# Caramel: Car Checkout Platform — Buy/sell any private party car > Securely buy or sell private party vehicles with integrated DMV and payment services. (iPhone/iPad app by Caramel, Inc..) - Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caramel-car-checkout-platform/id1638897768 (this page in markdown: same URL + `.md`) - Developer: [Caramel, Inc.](https://appshunter.io/developer/1638897770) - Category: Shopping - Price: Free - Rating: 4.09/5 from 67 App Store ratings · 26 written reviews indexed - Age rating: 4+ - Requires: iOS 15.6 · 113 MB - Languages: English - Released: 2023-02-27 - Data updated: 2026-07-17 - Monetization: free - User reviews in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caramel-car-checkout-platform/id1638897768/reviews.md ## What is Caramel? Caramel is designed for private party buyers and sellers. Buyers can find the used car they want to buy anywhere and sellers can list their used car for sale anywhere. Then use Caramel for the sale. We handle all of your DMV work and paperwork, transfer payment securely, and verify the other party is who they say they are. When you check out with Caramel, we offer optional financing from top banks, insurance, mechanical breakdown protection, delivery, and a free digital inspection, all in the app. It's easy to see a quote or rate for any option or skip past them all. COMPATIBLE WITH ANY PRIVATE SALE Caramel is not a marketplace or vehicle listing site. That means buyers can find a car anywhere, and sellers can advertise their car for sale anywhere. Popular sites where buyers and sellers find each other before using Caramel to check out include: Bring a Trailer, eBay Motors, Cars.com, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, CarGurus, and many more. GOODBYE DMV LINE We handle all title and paperwork, saving you headaches and hours at the DMV. NEVER SEND CASH OR WIRES TO A STRANGER Payment is digital, secure, and traceable. We hold money in escrow until the car and title are delivered, so buyers know they’ll get what they’ve paid for, and sellers know they’ll get paid fast. NO PRESSURE, LOTS OF OPTIONS Buyers can add financing, vehicle protection, insurance, and delivery in a tap or click. EVERYONE'S VERIFIED, EVEN THE CARS With multiple layers of identity verification technology and biometrics, we authenticate each buyer and seller. Once verified, buyers and sellers view premium third-party vehicle history and specification reports. So you know everything you can about who you're dealing with and the vehicle being sold. Use Caramel to check out on your private party car sale and see how we put the party back in private party. ## Key features - DMV paperwork handling - Secure digital payment - Identity verification - Optional financing - Vehicle history reports - Delivery services ## Recent user reviews (10 of 26) All indexed reviews: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/caramel-car-checkout-platform/id1638897768/reviews.md ### 1/5 — Won’t even open *2026-03-04, version 1.3.35* I have an iPhone 12 pro fully updated and I just get a message that my device is not supported due to security issues. Website has no place to get support for the app. ### 3/5 — Can’t open the app now! Requires Update and its Updated *2025-11-02, version 1.3.31* Can’t even open the app now after the newest update, app says you need an update even though I updated it. ### 1/5 — Would give 0 stars if I could *2025-06-03, version 1.3.25* They don’t have anyone on the phone who can help with anything! Terrible customer service and terrible app will never be using them again ### 1/5 — Horrible Service *2024-12-02, version 1.3.19* I had a truly frustrating experience with Drive Caramel. I listed my car on eBay with the option for full payment within 3 days. By the 7th day, I had received zero communication from Caramel, so I decided to reach out. They informed me they were still waiting on the buyer to make the payment, which was disappointing, but it got worse. When I asked if there was a deadline for payment, they told me there were no deadlines—this immediately raised a red flag. Thanks to eBay providing the buyer's email, I decided to take matters into my own hands and contact the buyer directly. To my surprise, the buyer told me they no longer wanted the car. If I hadn’t reached out, Caramel would have kept waiting indefinitely with no deadlines in place. This lack of urgency and clear rules is unacceptable. I lost potential buyers on other platforms who were ready to purchase because I was waiting on Caramel to process a payment that never came. I will never use Caramel again and will avoid listing cars on platforms where it's an option for payment. Their approach is unprofessional, and I would not recommend them to anyone. ### 1/5 — Second time as bad as the First *2024-10-31, version 1.3.17* Won an auction on BaT and their verified checkout is drivecaramel. I knew better after my first bad experience a few months ago, but thought I’d give them another try. Bad execution top to bottom. The buyer and the seller have to constantly email their support team to get things done, so be ready for that. I picked up the car a week late because it took them that much longer to get temp tags to me and for them to get the title picked up from the random FedEx location. I thought I was done… four days later I get a check, the title, and some paperwork left at my door by FedEx (no signature) and instructions to go to the DMV for registration, taxes, and title transfer. I paid $149 for that service two weeks ago! So their response is, send it back and then they’ll take care of it. Not willing to refund me my money, no just take them at their word they won’t goof it up again or that the title won’t get lost. If they had any integrity they’d issue me an immediate refund and an apology. Use anybody else, hard to imagine it being worse. ### 1/5 — Stay away *2024-10-29, version 1.3.17* Terrible experience. Bought my car in August, it’s now almost November and I’m no closer to getting my registration and plates ### 3/5 — Link bank *2024-10-24, version 1.3.17* Link to bank won’t work. On app or online. Emailed support and they said they forwarded to clerq and then I got nothing back. They are holding up my transaction. ### 3/5 — Slow slow slow *2024-10-04, version 1.3.16* The idea is fantastic. Execution is clunky. The app has almost no value. You must log into their website for a more detailed status of your transaction. Even with that you really have no idea how long the transaction or step in the process is going to take. Expect the entire process to take at least a week. Longer if you do not have the title. The peace of mind this service brings is worth three stars alone. The frustration of not knowing how the process is playing out or when you can transfer the car is beyond irritating. The big kicker is there is no call in number to speak with someone. Everything is done through their customer service email. I will the say the customer service reps are quick to respond but I wish you could just call and get the full rundown on the process from an expert. ### 5/5 — Made it easy *2024-10-04, version 1.3.16* They pretty much did everything just asked a few questions and photos of documents and that’s it ### 1/5 — Do not use this company! *2024-09-25* Do not use this company! Im currently in possession of a vehicle I will not be able to legally operate due to delays in registration process which allegedly were going to be handled by Caramel. It’s been 5 weeks since purchase. I was initially provided with a temporary registration however that will expire in a matter of days. Caramel customer service has provided various explanations and timeframes regarding when permanent registration/plates will be received; the latest is within another 2-3 weeks (7-8 weeks after purchase!). ## Frequently asked questions about Caramel ### What does Caramel do for private car sales? Caramel streamlines private party car sales by managing all necessary DMV paperwork and title transfers. It also ensures secure, traceable digital payment, holding funds in escrow until the car and title are delivered. The platform verifies the identity of both buyers and sellers to build trust. ### What are the key features of Caramel? Key features include handling all DMV work and paperwork, secure digital payment processing with escrow, identity verification for buyers and sellers, and access to premium third-party vehicle history reports. Additionally, users can opt for services like financing, insurance, mechanical breakdown protection, and delivery directly through the app. ### How does Caramel handle payments and security? Caramel provides a secure and traceable digital payment system. Funds are held in escrow until the car and title are successfully delivered, ensuring that buyers receive what they paid for and sellers are guaranteed payment. This eliminates the risk associated with sending cash or wires to strangers. ### Can I use Caramel for any private car sale, even if I found the car on another site? Yes, Caramel is compatible with any private sale and is not a marketplace itself. Buyers and sellers can find each other on popular platforms like Bring a Trailer, eBay Motors, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and then use Caramel to complete the transaction securely. ### What additional services can I get through Caramel? When checking out with Caramel, buyers have the option to add financing from top banks, vehicle insurance, mechanical breakdown protection, and delivery services. A free digital inspection is also offered. Users can easily view quotes or rates for these options or skip them entirely. ## Version history (last 5 releases) ### 1.3.38 — 2026-04-29 What’s New • Faster Checkout with Caramel Lite • Enjoy a new streamlined checkout experience for eligible purchases • Skip DMV paperwork and complete registration on your own • Fewer steps for a faster, more efficient checkout • Performance & Experience Improvements • Minor performance enhancements and bug fixes • Improved reliability during key purchase steps ### 1.3.37 — 2026-03-20 What’s New • We’ve made performance improvements and fixed a few bugs to keep everything running smoothly. ### 1.3.36 — 2026-03-05 What’s New Mark Vehicle Picked Up • You can now mark a vehicle as Picked Up directly in the app, making the pickup process faster and more accurate • Minor performance improvements and bug fixes for a smoother experience ### 1.3.35 — 2026-01-14 This update brings several enhancements and bug fixes to improve your experience: • Improved performance and stability for smoother use • Fixed reported bugs for a more reliable app ### 1.3.34 — 2025-12-19 What’s New • Sell on Behalf of a Title Owner • Complete vehicle transactions in-app even when the seller isn’t the sole title owner, with built-in document and identity handling. ## Apps similar to Caramel | App | Rating | Price | Category | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Cars24® – Sell & Buy Used Cars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cars24-sell-and-buy-used-cars/id1364492085) | 4.5 (63,904) | Free | Shopping | | [Carvana: Buy/Sell Used Cars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carvana-buysell-used-cars/id1273426583) | 4.8 (300,853) | Free | Shopping | | [CarGurus: Used & New Cars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/cargurus-used-and-new-cars/id814517475) | 4.9 (650,590) | Free | Shopping | | [CARFAX - New & Used Cars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/carfax-new-and-used-cars/id479267592) | 4.9 (368,038) | Free | Shopping | | [Autotrader - Shop & Buy Cars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/autotrader-shop-and-buy-cars/id700740807) | 4.7 (343,490) | Free | Shopping | | [TrueCar Used Cars and New Cars](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/truecar-used-cars-and-new-cars/id624714390) | 4.7 (46,671) | Free | Shopping | ## Related topics [caramel](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/caramel) · [drive caramel](https://appshunter.io/ios/topics/drive-caramel) --- *Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-07-17.*