It may not be the most discreet way to cruise around the streets (unless of course, you don’t mind being noticed), but advertising on your car is a great way to earn some cash on the side.
Getting paid to advertise on your car, with car wrap advertising, could score you a few extra bucks in your back pocket and all you need to do is drive! Just make sure you’re not taken for a ride by companies who aren’t legit.
Consider the amount of time you spend commuting in your car. Going to work, the shops, or heading to your next fitness class. Eventually, the gas bills and vehicle maintenance all add up. Car wrap advertising might just be a way for you to keep those bills covered.
So, if you want to find out how you can get paid to advertise on your car with legitimate car wrap advertising, keep reading!
Table of Contents
What Is Car Wrap Advertising?
Dating back to 1926 and being popularized by Pepsi in 1993, car wrap advertising has sure come a long way since then.
Car wrap advertising is a form of marketing that requires your vehicle to be wrapped or covered in vinyl. Depending on the company that your car will advertise for, the wrap may be to change the color of the car or include text for a specific marketing message or campaign. The result is essentially a mobile billboard that will catch the attention of people around you while you’re on your daily commute.
Drivers will need to be comfortable with the idea that they will need to have their vehicles covered in decals, which are large vinyl sheets. Fortunately, these are easy to remove and replace when needed. This costs companies less than traditional advertising, which could prove to be a much more costly exercise.
There are two options for wraps: a partial wrap or a full wrap. A partial wrap will cover either side of the vehicle including bumper decals. A full wrap covers the entire car in decals and this includes all the windows except for the windshield.
How Can I Get Paid To Advertise On My Car?
Companies that pay for car wrap advertising have their own unique set of requirements. Generally, they will outline everything on their websites so that those looking into car wrap advertising can easily find the information they need to apply or see if the company is legitimate or not.
There will most likely be a driver application form or process which asks a few questions related to the driver’s most common routes. Brands will then match to people whose driving routes appeal best to their target audience. Then, the company will wrap the car with the advertisement and then you simply start driving!
To earn money, some companies require you to log onto an app so that they can calculate your mileage or hours and compensate you appropriately. Always remember to look at the details so that you can see exactly what you’ll need to do.
The advertising agency will also require information about the model of the car and most likely specifications of how many hours you spend on the road. This gives them a better understanding of how much value for money they’ll be able to get. At the end of the day, it’s about getting the advertisement noticed by as many people as possible.
5 Legit Car-Wrap Advertising Companies
Now that you know how car wrap advertising works, here are 5 legitimate car wrap advertising companies that will pay you to advertise on your car.
1. Carvertise
This Delaware-based advertising company hires thousands of drivers throughout the U.S. Carvertise partners with brands in the following cities and their surrounding areas:
- Boston
- Chicago
- Dallas
- Los Angeles
- New York City
- Philadelphia
- Wilmington, Delaware
Their application process requires the basics such as name, email, and phone number. So, it’s a relatively short form that you, as the driver, will need to fill out on their website. They will then match the driver to a brand best linked to the normal commuting routes of the driver.
Once the application has been approved, the company will wrap the car and pay the driver through a direct deposit. Carvertise pays between $100 and $200 per month for the duration of the advertising campaign (usually between 2 and 6 months). When the campaign ends, Carvertise will remove the car wrap advertising.
The upside, in this case, is that there is earning potential even when you park – provided that you park the car in a dedicated area during specific times during the day. In this way, you can increase your earnings and get paid when you’re not driving.
Carvertise also allows the driver to accept or decline campaigns without the pressure of needing to commit to a set number of campaigns. It’s up to the driver to take part in as many or as few campaigns as they prefer to.
There is however a requirement for the car to be a newer model, meaning it has to be a 2008 car model or newer. The driver needs to drive at least 30 miles per day and have a clean driving record. As a driver, you can expect to earn anywhere between $300 to $1200 per campaign.
2. Free Car Media
Drivers with Free Car Media have an earning potential of up to $400 per month for their car ad placements. The expected earning potential starts from $50 per month and depends on the size of the ad on the car. The company places ads on the rear windows of the cars or around the entire car – depending on the requirements of the campaign.
There’s an online application form and, once approved, the company will contact the driver via email to explain the details of the campaign or the program. It will then be the driver’s responsibility to apply the rear window ad, following the instructions provided by the company.
If the driver agrees to an ad being placed on their entire car then the company will provide information about where they can go to get the car wrap placed professionally. The driver will then earn money as soon as the car wrap is done and they’re off on their first drive.
The downside of going with Free Car Media is that the driver will need to apply some of the advertisements themselves and the campaigns can be quite lengthy. Drivers may drive with a single ad on their car from six to 24 months.
The benefits of going with this company are that there are options for the type of ad placement. If you want something a little more discreet than an entire car wrap, you can simply opt for advertising on your rear window.
You can also reject ads that you aren’t interested in or not comfortable with. Declining programs does not mean that drivers will not qualify for future programs. They will still be eligible when another program becomes available for them.
3. ReferralCars
What makes ReferralCars stand out from the rest of the competition is that they offer drivers commission-based reimbursement on top of the specified base pay. This means that drivers can increase their earnings, depending on whether the chosen campaign is commission-based or not.
As a driver, the process starts by entering the ZIP code and then viewing campaigns that are specific to the area. Then you will move on to an online application that requires details about your total miles driven in a year, how old your car is, if it’s insured, etc.
Once ReferralCars approves a driver, an account manager will contact them to provide specifications about the campaign. If the driver is happy with the details, they will then need to pay a shipping fee to receive the decal needed for the car wrapping. They will then need to ‘activate’ the decal on the ReferralCars website with the keyword that has been provided.
In this way, the company can track sales for specific drivers. The driver will need to place the decal on their car and send a photo for proof. Then, the driver can start earning some money. ReferralCars also requires drivers to send photos every month to prove that the decal is still on the vehicle.
The advantage of working for ReferralCars is that they only do small decals. So, you don’t need to worry about the ads being too large and obvious. There is also an earnings guarantee. This means that, as a driver, you can earn money within 90 days after accepting a campaign or you’ll receive a $100 gift card.
The disadvantage of going with this company is that you’ll need to pay the shipping fee for the decal and you’ll need to apply the decals yourself.
4. StickerRide
StickerRide is a European company that now operates in the U.S. as well with over 40,000 drivers. As a legitimate car wrap advertising company, StickerRide can connect drivers with advertising options that capture the attention of their target audiences.
To qualify as a driver, there is an app that you need to download (it’s available for both Android and Apple users). Once you register your car, you can choose an active car wrap campaign and head over to one of the company’s specified locations. StickerRide will then wash your car and apply the advertising stickers. As soon as the decals have been applied, you can start earning money.
One of the downsides to StickerRide is that drivers need to activate the app each time they drive. This is so that the company can calculate the number of miles driven to work out the payment.
For each mile driven, it is multiplied by the driver’s tariff and equals one point. Tariffs are worked out based on factors like location, decals displayed, time, and the type of car. So, payments for drivers can vary.
Ensuring that the app is on at all times might be a bit of a hassle as failing to do so means that the driver loses out on payment for that commute. Certain campaigns require a specific model of car and the driver will only know if their car is suitable once they apply.
However, as a driver, there’s the freedom to choose campaigns. This allows you to choose car wrap advertising that you’re comfortable with. There are also options to earn more by taking part in “flashmobs” or “quests” where you need to perform a task. For example, it could mean taking a photograph of the car in a well-known location.
5. Wrapify
This legitimate car wrap advertising company was established in 2015 and mostly partners with advertisers interested in rolling billboards. They hire drivers looking to earn some extra money and compensate them depending on how far they drive.
According to listed Wrapify drivers, you’re able to earn anything from $190 to $450 monthly, depending on the mileage, and, to date, Wrapify has a base of over 250,000 drivers!
Signing up to become a driver requires downloading an app and driving their usual daily routes. The app will track these routes and notify drivers of suitable campaigns. So, the type of offers you will receive depends on your driving habits.
Once you pick a campaign that you like, you will need to register and have your car wrapped. Then, you’ll be on your way to earning some money. Earnings are based on the miles the driver drives in a campaign zone – which is normally within 50 miles of the brand’s location.
Becoming a driver for Wrapify requires a background check. You need to have had less than two accidents in the past three years and you must be above the age of 21. Drivers need to drive at least 50 miles per day and will be held accountable to pay a termination fee if they break the contract or remove the car wrap. Car models must be newer than 2010 and shouldn’t have any major visible damage.
With Wrapify, you can choose from a range of car wrap advertising options. These include light, partial, or full wrap, with the inclusion of a static rideshare topper. Drivers will receive easy payments every alternate week through a direct deposit. Another advantage is that campaigns usually run between one to three months. So, there’s no long-term commitment.
How To Avoid The Scammers
Yes, there are plenty of scammers out there. As a potential driver who wants to get paid to advertise on your car, this is one area where you cannot afford to let your guard down. The reality is that scams do exist and it’s up to the driver to do their background checks and research to make sure that there aren’t any loopholes.
Drivers need to have a look at the application process to ensure that it’s legitimate and formal. It should ask for things such as the car’s make and model as well as your driving history.
Be wary if there is a request for an application fee as this is not a standard requirement for legitimate car wrap advertising companies. A reputable company will also require proof of car insurance and they will not approve drivers with cars that do not meet the insurance requirement of the state that the driver resides in.
Legitimate car advertising companies will not require drivers to cover the costs of application and removal of decals. When there is a promise of reimbursement for doing that, take it as a warning sign that something might be out of the ordinary.
Another important aspect to look out for is contact details, which should include a contact number and email address that you can test as a driver. Customer service details are a must-have and if these look sketchy then it’s best to look elsewhere for an opportunity.
Be careful not to be fooled by promises that seem too good to be true, because in that case they usually are!
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself reaching the end of your money before the end of the month, then you might want to start looking at alternative ways to score some extra cash. If you own a car and drive a lot, car wrap advertising might just be a viable option.
However, we don’t advise rushing into the first available opportunity to get paid for advertising on your car because this could lead to money lost instead of money earned. You need to make sure that you do your research – one quick look at a company may simply not be enough.
Once you find a company that checks all the boxes and the deal seems legitimate, put it to the test. It doesn’t require much work – think of it as being paid to drive around, how much easier can it be?
So, if this sounds good to you, be sure to check out the five legitimate car wrap advertising companies mentioned above as your starting point.