Get more cash: Sell your used textbooks online

woman carrying books

Want to avoid the hassle of selling each book individually? 

 

Selling books online is a piece of cake. One way to sell books online is to put each book up individually, wait for someone to buy it, then you ship it and get paid. To maximize your profits that way, make sure your books are in the best condition possible. To make them sell quickly, list your book at the lowest price. Don’t worry if your books don’t sell right away – you’ll generally get the most sales at the beginning of a semester.

 

These sites have a marketplace for you to post your books and sell them on your own. It’s free to list items so you don’t pay anything unless you sell something:

 

Amazon

Shipping reimbursement: $3.99 shipping credit for books for media mail (this is what most people choose).

Commission: 6-15% commission plus $0.99 fee per sale.

How they pay you: Only through direct deposit to a checking account. You must also have a valid credit card on file. There’s a 14 day holding period for new sellers. Then you’ll be paid every 14 days if you make a sale.

 

Half.com

Shipping reimbursement: $2.64 flat rate for media mail.

Commission: This depends on the selling price. If it’s under $50, they take 15% and if the sale is more, they’ll take less. 5-15%, depending on the sale price of the book.

How they pay you: Direct deposit in a checking account only. Payment on the 15th and last day of each month.

 

ValoreBooks

Shipping reimbursement: $2.69 for media mail.

Commission: 15% per item sold.

How they pay you: Payments are issued by check but they sound like they will have direct deposit soon. They send checks on the 15th and the last day of the month.

 

If you don’t want to deal with the hassle of waiting for your books to sell before you get any money, you can sell them back directly to a website. To get a quote, just enter the ISBN numbers on your books. You’ll have to ship your books within a week or you might be paid a different amount because prices fluctuate.

 

All these sites offer free shipping back to them. You’ll also have to include any CDs or supplemental materials that came with your book and they must be in good condition. Payments are issued within 2-5 business days of receiving your books.

 

ValoreBooks
In addition to a marketplace where you can place your books for sale, they also buy back books directly.

 

eCampus

You will get paid by check, direct deposit, or store credit. They also periodically offer sweepstakes for things such as a new Apple iPad for people who complete the selling textbook process.

 

>>Use code "APOLLO" to get an additional $2 on your quote.

 

Bookbyte

You’ll also get $1 for an Amazon gift card for every book you sell over $10. Payment by check. You can also check out sell back prices from your phone.

 

Textbooks.com

They will pay you either through PayPal or by sending a check. You’ll receive 10% more for each book you sell back that you purchased from them.