How to wrap your car for money! (Get paid to drive)

How do you wrap your car for money?

You can wrap your car and get paid between $100 and $300 per month. Partner with a car wrap company, such as, Wrapify, Free Car Media, or Carvertise who will find advertisers and wrap your car. You can earn more money with full-body wraps and driving in highly populated areas.

Imagine, making money simply by driving your car. You’re doing it anyways, so why not get paid to drive?

You could be earning a few hundred dollars extra every month. What would you do with that money? Help with your car payments, save more money, or go on a date night?

Luckily for you, I’m going to show you the best companies that actually pay you to wrap or sticker your car with advertising.

How to wrap your car for money! (Get paid to drive)

This article may contain affiliate links which pays a commission and supports this blog. Thank you for your support!

Key Takeaways:

  • Car wrap companies will pay around $100 and $300 per month to wrap your car. You’ll often need a driver’s license and a car made within the last 10 years.
  • Carvertise, Free Car Media, Wrapify, Referral Cars, StickerRide, Car-Bucks, and Nickelytics are popular car wrap companies who will pay you to wrap your car.
  • Vinyl car wraps are considered safe for your car. Partial wraps take up to an hour, while full car wraps can take between six and 10 hours.
  • There are plenty of car wrap scams. Legitimate car wrap companies will not require fees, ask you to deposit checks, or wire money. Make sure you do your own due diligence before signing up.

How much can you get paid to wrap your car?

Generally, you can expect to earn between $100 and $300 per month driving around with a car wrap. Pay varies depending on which car wrap company you partner with, where you drive, and how many miles you drive. You can make the most amount of money by choosing a good car wrap company, getting a full-wrap, and driving in highly populated areas.

Not all car wrap companies are able to pay the same amount. Therefore, it’s important for you to test out different car wrap companies to see which one will pay you the most.

For example, Free car media primarily does rear window stickers which doesn’t pay as much as a full auto-body wrap.

Car wraps come in three different styles. You can either get a full-auto body wrap, partial wrap, or a simple window sticker. As you can imagine, advertisers are willing to pay more money for a full wrap and less for a window sticker.

Some car wrap companies will track your driving, such as through an iPhone app. These companies will estimate the number of times your car ad was seen by pedestrians. The more visible your car was, the more money you’ll be able to make.

Tracking your driving is a normal means of justifying advertiser ad spending. For example, an advertiser would much rather pay for your car to be parked outside of an LA event center. There are more people that can see the advertisement than if you were driving down an old dirt road.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

What companies will pay money for you to wrap your car?

Carvertise, Wrapify, and Free Car Media are the best legitimate car wrap companies that actually pay. Free Car Media does not do as many full car wraps like Wrapify or Carvertise. Therefore, the highest paying car wrap companies are Wrapify and Carvertise. Other car wrap companies include Referral Cars, StickerRide, Car-Bucks, and Nickelytics.

1. Carvertise

make money fast - carvertise car wraps

Carvertise pays around $100 per month for a car wrap advertisement and is paid through direct deposit. Some campaigns pay up to $200 per month. Carvertise does say that you’ll earn between $300 and $1,200 per campaign, which generally lasts between 2 and 6 months!

Carvertise allows you the flexibility to say yes or no to specific advertisers, so you can be happy with what’s wrapped on your car. Additionally, some Carvertise campaigns will pay you an extra $30 to park your car at a location for a set amount of time.

Requirements to join Carvertise include driving at least 30 miles per day, a clean driving record, a 2008 model car or newer with a factory paint job.

2. Free car media

make money fast - free car media car wraps

Free car media is another car wrap company that will pay you up to $400 to wrap your car. Most of the advertisements are back window ads which nets you about $50 per month. In addition, you will be required to install the advertisement yourself.

According to the Better Business Bureau, Free Car Media has been in business for 20 years and has an A+ rating. However, the business is not accredited by the BBB.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

3. Wrapify

wrapify app

Wrapify combines technology and advertising to get a fair price for your driving. Get your car wrapped and download the App. Start the App while driving and Wrapify calculates an estimated earnings by how visible your car was during your drive.

This means you get paid more for driving down a busy highway than an old dirt road. You can earn anywhere from $84 to $400+ with Wrapify, depending on many factors including the size of wrap (e.g. Panel, Partial, or Full wrap).

So what does Wrapify estimate you can earn per month?

  • Full Wrap – $256-$452
  • Partial Wrap – $196- $280
  • Lite Wrap – $181 – $280

As you can see, there are plenty of companies that will pay you to drive. Car advertising is pretty close to making money while doing nothing!

4. ReferralCars

ReferralCars has a unique method of paying their drivers by offering a base pay and commissions on top of that.

They send drivers appropriate campaign advertisements based on the driver’s area.

Instead of a full car wrap, ReferralCars only requires small decal stickers that they will send you in the mail. You do need to pay for shipping, apply the wrap yourself, and send photographic proof that the decal is on your car before you start earning money.

Even if you don’t make a lot of commissions with this company, there is still a base pay of $100, so it’s guaranteed cash either way.

As long as you send monthly proof that the decal is still on your car, ReferralCars will keep paying you for advertising.

5. StickerRide

StickerRide has grown in popularity after coming to the United States from Europe. One of the best things about this company is that you can choose what brands to advertise on your car.

The pay is based on how many miles you drive and the areas you drive around.

StickerRide also offers bonus pay by providing optional quests to partake in, such as snapping a picture of your car at a famous spot or tourist site.

One of the downsides to StickerRide is that they track your mileage through an app you have to download.

So, if you forget to turn the app on before you go somewhere or you lose data, you’ll lose out on making money.

For those who are anxious about checking and rechecking their phones, StickerRide may not be the best. However, if you have no issues with the app and let it run while you drive, you could make a pretty penny.

6. Car-Bucks

If you want to start small with the car wrapping business, Car-Bucks might be a good introduction. They don’t pay a lot, but they are the perfect opportunity for those who want to make money and don’t drive around often.

Car-Bucks will pay you $1 per hour of driving up to $20-25 per month, depending on the contract you sign. They offer three, six, and twelve-month contracts.

Their wraps are only rear window wraps, so you don’t have to worry about decking out your entire car.

It may not seem like a lot of money, but other car wrap advertising companies may not be willing to take you on as a driver if you don’t spend much time on the road.

Car-Bucks is a good way to break into the car wrapping scene and see if you like it. Then if you think you can increase your mileage and exposure, you can move on to a higher-paying car wrapping company.

7. Nickelytics

Nickelytics is a reputable car wrap advertising company that pays its drivers between $200 and $500 per campaign. Their advertisement campaigns can last between a week and three months.

They offer various car wrap options and usually choose whatever is optimal for your location and the type of car you drive.

Since they are a high-paying company, Nickelytics does have minimum mileage requirements, and your car model cannot be older than ten years.

To drive for Nickelytics, you should drive at least thirty miles a day, one hundred and fifty miles weekly, and four hundred and fifty miles monthly. If you have a long commute to your 9-5, Nickelytics might be just the company you’re looking for to wrap your new ride.

What is the car wrapping process?

You first need to apply to join a car wrap company. Once accepted, you’ll be asked a series of questions about your driving habits, history, and legal questions they are obligated to ask. Examples include how many miles per day do you drive, are you insured, and do you have a valid drivers license?

Some car wrap companies will need to know more about your car. Certain car wrap companies may require you to drive a newer vehicle and some will allow you to wrap a leased vehicle.

Next, the car wrap company will try and pair you with an advertiser. One advertiser might want to target drivers in LA over your city. So be patient while the car wrap company finds an advertiser for you.

Once you are selected, the car wrap company will contact you and let you review the advertisement. You have final say over what your car is wrapped in. People who are less picky may have more opportunity for car wraps.

Once you accept an advertisement, the car wrap company will work with you and a local car wrap vendor to wrap your car. According to Carvertise, partial wraps take 30-60 minutes and a full wrap takes between 6-10 hours. The car wrap company will pay the car wrap vendor directly. You’ll drive around with the decal until the advertising campaign is over.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

Do wraps damage your car?

Wraps will not damage your car. It is best to install a wrap over a clean paint job though.

Wraps installed over chipping or peeling paint are more likely to peel off sooner than expected. Even with a poor paint job underneath, a wrap will not damage the paint on your car.

The wrap’s vinyl will protect your car’s paint from exposure to the elements and other possible avenues of damage.

Vinyl wraps are also made to be easily removed so as not to damage the paint underneath. So even if you choose to get rid of your car’s wrap, it shouldn’t cause harm to your vehicle.

Can you wrap your car if it has dents?

You can wrap your car if it has dents and other imperfections, but it won’t make the dents go away. Just like an extra layer of paint isn’t thick enough to cover up any dents in your car, a vinyl wrap will have the same effect.

While you don’t have to fix the dents in your car before you wrap it, it might be a good idea, especially if you’re advertising for somebody else.

If the paid car wrapping companies do pre-wrapping vehicle inspections, they may not want to have their ads on a car that looks all beat up. It’s always good to put your best foot forward when seeking to represent someone else.

Popping the dents out of your car before you get it wrapped will make your car look more professional. The wrap conforms to every curve in your car, including those unsightly dents.

Don’t worry if you get a dent in your car after wrapping it or forget to pop out the dents before your wrap job. It’s easy enough to pop out the dents once your car has been wrapped, and it shouldn’t affect the wrap job.

Can you wrap your car with scratches?

You can wrap your car if it has scratches on it. Depending on the nature of the scratches, it may be a good idea to have them fixed first.

Unlike with dents, once the wrap has been applied, the scratches underneath cannot be fixed unless you want to remove the entire wrap.

Surface scratches in the paint will usually not show up after a wrap job. However, deeper scratches, especially those that expose the car’s body underneath the paint, will be visible when you wrap your car.

Because vinyl wraps cling so tightly to your vehicle, they will show off every imperfection. If your car’s scratches aren’t apparent before, they will be now.

It’s a good idea to have those scratches fixed before wrapping your car so that the vinyl lays down smoothly on the exterior.

However, if you’re not worried about a few blemishes, you can still wrap the car over the scratches. In fact, the wrap may help protect scratched areas from rusting out because they won’t be exposed to the elements.

On the other hand, you could also run the risk of the paint peeling off more easily when the wrap is removed.

If your car is scratched after the wrap is installed, you can apply a patch to the area if it is small enough. Scratch damage to a wrapped car also tends to be less impactful on the vehicle itself.

Is car wrapping illegal?

In most places, car wrapping is perfectly legal. However, certain states and cities prohibit mobile advertisements, including those found wrapped around your car. San Francisco is one such city that does not allow advertisement wrapping.

There are also some application details to consider when getting your car wrapped. A car wrapping cannot cover headlights, brake lights, or your license plate.

Wrappings should be done professionally or with appropriate wrapping adhesive. If the wrap is done incorrectly, it could cause a major driving hazard, such as a strong wind that could rip it off and blow it into oncoming traffic.

Always check with your state and local laws before getting your car wrapped to ensure that you abide by legal car modifications. Keep in mind to check the cities or areas you plan to frequent.

How to spot a car wrap scam

You can spot a car wrap scam if the car wrap company charges you a fee, asks you to deposit an urgent check, or asks you to wire money. Legitimate car wrap companies should be listed on the Better Business Bureau’s website and should require a drivers license and insurance. Always check the car wrap companies website and see if they have a working customer service number.

Scammers are everywhere and car wrap scams are no different.

One person almost lost $4,000 from a scammer. The fake company sent them a check for $4,000 and asked them to deposit the check and then send $3,700 to another company. The check would have bounced once they sent money to the fake company.

So how can you avoid a car wrap scam like this one?

According to the Federal Trade Commission, don’t deposit any “urgent” checks and wire money to anyone. Legitimate car wrap companies will pay a car wrapping vendor directly. A legitimate company would only send you money that you’ve earned and should not charge you a fee.

Car wrap companies should check to see if you have a valid drivers license and insurance. You should also be able to find a customer service number.

Find legitimate car wrap companies with the Better Business Bureau

If you’re ever in doubt on which car wrap companies are legitimate, search for the companies Better Business Bureau page. Do a quick Google search for “car wrap company + better business bureau” and see what comes up.

Find legitimate car wrap companies

In this case, we want to find out if Carvertise is a legitimate car wrap advertiser. Clicking on the first link, we can see that Carvertise is indeed a legitimate business.

Carvertise legitimate business

Carvertise has an A- rating with the BBB and a nearly 4 of 5 star rating. Seven years in business and has been accredited since 2017. Therefore, it is easy to say that Carvertise is not a scam and does let you wrap your car for money.

Click to Tweet! Please Share!Click To Tweet

Is it worth it to wrap your car?

Wrapping your car can not only make you money, but it can also be a cheaper way to upgrade your vehicle’s look. Car wraps are usually much less expensive than a paint job.

Plus, there are a variety of options for wraps. If you don’t get a sponsored company wrap, you still have more designs available for your car.

Wraps also tend to be more forgiving on your car than paint and can protect your car’s exterior. Therefore, your paint job will last longer and give your car a higher resale value.

If you decide to wrap your car with a brand logo to make a little extra money, it is easier to peel off a wrap once you are done sponsoring the company than it would be to rectify a paint job.

Car wraps are far easier to install than getting a paint job and provide far less intensive maintenance. There is no need for constant car washes and protective coatings when your car is wrapped.

Summary: How to wrap your car for money

There are three main companies who will pay you to wrap your car. Carvertise, Free Car Media, and Wrapify are all legitimate car wrap companies who actually pay. You can expect to earn between $100 and $300 per month driving with a car wrap. Driving for Uber or Lyft while advertising can help you earn more money.

Other car wrap companies include Referral Cars, StickerRide, Car-Bucks, and Nickelytics.

Car wrapping is considered safe for your vehicle when installed by a professional. You can wrap your car if it has dents, scratches, or other imperfections. However, it’s usually best to fix the imperfections before wrapping your car.

Be cautious of car wrap scams. Keep yourself safe by never depositing a suspicious large check. If you’re asked to wire money it’s a scam. Legitimate car wrap companies will pay the wrap vendor directly.

You can check if a company is legitimate by doing a Google search for the “car wrap company + better business bureau.” Check for accreditation, the companies rating, and reviews.

So what are your thoughts? Is advertising a good way to make money? Are you wanting to wrap your car for some extra cash? Or do you make money another way?

John is the founder of TightFist Finance and an expert in the field of personal finance. John has studied personal finance for over 10 years and has used his knowledge to pay down debt, grow his investment portfolio, and launch a financial based business. He is committed to sharing content related to personal finance based on his experience in his career, investing, and path towards reaching financial independence.