You’re considering a side-hustle that involves selling new or used items, and OfferUp has caught your attention. But you might have concerns about potential scams or wonder if there’s a better platform for your needs. This comprehensive OfferUp review covers everything you need to know about the app and whether it’s truly a viable side-hustle opportunity.
How Does OfferUp Work?
OfferUp is a highly-rated marketplace app that connects local buyers and sellers. The platform supports everything from books and electronics to clothing and vehicles, whether new or previously owned.
During setup, the app requests your location to enable local buying and selling. You can either create a new account or connect through Facebook. Using Facebook is the smarter choice—it automatically verifies your email and imports a profile picture, making your account appear more trustworthy to potential buyers.
The selling process couldn’t be simpler. Just snap photos of your item, fill in the details (category, condition, description), set your asking price (with options to mark it as firm), and choose your delivery method. The app guides you through their streamlined 4-step process, then buyers can discover your listing and submit offers.
For delivery, you have two options: meet buyers locally in person or use OfferUp’s nationwide shipping service, which expands your potential customer base significantly.
When arranging in-person meetups, OfferUp’s built-in map suggests safe, public locations. After selecting a spot, you can share the location directly with your buyer. Both parties receive a GPS-compatible link to ensure everyone finds the meeting place easily.
For in-person transactions, cash is the only acceptable payment method. Never accept checks, credit cards, or alternative payment forms—this is precisely how scammers operate. Check the image below for additional safety tips during meetups.
With shipped items, OfferUp handles payment processing. Buyers can use major credit and debit cards for purchases. Once delivery is confirmed, your earnings transfer to your designated account within five business days. OfferUp charges either $1.99 minimum or 12.9% service fee for shipped items.
The platform features a mutual rating system—buyers rate sellers and vice versa. Positive reviews boost your credibility with future buyers, while buyer ratings help you identify reliable customers.
Now that you understand OfferUp’s mechanics, let’s explore the platform’s advantages and disadvantages.
OfferUp Advantages
OfferUp’s primary strength lies in its established marketplace presence. As one of the most popular buying and selling apps, it typically attracts far more users than competitors like LetGo. This larger user base translates to more potential buyers for your items—crucial for a successful side-hustle.
The review system provides users with greater confidence compared to platforms like Craigslist. Building positive reviews increases your selling potential, as buyers gravitate toward trusted sellers.
Safety features like TruYou identity verification enhance trust between users. These verification processes help distinguish legitimate sellers from potential scammers.
The app’s user-friendly interface makes selling virtually effortless. Unlike other platforms, OfferUp charges no listing or selling fees, meaning you keep more profit from each sale.
Location suggestions via the integrated map streamline meetup arrangements. For maximum convenience and passive income potential, the shipping option provides access to a nationwide buyer pool.
Smart organization helps buyers discover your listings through search functionality, category sorting, and separate “Pick up” and “Shipping” sections. This targeted approach connects you with buyers seeking your preferred transaction method.
Finally, the firm pricing option lets you reduce negotiation attempts, potentially securing higher sale prices. However, this strategy might decrease inquiries, so experimentation may be necessary depending on your items.
OfferUp Disadvantages
OfferUp’s main drawbacks stem from risks inherent to any peer-to-peer marketplace: potential scammers. In-person meetups carry scam risks, though insisting on cash payments eliminates most threats. Click here to learn more about avoiding common scams.
The shipping feature’s fees represent another significant drawback. While this option increases convenience and buyer reach, it comes at a cost to your profits.
Though the rating system builds trust, it can work against sellers who don’t meet expectations. Maintain honesty about item conditions, respond promptly to messages, and ensure timely deliveries to avoid negative reviews that could damage future sales.
Finally, while OfferUp’s large user base increases buyer exposure, it also intensifies seller competition. If you’re pricing items significantly higher than similar listings, expect fewer inquiries or aggressive discount requests.
Is OfferUp Worth It?
For sellers, OfferUp offers an excellent opportunity to generate extra income. It’s an incredibly viable side-hustle because you can essentially host a garage sale without the actual inconvenience. The platform simplifies selling, the review system minimizes scam risks, and smart practices ensure smooth transactions.
Creative entrepreneurs can even source discounted items on OfferUp and resell them on other platforms like Facebook Marketplace for profit. Just educate yourself on buyer scam prevention to avoid purchasing defective or misrepresented items.
Are There Other Apps Like OfferUp?
Multiple platforms exist for item selling. There are numerous apps like OfferUp available.
Beyond mobile apps, several websites offer viable alternatives:
- LetGo
- Facebook Marketplace
- Craigslist
- Poshmark
Options like eBay and Mercari exist, but their 10% selling fees make OfferUp or the four alternatives mentioned above more profitable choices.
While each platform has unique pros and cons, the optimal strategy for serious side-hustlers is listing items across multiple platforms.
Depending on your area, LetGo might actually have more active buyers than OfferUp.
Facebook Marketplace offers an even broader audience since Facebook has existed longer, maintains a larger user base, and works on both mobile and desktop. Less tech-savvy users who avoid mobile shopping apps often prefer Facebook Marketplace. Additionally, Facebook Marketplace typically commands higher prices, improving your profit potential. Still, cross-post on OfferUp and LetGo to compare offers.
Craigslist remains another excellent selling platform. Many users achieve great success, though the absence of a rating system requires extra caution.
Poshmark excels for anyone wanting to sell new or used clothes online. If you’re clearing out outdated or unworn clothing, Poshmark is among the top platforms for this purpose.
Wrapping Up
Bottom line: OfferUp itself isn’t a scam. You can genuinely earn money selling items through the app with relative ease. The platform offers great convenience, though in-person meetups require travel. The shipping option increases passivity but reduces profits.
Stay vigilant about potential scammers across all selling platforms. For maximum selling success and higher prices, list items on multiple platforms simultaneously. Now it’s time to start your side-hustling journey!
OfferUp bought out LetGo and kept the lesser of the two sites. OfferUp does not allow you to edit your posting after a few weeks, you can only mark it as Sold and then repost it. The notification of OfferUp is through emails, I guess that is better than snail mail but not by much. I would recommend not using OfferUp but most of these Apps are just as bad. If they would only read their feedback and make corrections. When we login we should see a list of our postings for editing.
This company lost a court case last year, where they were selling it’s users driver’s license information to 3rd party companies – and did so without permission.
So anyone who signed up to sell on there last year or earlier, well guess what? Some British company called Onfido Inc. bought up your personal info / driver’s license that you scanned in to be able to sell on the app.
Google search “offerup onfido” and you will see plenty of info about it. It is beyond unethical.