory and grow their online collection. They also claim that they will offer you the strongest offer based on your vehicle and current market conditions.


We have created a list of tips to consider when trading in your vehicle in order to make sure you get the highest offer:

  • Search "sell to Carvana reddit" on Google to read up on other customers that traded in similar vehicles to yours

  • Research your vehicle's Kelly Blue Book (KBB) value


Use WithClutch's Vehicle Valuation Tool to find out how much your car is worth


  • Our tool offers free vehicle valuations from data compiled from offers given by Carmax, Carvana, Shift and Vroom to make sure you get the best offer possible

  • Consider the following graph showing highest bidders by odometer values to find out if Carvana is the right dealer for your vehicle

  • Within this graph, we can see that Carvana tends to offer the highest quotes on vehicles with odometer readings under 30000 or between 60000 and 90000 miles

  • This graph shows how Carvana's high offers make them oftentimes the highest bidder, and therefore winner, when bidding on a car.

  • For more analysis on trade-in values check out our in-depth article here.



What is the trade-in process like?


Now that you have received your real online offer from Carvana, you can either have the vehicle picked up or you can drop it off as early as next day. Both processes are at the customer’s convenience and on their terms.

If you are opting for vehicle pick up:

  1. Tell Carvana when and where to pick the vehicle up

  2. Your Carvana associate will complete a vehicle test drive and brief inspection before signing any paperwork

  3. Due to safety concerns about coronavirus, all paperwork will be brought to you and this will be a touchless transaction

  4. Carvana will finalize your trade-in and pay you on the spot

  5. Your new vehicle that you picked out online at Carvana.com will be brought to the transaction location and a Carvana associate will drive your old car away

If you are dropping your vehicle off at a Carvana Vending Machine or hub:

  1. You choose the nearest location to drive to

  2. Due to safety concerns about coronavirus, all paperwork will be signed through a touchless transaction

  3. Carvana will finalize your trade-in and pay you on the spot

  4. Your newly purchased used vehicle that you picked out will descend down the Vending Machine and will be prepared for you to drive home

All Carvana vehicles pass a 150-point inspection and have clean titles. Your new vehicle will come with a 100 day automotive warranty and 7 day money-back guarantee return policy to make sure it is the right fit.


Does Carvana price match or negotiate my trade in value?


Carvana will never negotiate or price match your online offer, they pride themselves on providing their best offer up front in order to make for a smooth trade-in process.

Will my trade-in quote ever change?


Your real offer is valid for 7 days or the next 1000 miles. They allow 1000 miles to account for driving during the 7 days and any travel miles to drive to the nearest Carvana Vending Machine. The appraisal amount will not differ from that of your original offer as long as the information you provided was accurate.


How and when will I get paid?


You will be handed a physical check when you arrive at the Carvana Vending Machine in your trade-in vehicle. This amount will directly reflect the amount of your online quote, except if your vehicle is not in the condition promised. In this case, your appointment will be rescheduled and a Carvana associate will make all necessary adjustments to your payment amount.


What documentation is required when trading in my car to Carvana?


Necessary documentation to bring with you to the Carvana Vending Machine include:

  1. Pictures of your vehicle’s current odometer reading

  2. Drivers license of the individual listed on the title or registration

All additional documentation needed to complete your car’s trade in process depends on whether you have a lien on the car or if you own the vehicle.

If you have a lien on the vehicle, you will need to show:

  1. A picture of your vehicle’s 10 day payoff statement

  2. A picture of the registration card

If you own the vehicle outright, you will need to show:

  1. A picture of the front and back of the trade title

  2. Include all four corners within the frame

  • If anyone other than you (the owner) is listed on the title, they must be present at time of transaction

  • If you are a Georgia resident trying to trade in your vehicle, you must be listed as owner on the front side of the title

    • If you are not listed as owner on the title, you must complete a separate transaction to buy your vehicle from the listed owner in order to complete the trade-in process



Are you interested in getting the best trade-in deal your car can get with Carvana or Carmax? You can also save big on refinancing your car loan.


WithClutch.com is a fully digital platform that lets new car owners like you lower their car payments from the comfort of their own home. No need to set a foot in a bank or credit union. You can lower your rate or get cash in as little as 20 seconds.


Follow three simple steps to refinance your auto loan, get approved in seconds and save thousands in minutes.



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