You're a broke college student and want to get rid of the mound of books in the corner of your dorm. If you take them to the school bookstore, you know you're going to end up earning back a quarter of what you paid if you're lucky. So, what other options do you have?
If you're willing to invest time and effort, various online sites will help you sell your used books. You can choose a book-focused online platform, a big retailer, or even your social networking apps to help you get rid of your books and build your bank account.
If you're interested in learning the best way to sell used books online, you've come to the right place. Take the high road and sell textbooks online! Avoid the disappointment of waiting in line at the school bookstore for your pennies in return. We've found some of the best options to generate the highest return on your academic books for the least effort.
Online Platforms
These online sites primarily focus on selling textbooks and textbook buybacks. They know their stuff and will likely offer you the best money to buy back your used book. If you're willing to put in the time and the effort, you can find where you will receive the most return on the book you've used all semester. With a few extra steps, you'll reap the benefit of your commitment.
Bookscouter.com
At the top of our list is BookScouter. This online platform provides prospective sellers insight into over 35 textbook buyback sites and guides them to what site will offer them the most money for the used textbook they're selling. Frankly, it's one of the best book buyback places for students to visit before branching onto any other site.
BookScouter gives you an insight into where your book is most in demand and where you will receive the highest payment. If you're looking for an easy way to buy books, BookScouter will also provide information on where to purchase a text for the most cost-effective price. There's no other way to say it – this site helps your money-saving and income-generating needs.
Booksrun
BooksRun allows you to sell your college textbook and get paid cash. They claim to buy back books at some of the best prices. They send you prepaid shipping labels, meaning you won't pay anything for shipping. However, they mention that free shipping is available to US residents only. Search the ISBN of your college textbook on their site, and you can then choose to either sell the book or view buy/sell/rent offers. You can find the ISBN on the back cover of the textbook you used.
You can take your books to a USPS or FedEx location by selling textbooks through the site. Once they receive your shipment, you get paid via PayPal or check within four days. They recommend not using a drop-off box because it can lead to delayed delivery. Bringing it to a collection facility will also allow you to track the shipment. This is an excellent service that makes selling textbooks online easy. You might find it here if you're looking for the best price for your used book.
Cash4books
Cash4Books is another excellent option if you're looking to sell textbooks at the end of the semester. One of the most desirable features of the site is that before you even list your book for sale, you can get a price quote for the particular text's going rate. You do this by entering the ISBN on the book's back cover into the search bar. The ISBN is a 10 to 13-digit number on your book's back cover. Searching by ISBN ensures you will find the exact book you need.
Once you receive a price quote, you can select if you want to sell your book through the platform. If you elect to move forward, you'll ship your textbooks for free to the distributor, who will then sell your book for you. The significant part is that you won't have to wait until your book sells to another individual for payment.
Since you're accepting the quote Cash4Books gives you, they will pay you through PayPal the minute they receive your book, no questions asked. On average, it takes about 13 days to receive your payment after placing an order. It's a simple, secure, and minimal effort on your end. If you want a direct method, Cash4Books is it. They have excellent customer service and a great way to sell used books online.
Student2student
Student2Student works for sellers in several ways. It connects you with others who are seeking the texts you're selling. You can arrange your book's sale through their network, and it will offer you convenience by referring other students on your campus to your sales. It eliminates the need to ship and creates a quick and easy way to unload your books.
If you buy a textbook and can't find a used copy within the network, the site will compare prices to help you find the cheapest books. There are no fees to use the service, and since you get free shipping, there are no costs. Connect with the buyer or seller who matches your needs, and they'll handle the rest. This is the place to do it if you want to compare prices to find the best price for your used books.
Decluttr
Decluttrlets you sell old textbooks, books, video games, CDs, DVDs, and your old smartphones. It's effortless to use. Search the site's database or use their app to find the items you're selling. Once you find your things, they will give you a price. Confirm the sale if you're satisfied with it, and then you can ship. If you're unsure about the buyback price, you can always compare prices with other textbook buyback places.
At that point, there are only a couple of steps left. They'll send you a free shipping label when you first join, but you must print labels for additional boxes. Then, please bring it to a UPS drop-off location. You can adhere the title to the parcel, but UPS will usually do that for you. Once your items are received, you'll receive payment via PayPal, check, or direct deposit the next business day. You may also donate to a charity.
Ecampus
eCampus can be a fun site to buy & sell your old textbooks because of their rewards program. You'll get 175 points just for signing up, plus you get points any time you sell college textbooks or follow or interact with them on social media. There are other ways to accrue rewards points, but 175 points earn a $5 eCampus gift card. That said, you do have to order a specific dollar amount to be able to use gift cards; for example, your order must be at least $30 to use a $5 gift card.
Still, having rewards is a nice perk, and you get free shipping as a seller. You can get paid in various ways, including PayPal, direct deposit, or in-store credit; the latter will give you a better rate. They also have better rates if you sell in bulk. This marketplace makes itself unique when there are so many options if you want to sell textbooks through a great textbook buyback program, considering selling books through eCampus.
TextbookRush
In addition to college textbooks, you can also sell electronics, games, and movies at TextbookRush! You can also rent books and even eBooks. Enter your ISBN(s) and be quoted a buyback price when selling textbooks. The site guarantees that any price quotes will be valid for seven days. If you need to know your book's publisher, try checking the title page, for example, Penguin Random House in New York.
This site is the perfect place to buy, sell, or rent your used textbook, plus buy and sell games and movies. You'll get free shipping, and they offer three payment methods: payment via PayPal, cash, and store credit. You should receive your compensation within a few days of the store receiving the shipment. TextbookRush also has an app if you prefer to use your phone. They also let you sell international edition textbooks in the US.
Bookfinder.com
BookFinder.com has been in the textbook buyback business since 1997 and has a database of over 100,000 booksellers worldwide. They've been recommended in the New York Times, Newsweek, and Forbes. Through its book buyback program, bookstores compete to buy your book. The result is that you can be sure to get the best buyback price possible for your book buyback. You can compare textbook sellers worldwide; their database has over 100,000 textbook sellers. It sounds like the New York Times was onto something – you should get the best buyback price with so many sellers! With such an impressive portfolio, you'll likely find exactly what you want.
You can compare textbook buyback vendors and be sure you get the best book buyback possible. Their partners pay shipping costs, meaning you won't pay to ship. You can sell textbooks through the service if you live in the US, Canada, or the UK. Just enter your ISBN from the back cover and see textbook buyback offers from multiple vendors. You can make a buyback comparison and then sell to the one with the best price. When you make a buyback comparison, you can ensure you get the best price for your college textbooks. Check out this site for the best buyback price if you want to sell books.
Firstclassbooks.com
Along with selling textbooks, you can also sell your graphing calculator at FirstClassBooks.com. They have an excellent textbook buyback program. Under the buyback section, you can see the buyback price of the calculators they buy. If you want to sell used books online, search the database and check their listed prices. You'll get a free shipping label if you sell two books more worth at least $50 – not a high bar to clear when it comes to textbook prices. Free shipping is through USPS; they also offer free and subsidized FedEx shipping.
Once you sell your used books, you'll be paid by PayPal or check within two days. You can also browse books for sale if you'd like to get an idea of what other people are selling. Please note that you may sell international edition textbooks, but they only pay 10% of the buyback price of US edition textbooks. Due to free shipping and an easy-to-navigate system, this should be one you consider when selling books (or calculators!).
Chegg
Chegg accepts most textbooks online through its sell textbooks page. Chegg has a straightforward process to help you sell textbooks. Enter your ISBN in the search, get a quote, and sell your books if satisfied. Chegg will pay for your shipping, as with many other buyback programs, so there is no cost. This makes it an excellent sell place to sell your used textbook.
Prepaid shipping is free through UPS, and Chegg says they pay top dollar for your books. You should be paid within 10-15 days of initially shipping them. Chegg also offers other services, such as textbook rentals, study programs, tutoring, test prep, and more. This is a valuable service with much to provide students and textbook sellers.
Campus books
CampusBooks is another site that allows you to compare buyback prices from different buyback vendors when selling books. This is a nice feature because it helps ensure you get the best buyback price for your readers. Of course, you should be sure your books are in acceptable condition; damaged books will usually not be accepted. Generally, that means the spine should not be broken, the title page should be intact with no pages torn, and no water or mold damage should be present.
CampusBooks has been around since 1998, so you know this trustworthy company provides excellent service. Find the best textbook buyback price, get the best price for your used textbook, and sell books conveniently. You get a free shipping label, and cash, check, PayPal, or in-store credit can pay you. The site also offers textbooks for purchase and renting. One feature it has that is unique is called BookBag. This tool allows you to add up to five books and run a price comparison on all of them at once.
Valorebooks
ValoreBooks is a site where you can sell textbooks, buy used books, and rent books online. They purchase textbooks at the best buyback price. Whether you're an individual buyer or seller or work at the campus bookstore, this site can work with you to sell books. They can price up to 10,000 ISBNs at a time! However, you cannot sell back an international edition to ValoreBooks. Once you receive a price quote for the ISBNs you've entered, the process is similar to other sites. If you find a buyback price you like, you're ready to sell books!
You get a prepaid shipping label and can drop your books off at the nearest UPS location. ValoreBooks notes that the weight limit per box is 70 lbs, so if you have many books to sell, be sure not to overfill any boxes. Once you have dropped them off at UPS, you can expect to receive a payment within 14 days. If you have a lot of old textbooks to sell, this site should be your go-to. Just remember you can't sell an international edition here.
Sell Back Your Book
Need to sell textbooks online? Well, what better place to do so than Sell Back Your Book? The site has an A rating from the Better Business Bureau, so you know you are selling to a quality company. When pricing your old textbooks, you can enter a single 10- to 13-digit ISBN or a bulk batch of up to 20 ISBNs.
Shipping is always free, and you get paid within three business days of receiving your book. They do not buy old textbooks without an ISBN or instructor's or teacher's edition books. Free shipping is through FedEx, though you may use a different shipping provider. If you do, books must be received within seven days of order creation. Overall, this is an easy-to-use site to sell back old textbooks online that is worth a look. You'll get an excellent buyback price for your used book and a great experience.
Textbook Recycling
Textbook Recycling has been in business since 1997 and is a dependable company. As its name implies, used college books are their specialty. That said, they also deal with new edition textbooks. They even buy new readers, which most sites don't do.
Textbook Recycling is an excellent place for textbook buyback if you have a used textbook to sell. You can also price compare and buy fiction and non-fiction titles, even if they aren't college textbooks. The best way to check this is by searching the ISBN database; if an ISBN isn't listed, it isn't one you can sell. Check or PayPal issues payment for book sales, and they claim to have the best buyback price you'll find anywhere.
Bookbyte
Founded in 1999, BookByte is a place to sell or buy cheap textbooks. You can sell either a US edition or the international edition of a used text here. Their cheap books page is a guide that details several different strategies for buying cheap textbooks, which is a great resource. College textbooks can be costly, after all.
The process of selling textbooks is similar to most other websites. Search by ISBN, accept the price if you're happy, and ship the books to BookByte. They will give you a prepaid shipping label in the US, and you'll be paid within 3-5 business days of receiving the order. They also mention that price quotes are only good for 30 days, so you must send your books immediately to guarantee the best price. It's great that this site has helpful resources for students, and it's worth checking out if you need to sell back your used books. You'll get an excellent textbook buyback price when you sell your used textbook.
Key Books
Sell college textbooks, movies, and CDs at CKY Books. When searching their database for books, movies, or CDs, you can search and price up to 30 items at a time. When selling textbooks (or any of these items), all orders must be for $20 or more. Shipping is always free if you use FedEx, USPS, or UPS. FedEx is what is recommended by CKY.
All items must also be shipped within 96 business hours (4 business days) of creating your order, so be sure to send your items quickly. The process takes about six business days for FedEx or 11 days for USPS. Once your order is received, you can be paid by check or PayPal. Either way, if you are looking for the best college book price, check here. This is a great site to check out if you want to sell more than college textbooks.
Collegebooksdirect.com
CollegeBooksDirect.com will buy back your used textbook and other school books. You list your college books starting with the ISBN, and can be paid by check or pay. They currently accept over 440,000 titles and are one of the smaller textbook vendors. It's easy to sell textbooks on their website – enter the ISBN and instantly get a price quote for your book.
Shipping is free if your order is $30 or more. You'll also receive a tracking number to ensure your shipment is moving as expected. Their shipping provider is UPS; you can also use another shipping provider, but shipping will not be reimbursed. With a wide selection of books accepted, this is the best way to sell textbooks – especially if other stores won't buy them.
Textbookx
TextbookX is a site that lets you sell your used textbook in like-new or excellent condition. You can sell books on the site, and there is also a marketplace where you can sell numerous other items, such as audiobooks, school supplies, calculators, and faculty books. You can even offer tutoring services and college tips.
When you sell textbooks on Textbookx, you search your books by ISBN. The ISBN ensures you find the correct college textbooks. Then, you'll have to confirm details such as the title and author. Check the title page for that info. They'll also ask you to rate the condition of your item and get a price quote. Once you upload your order, you'll receive a confirmation and printable shipping label. Shipping is free with orders of $49 or more. This site is an excellent place for textbook buyback, particularly if you have more to sell than just school books.
Abebooks
AbeBooks is a great site to sell your used textbook. You can also sell fine art and collectibles. This site works more like a marketplace; you create listings of the items you want to sell, and anyone who uses the site can decide to purchase them. Please note that there are monthly fees to sell on this site, so it probably only makes sense to sign up if you regularly have items to sell. See more about monthly payments on this page.
Because this site is a marketplace and you sell textbooks online to consumers, you can set your shipping rates/speeds. AbeBooks has features that make it stand out; for instance, when you list items for sale, they'll be added to six international sales platforms. This makes selling certain items such as rare books, fine art, and collectibles easier. This site is worth looking at, especially if you start your own book textbook buyback business and sell textbooks regularly.
Faculty books
This final suggestion has been in business since 1975. FacultyBooks will buy back used college books, study guides, teacher's editions, and complimentary copies. Indeed, despite its name, this site is not just for teachers. Shipping is free with FacultyBooks, and they'll even send you packing materials! If you decide to sell textbooks, you'll get paid by check, direct deposit, or PayPal.
When you ship your used books, you bring the package(s) to a UPS or USPS location. The site notes that you should use an authorized shipping outlet to sell books for either option. You must cover the shipping yourself if you ship through any other carrier. This site accepts 440,000 titles from its database, making it the best way to sell your used books.
Large Retailers
We classify these options as places to sell textbooks you know and are familiar with. These larger organizations don't solely focus on selling books, so you may find that you aren't generating as much income for your sales. However, the ease and convenience offered may be worth reducing the price if you're more focused on only getting rid of them.
Amazon
You've likely checked Amazon for college textbooks if you're a student. You should also add checking Amazon if you need to sell textbooks online. According to a recent press release from Amazon, over 50 million books were for sale on Amazon at the beginning of 2019. 50 million! If that tells you anything, it should be that books are a hot commodity on the site, and it's an excellent place to consider selling books.
There are a few ways you can sell on Amazon. Your first choice is to pack and ship your books yourself. Your second choice is to have Amazon create your listing and send your books. This means you'll sell your texts to Amazon directly. Your final decision is to create a listing on Amazon yourself but give all your textbooks to Amazon for shipping. To sell books at the end of the semester, we'd recommend going with the FBM method or the one that enables you to pack and ship your books yourself. If this is the case, we recommend including the shipping cost in your price to ensure you don't lose any income.
Barnes and Noble
While you may only consider buying books from Barnes and Noble, add them to your list of potential vendors to sell textbooks online. Barnes and Noble are slightly different in their methods in that they ask you to have at least $10 worth of texts to sell before they accept your sales. You'll know if you have more than $10 for sale by giving your books' ISBN to the retailer to provide you with a price quote. From there, you'll receive a shipping label to send your texts to them via USPS. Once received, Barnes and Noble will reimburse your expenses and pay you through PayPal.
Social Networks
While social networking is a great way to stay in touch, it can also be a helpful tool when you're trying to purge your unwanted items. Textbooks are no exception. Social networks enable you to connect with those in your local area who need and want the books you're trying to sell. Consider using a social network to sell used textbooks to avoid the hassle of running to the post office and paying for shipping.
Craigslist
If you're comfortable selling items on Craigslist, this may be the perfect way to rid your stock of textbooks efficiently. It will allow you to avoid shipping fees and will enable you to deliver your books safely to their new owner.
A word of caution for a new Craigslist user. Always meet with your potential buyer in a safe, public place, preferably during daylight hours. While we would hope that most people buying textbooks online have good intentions, you can never guarantee the type of person who may show up. Exercise caution and use your best judgment to ensure you prioritize your safety first and foremost.
Facebook Marketplace
Using social media to sell your used textbook may work to your benefit. If you hop onto your Facebook Marketplace, you can market the books you have available and reach other social network users in your area who may need the books you're selling. You will be able to get a large population of peers who go to various higher education institutions in your area and very likely have use for the books you no longer need.
As we mentioned with Craigslist sales, be smart about where and when you meet your buyer. Don't be afraid to ask a friend to tag you when you meet up to sell textbooks online. You can return the favor by treating them to a scoop of ice cream on you, purchased with your text-selling profit.
The Bottom Line
Selling your textbooks doesn't require waiting in lines, accepting minimal payments, or toting your books all over campus. Use your online resources to sell textbooks quickly and efficiently for a profit that makes it worth your effort and time.
Don't hesitate to list your books for sale in several of our outlined resources. Often, people will try to bargain with you on the amount they're willing to pay. You'll indeed receive the most returns by having your books available for sale on several platforms. Finally, make sure you pass your class before you sell your book. There's nothing worse than having to re-buy the same book after you've already sold it!