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Best Way To Sell Your Plate

Use both angles

For the fastest sale, use every method possible. This means both advertising it yourself and using dealers. The more exposure you have, the chances of selling your plate are greater. Carpet-bomb it.

Tip: Hold fairly solidly on your price. If you drop it too soon, too quickly, prospective customers who have been keeping an eye on your plate may sense that your plate isn't worth what it could be. You've read the guide, you've done your homework and you know what it's worth

Getting the money

Historically, plates have been paid for with personal cheques, bank drafts or via bank transfer. Depending on the value of your plate, you might choose different options. If the plate is low value then it might be worth using a service that charges a percentage fee – if it’s a high value plate then a fixed fee process might offer better value.

Method Typical cost
Bank draft Free (some savings accounts) to perhaps £20 per draft
Bank transfer Usually free for domestic transfers, perhaps £20 to £30 for foreign transfers
PayPal Typically 3% plus a small fee (less than one pound) per transaction
Cash Free!
Cheque Free for personal, small charge for business cheque
Western Union/ MoneyGram Flat rate for transfer and usually a high exchange rate if transferring between currencies

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Please note: At the end of 2013 all 39 local DVLA offices closed and the DVLA transferred all dealings to its national centre at Swansea. If your vehicle was registered before the end of 2013 then the street view map shown on the car registration page will point to the original office despite the fact that the office has closed.