How the deposit works
By Great Little CarsUpdated October 6, 20262 min read
A deposit holds a car for you while you finish your deal, so nobody else buys it in the meantime. It's refundable.
$100Usual deposit
3 daysWe hold the car
RefundableBack to how you paid
Put it down online or at the counter. The hold is 3 days unless the listing or your confirmation shows a different one.
What happens next
| You buy the car | The deposit counts toward the price. |
| You change your mind during the hold | Tell us and we refund it to the card or account you paid with. |
| The hold runs out first | The hold ends and the car can go to another buyer. We refund your deposit. |
| You'd rather have a different car | We can move your deposit to it. |
Refunds go through our payment processor and usually take three to ten business days to show on your statement.
How to put one down
Online, it's the last step of Buy online on the car's page: pay with a card or Apple Pay. In person, we take it at the counter. You get a receipt either way.
Not ready to commit? You can send us your deal without a deposit. We'll still work on it, but the car stays for sale until you put one down.
The full rules are in section 6 of our Terms of Service.