$0 at booking

No-Deposit Car Shipping

Pay nothing when you book. Part of the price is due once your car has been picked up, and the rest at delivery. Below: exactly how that works, and how 11 other brokers handle deposits and cancellations.

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The short answer: no-deposit car shipping means nothing is charged when you book. With US Car Mover, nothing is paid at booking: part of the price is due once your vehicle has been picked up, and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery in cash or Zelle. If your car is never picked up, you pay nothing at all. You can cancel free at any point before a carrier is assigned.

Policies below were read on each company's own website on 3 October 2026. Terms change, so confirm the current version in writing before you book. US Car Mover is a broker too, and is not affiliated with any company listed.

What "no deposit" means, and what it does not

"No deposit" is one of the most used phrases in auto transport, and it covers very different arrangements. Read on their own sites, the brokers that advertise it mean one of three things:

Nothing until a carrier is assigned. A card may go on file at booking, but the first charge happens only when a carrier accepts or is dispatched to your order. This is the most common version.
Nothing until pickup. At least one broker says you do not pay "a penny" until the day your shipment is scheduled for pickup. Ours is close to this: nothing at booking, and part of the price once your vehicle has actually been picked up.
A hold, not a charge. One broker places an authorization hold on your card when you order and captures the full amount at dispatch. Nothing has left your account at booking, but the funds are reserved.

What "no deposit" does not mean: that cancelling is always free, or that the price cannot change. Most brokers charge something if you cancel after a carrier has been assigned, and some say outright that part of the price is not fixed. Those two lines in the contract matter far more than the word "deposit".

How payment works with US Car Mover

Quote: you get an all-in price online in about a minute. No phone call, no card.
Book: $0 is charged when you book.
Carrier assigned: we match your vehicle to a licensed, insured carrier and schedule pickup. Still nothing to pay.
Pickup: once your vehicle has been picked up, part of the price is due.
Delivery: you inspect the car against the pickup photos, sign the bill of lading, and pay the driver the balance in cash or Zelle. Drivers cannot take cards or personal checks.

Cancelling: free until a carrier is assigned, and $199 after that. If the carrier turns up and the vehicle isn't available, can't be reached, or isn't as described, there is a $150 dry-run fee, and a new pickup is priced at the current market rate. Price-Lock: your quoted all-in price changes only if you change the shipment (vehicle, route, dates, or condition). If a licensed carrier needs more to move your vehicle, we absorb up to $50 of the difference; if more would be required, we contact you before dispatch to approve it or cancel for a full refund.

Side by side · checked 3 Oct 2026

Deposit and cancellation policies at 11 brokers

Company	First payment	Balance	Cancelling after a carrier is assigned	Price guarantee
US Car Mover	Nothing at booking; part of the price once your vehicle has been picked up	To the driver at delivery: cash or Zelle (no cards or personal checks)	Free until a carrier is assigned; $199 after. $150 dry-run fee if the vehicle isn't ready, reachable or as described	Price-Lock: changes only if you change the shipment; we absorb up to $50 if a carrier needs more
Montway	Card on file; charged when a carrier is dispatched	To the carrier on or before delivery: cash, certified funds, cashier's check or money order	Free before a carrier accepts; after, a minimum of $249 (non-refundable, can go toward a future order); email only	30-day price lock, operable stock vehicles
Sherpa	Nothing at booking; an "Initial Payment" once a carrier is secured, based on mileage and service	To the carrier at delivery: cash or certified check	$50 dispatch fee if cancelled before assignment; after, the Initial Payment is kept	Price Lock Promise: puts up to $300 of its own fee toward holding the total
AmeriFreight	Deposit charged when you accept a carrier's offer (amount not published)	To the driver at delivery: cash (preferred) or cashier's check	Free before dispatch; after, the full deposit is forfeited	Only its "First Class Rate" is guaranteed; "Economy Saver" can rise
SGT Auto Transport	Nothing at booking; partial or full payment when a carrier is assigned	To the driver: cash, cashier's check or money order	$199 in listed cases, including cancelling before the estimated pickup window ends; full refund if the quoted price goes up	Price-match guarantee
Ship a Car Direct	Deposit only once a carrier is assigned and confirmed	To the driver at delivery: cash or cashier's check	$100 under its terms (its FAQ says "no fee")	None stated
Nexus Auto Transport	A refundable deposit before a carrier is assigned (timing not stated)	Full price by card, or the rest to the driver in certified funds or cash	$75 if cancelled before assignment; deposit non-refundable once a carrier is scheduled	None; the carrier portion is "not fixed"
uShip (marketplace)	At checkout: the full amount held until you release it, or a booking deposit	With a deposit, the rest goes directly to the provider	uShip refunds in full once cancelled; the provider may charge its own fee	Not applicable
AutoStar Transport	FAQ: nothing before a carrier is assigned. Terms: first charge at e-signature and/or carrier assignment	Cash, money order or cashier's check	Deposit kept after dispatch, and in some cases before (see its terms)	None; price can change if pickup slips 14+ days
RoadRunner Auto Transport	Nothing until the day pickup is scheduled	Not stated on a page we could read	Not stated on a page we could read	Not stated
Mercury Auto Transport	Card hold at order; charged in full at dispatch (usually 24-72 hours before pickup)	None to the driver; paid in full to Mercury	Free before assignment; after dispatch its terms say you lose the full transport cost (its FAQ says case by case)	"Agent-confirmed" price on Priority and Rush tiers
Ship A Car, Inc.	Nothing until dispatch; an initial payment when you agree to the assigned carrier	Final payment to the driver	Not found on its own pages	Not stated

Sources, all read 3 Oct 2026: Montway terms · Sherpa FAQs and Price Lock Promise · AmeriFreight terms · SGT help center · Ship a Car Direct terms and FAQs · Nexus FAQ and terms · uShip help · AutoStar terms and FAQ · RoadRunner · Mercury terms and FAQs · Ship A Car, Inc.. Where a company's FAQ and terms disagree, we show both. The contract you sign is what counts.

What the table tells you

Most brokers no longer charge at booking. The exceptions in this table: uShip takes payment at checkout and holds it until you release it, Nexus refers to a refundable deposit before a carrier is assigned, AutoStar's terms allow a charge at e-signature, and Mercury places a card hold. So the real question is less "is there a deposit?" than "what do I lose if I cancel after a carrier is assigned?"
The cost of cancelling ranges from $100 to the whole job. Published costs of cancelling after a carrier is assigned run from Ship a Car Direct's $100 (under its terms), through SGT's $199 (the same as ours) and Montway's $249 minimum, to a forfeited deposit or initial payment (AmeriFreight, Sherpa, Nexus, AutoStar) and, under Mercury's terms, the full transport cost.
"Guaranteed" is rarer than "no deposit". Only a few publish a firm price promise. Others say parts of the price can move. Ask: "Is this the price a carrier will accept on my lane, or the price you hope one will?"
Bring the right payment for delivery. Most carriers want cash, a cashier's check or certified funds for the balance; with us it is cash or Zelle, and drivers cannot take cards or personal checks. Have it ready, or the driver can hold the car until you do.

Is there a federal rule on car shipping deposits?

Not one written for auto transport. Federal broker rules in 49 CFR Part 371 require brokers to keep a record of their compensation, and give each party to a brokered shipment the right to review that record. The rule that forces brokers to publish their deposit, cancellation and refund policies, 49 CFR 371.117, applies to household goods brokers, not to car shipping. So for auto transport the contract is the only rule: read the payment and cancellation clauses before you sign.

FMCSA's own consumer advisory on auto transporters adds one practical tip worth repeating: if you pay by card, monitor the transactions and make sure the amount you authorized is all that is taken.

Four questions to ask any broker before you give a card

When exactly is my card first charged, and is it a hold or a charge?
In dollars, what do I lose if I cancel after a carrier is assigned?
Is the quoted total guaranteed, or can any part of it change before pickup?
How must I pay the balance at delivery, and to whom?

Any honest broker can answer all four in one sentence each. If you get hesitation on number 2 or 3, keep shopping. Our guides to how auto-transport quotes work and avoiding car shipping scams cover the lowball-then-raise pattern in detail, and you can compare two of the largest brokers on our AmeriFreight vs Montway page.

Why we do not take a deposit

An upfront deposit locks you in before you know whether the price will hold. It is the oldest move in auto transport: win the booking with a low number and a deposit, then raise the price when no carrier will take the lowball. Charging nothing at booking, and the first part only after pickup, keeps our incentive simple. We get paid when your car actually moves, at the price we quoted. It is also why we never sell your details: get a quote with us and your phone does not ring for days.

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How it works

How no-deposit booking works

1. Get your price

Get your real, all-in price in about a minute with our instant quote, no deposit and no obligation.

2. We assign a carrier

We assign a vetted, licensed and insured carrier and schedule your pickup. Part of the price is due once your car has been picked up.

3. Door-to-door delivery

The driver delivers door to door with updates the whole way, and you pay the balance at delivery in cash or Zelle.

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Car shipping cost calculator AmeriFreight vs Montway Compare auto transport companies How→avoid car shipping scams Car shipping insurance How much does it cost→ship a car

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay a deposit to ship my car?

Not with US Car Mover. Many brokers ask for a deposit the moment you book, before anything happens. With us, nothing is paid at booking: part of the price is due once your vehicle has been picked up, and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery in cash or Zelle.

When do I actually pay?

Nothing is paid at booking: part of the price is due once your vehicle has been picked up, and the balance is paid to the driver at delivery in cash or Zelle. Drivers cannot take cards or personal checks. Your all-in price is set when you book, so the number only changes if the shipment does.

Is no-deposit car shipping legit, or is there a catch?

It is completely legit and it is how an honest broker should work. Taking no deposit means we only get paid when we actually do the job, which keeps our incentives aligned with getting your car moved on time at the quoted price. There is no catch and no obligation to book after you get a quote.

Why do other companies ask for a deposit upfront?

An upfront deposit locks you in before you have seen whether the price holds. Some brokers use a low quote plus a deposit to win the booking, then raise the price when no carrier accepts the lowball. Charging nothing upfront removes that pressure and keeps the quote honest.

Will I be charged if my car is never picked up?

No. Nothing is paid at booking, and the first part of the price is only due once your vehicle has been picked up. If it is never picked up, you pay nothing. We never sell your details either, so you will not get buried in broker calls.

Which car shipping companies do not require a deposit?

Going by each company's own published terms on 3 October 2026, Montway, Sherpa, SGT, Ship a Car Direct, Mercury (which places a card hold at order) and Ship A Car Inc charge nothing at booking and take the first payment when a carrier is assigned or dispatched; RoadRunner says nothing is due until pickup day. With US Car Mover nothing is paid at booking and part of the price is due once your vehicle has been picked up. uShip takes payment or a booking deposit at checkout. What differs most is the cost of cancelling after a carrier is assigned.

Can I cancel no-deposit car shipping for free?

With us, yes, until a carrier is assigned. After that, cancelling costs $199, and if the carrier arrives and the vehicle isn't available, can't be reached, or isn't as described, there is a $150 dry-run fee. Other brokers publish post-assignment costs ranging from $100 to the full transport cost, so always ask for that figure in dollars before you book.

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