Carvana pays you at your vehicle pickup or drop-off appointment, either by printed check or ACH direct deposit. You choose which option you prefer when you schedule the appointment, and the amount is based on the offer you accepted online minus any remaining loan balance on the vehicle.
Payment Options
Carvana gives you two ways to receive your money:
- Printed check: You receive a physical check at the time of your appointment. This check must be deposited with a bank teller in person; mobile deposit is not an option for these checks. Once deposited, your bank’s standard hold policies apply, so funds may not be available immediately.
- ACH direct deposit: Carvana sends the payment electronically to your bank account. Transfers typically take one to two business days to process, though some ACH transfers can take two to five business days depending on your bank.
There is no instant payment option like Zelle or Venmo. If you need the fastest access to your money, the printed check handed to you at pickup is technically in your hands sooner, but clearing times at your bank could make ACH just as fast or faster.
When You Still Owe Money on the Car
If you have an existing auto loan, Carvana pays your lender directly for the remaining balance. What happens next depends on whether your car is worth more or less than what you owe.
When your Carvana offer is higher than your loan payoff amount, you have positive equity. Carvana sends the payoff to your lender and pays you the difference using whichever payment method you selected. For example, if Carvana’s offer is $18,000 and your loan payoff is $12,000, you receive $6,000.
When your loan balance is higher than the offer, your car has negative equity. If you’re simply selling the vehicle to Carvana without buying one from them, you need to pay Carvana the difference out of pocket. If you’re trading the car in as part of a Carvana purchase, the negative equity gets factored into the price of the new vehicle. When financing through Carvana, part of that negative equity can be rolled into your new loan, but any remaining amount must be paid upfront as part of your down payment.
What Happens at the Appointment
Carvana either picks up your car at your location or you drop it off at a Carvana vending machine or hub. At that appointment, a Carvana representative inspects the vehicle to confirm it matches the condition you described when getting your offer. You hand over the keys, your title (or proof of payoff if your lender holds the title), and any required documents. Payment is issued right there if you chose a check, or initiated electronically if you chose ACH.
The entire handoff usually takes under 15 minutes. If the vehicle’s condition doesn’t match what you reported online, Carvana may adjust the offer before completing the transaction. You can accept the revised amount or decline and keep your car.
How Long Until You Have the Money
With a printed check, you walk away with payment in hand but still need to visit your bank to deposit it. Most banks make funds from cashier’s or business checks available within one to two business days, though your bank may place a longer hold on large amounts.
With ACH, the transfer is initiated at your appointment and typically arrives in one to two business days. In some cases it can take up to five business days. Weekends and bank holidays don’t count as business days, so selling on a Friday afternoon could mean waiting until the following week to see the deposit.
If your car has a lien, the lender payoff process runs on a separate timeline. Carvana sends the payoff amount to your lender, and the lender releases the title. This can take 10 to 30 days depending on the lender, but it doesn’t delay your personal payment. You still get your equity portion at the appointment or shortly after via ACH.
What You Need to Bring
To get paid without delays, have these ready for your appointment:
- Vehicle title: If you own the car outright, bring the signed title. If your lender holds it, Carvana coordinates the payoff and title transfer directly with them.
- Valid photo ID: A driver’s license or state-issued ID matching the name on the title.
- Loan payoff information: If you still owe on the car, have your lender’s 10-day payoff amount and account number available.
- Bank account details: If you chose ACH, you’ll need your routing and account numbers.
- All sets of keys: Hand over every key and key fob you have for the vehicle.
Registration must be current, and the car needs to be drivable and free of major undisclosed damage. Missing any of these items could delay or cancel the appointment, pushing your payment back until everything is resolved.