Make great money when you sell clothes online – our complete guide

If you want to learn how to sell clothes online and actually make money, you’ve come to the right place. With this guide, you’ll discover so many easy ways to make money from selling clothes you no longer wear that you’ll be itching to share them with your friends.

We cover everything from apps like Depop and Vinted, which are specially designed for selling second hand clothes, to more general online shopping sites like eBay.

You can also recycle clothes for cash, donate items to charity or get vouchers for high street stores for recycling old garments. If you want to learn how to sell designer or vintage clothes online, you’ll also find plenty of ideas to help you get started.

Selling unwanted clothing online is a fantastic way to make some extra cash without too much effort. We’ve compiled the ultimate guide to tell you everything you need to know, so you can start earning some extra cash.

If you're looking to sell old books or even your old mobile phone, we've got guides for that too.

Why sell your clothes online?

Getting rid of your old clothes is a fun way to earn money while decluttering your home. You’ll be achieving two things at once: a tidier nest and a healthier bank balance.

Throwing out old clothes can be hard when you’ve spent a lot of money on a particular item or have a sentimental attachment to it. But the fantastic thing about reselling clothes is they’ll most likely be going to someone who’ll love that piece of clothing just as much as you did.

After all, that beautiful summer dress will look a lot nicer on someone else than it will just hanging up in your closet. What’s more, selling pre-loved clothes helps fight the overwhelming tide of fast fashion.

In the UK, hundreds of thousands of tonnes of clothing are thrown away every single year. In fact, as a nation, we’re the fourth biggest producer of textile waste in Europe. It doesn’t have to stay like this.

Sustainable fashion can actually be really easy. If we turn to selling or recycling our old clothes as well as buying second hand, we can create new habits and live in a more eco-friendly way. And when you’re earning a bit of money at the same time, who could say no?

The best apps for selling clothes online in the UK

If you use Instagram regularly, it probably won’t take you long to get the hang of clothes-selling apps like Vinted and Depop.

Free to download from the App Store and Google Play, these resale apps look pretty similar to social media platforms. They’re also one of our favourite methods for selling unwanted clothing because they’re so easy to use.

You can search for keywords or specific sellers, browse trending posts and message buyers directly about items.

While both Vinted and Depop also have websites for buying, selling and browsing, their mobile apps make selling clothes online easier than ever.

With over 45 million users, their app is simple and safe to use, allowing people to have complete control over how they buy and sell clothes online.

Even better, they don’t charge any listing or transaction fees, so you don’t need to worry about surprise costs. They make their money from extras like Bumps and Wardrobe Spotlights (more on that later).

Listing an item on Vinted

When you list an item on the free Vinted app, you can upload up to 20 of your own photos. You’ll then need to write a clear and concise title and description for your item of clothing, describing its features, measurements and level of wear.

The app can then make suggestions based on your product title and description to help you fill out the category, brand and condition. They’ll even suggest a price range for your product based on what other people are selling similar items for.

Once you’ve added your price and selected your parcel size, you’re ready for someone to come along and buy your old clothes. Shoppers can buy your items instantly, or make offers on the price. It’s totally your choice whether you accept or reject buyer offers and you can also directly message users with your own offers.

What to do when someone buys an item from you on Vinted

Once a buyer purchases an item from you, you’ll have five working days to ship the item by taking it to your nearest drop-off point. The profit you receive from selling your items will be stored as Vinted credit. You can use this to purchase clothing from other sellers or withdraw it to your bank account.

What clothes sell on Vinted?

Clothes with the label still attached are particularly popular as they’re effectively new items available at a discounted price.

How can I get more people to see my products?

We can’t stress enough the importance of good captions when selling clothes, so make sure you use relevant hashtags in your product description so people who are looking for that exact type of item can find your listing.

Aside from describing your items clearly and accurately, Vinted have a few helpful tools you can use to push your listings out to wider audiences.

If you’re willing to invest a bit of money into marketing your listings, consider bumping your item from as little as 50p. A Bump will increase the visibility of your listing to relevant shoppers and therefore increase your chance of a sale.

You can also treat your store to a Wardrobe Spotlight for £6.95. This will boost your wardrobe’s visibility for seven days to help you reach more prospective buyers, which could be more worthwhile for higher-end items.

What if I need a break from selling on the Vinted app?

How to sell clothes on Depop

Depop, much like Vinted, is hugely popular and has millions of users. With a significantly younger audience overall, Depop caters better to those selling streetwear, Y2K and other similar styles.

Listing an item on Depop

When you create listings on Depop, you can upload up to four of your own photos. Your description needs to be under 1,000 characters and you can include five hashtags to help buyers find your listing.

Depop has some pretty intuitive further category options that you can use at this stage. You don’t have to, but you can specify colour, source, era and style if you want. This can help get your pre-loved clothes in front of the right audience.

Much like with Vinted, you can enable Instant Buy so shoppers can buy items at your chosen selling price. Or, you can open up your listing to offers if you’re willing to accept a lower amount.

What to do when you sell an item on Depop

This fee will be 2.9% of the price of the item sold, plus a 30p flat fee. Make sure you’re clued up on Depop and PayPal fees before listing products. You could use an online Depop and PayPal fee calculator to help you work out your pricing.

What clothes sell on Depop?

Depop is one of the best places to sell vintage clothes online right now, with streetwear and Y2K style pieces being particularly big trends.

Unique items on Depop sell quickly and upcycled and reworked items also do well, with shoppers generally favouring bright colours and bold styles.

How can I get more people to see my products?

Rather than a flat fee for boosting an item (like the Vinted Bump model), you’ll be charged an 8% boosting fee when your boosted listing sells. That’s 8% of the total sale price of your listing, which includes the item price and shipping fee.

There are bots to help you do this automatically, so do your research and find the best one for you. For a mobile app, check out Debot on the App Store, or you can add an extension to your browser like Salesbot or SellerAider.

Where to sell high-end clothes

There are lots of different places to sell second hand designer clothes online. Which service you choose will depend on what specific items you have to sell.

The thought of selling high-end clothes can be a bit daunting at first. With some luxury goods being worth so much money, you might feel a bit of pressure to get the best price for your item.

The first thing to consider is what luxury goods you’re selling and where they sit in terms of resale price. Keep reading to find out which platforms are best for selling your designer items.

Whether you’re selling a pair of Balenciaga trainers or a Chanel bag, Vestiaire Collective can help you find a new home for your item, while making sure you get paid the amount that item deserves.

What items do they accept?

Vestiaire Collective accept a huge range of items from over 12,000 of the world’s biggest brands. Make sure you check out their Accepted Brands page to be sure the brand you’re hoping to sell is on there.

How does it work?

At Vestiaire Collective, you register to become a seller and list your items in minutes. The system is very similar to the sites we’ve already mentioned so far.

They have a chat service that allows you to speak directly to buyers and negotiate deals. Vestiaire Collective offer prepaid shipping labels to make selling and shipping your items as easy as can be.

Are there seller fees?

Yes, like most UK resale sites, Vestiaire Collective do charge fees, although it’s free to list items. Some selected brands are exempt from selling fees altogether, so it's worth checking their website to see if this applies to the items you're selling.

For items under £100, you’ll pay a flat rate of £10 per item sold, plus a £3 payment processing fee.

If your item is priced between £100 and £20,000, they’ll take a 10% selling fee per item sold. For items over £20,000, you’ll pay a £2,000 flat fee when it sells.

All item sales above £100 are subject to a 3% payment processing fee.

Reluxe is a great place to sell designer clothing online because they take care of all the boring bits so you don’t have to.

What items do they accept?

Reluxe allow you to sell items that have their original tags, all the way down to items in ‘fair condition’ (which means you can sell items with some signs of wear, including bobbling, pulled threads and snags).

How does it work?

If you live in London and have more than 10 pieces you’d like to sell, you can arrange to have a home visit from a member of the Reluxe concierge service team. Or, if you have a smaller collection or live outside of London, you can email their team to discuss selling your items.

Reluxe will deal with the whole process for you, including communications, postage and returns. When one of your products sells, your money will be sent straight to your bank account.

Are there seller fees?

Reluxe’s selling fees are quite high, so it’s definitely worth considering whether it’s the right platform for you, depending on what products you have to sell.

Did you know Selfridges will buy designer handbags you no longer want? As part of their RESELFRIDGES scheme, Selfridges are giving shoppers gift cards in exchange for their old designer bags.

What items do they accept?

Selfridges accept pre-loved handbags from 30 different designer brands, including Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier and Versace.

You don’t have to have bought your bag from Selfridges originally. As long as your handbag is included on their list of accepted brands, you’re good to go.

How does it work?

The first thing you’ll need to do is take some high-quality pictures of the bag you want to resell.

Then, just upload your images to their site and a member of the RESELFRIDGES team will be in touch within four business days to let you know how much credit you could earn.

If you’re happy with the price you’re offered, you can then schedule your free collection to have your designer bag(s) picked up.

As soon as everything has been verified, you’ll receive your Selfridges gift card with your credit balance applied. You can then use this money to put towards a new handbag (or whatever you like) from Selfridges.

Are there seller fees?

No, because RESELFRIDGES sell your items for you, you won’t have to pay selling fees.

At Hardly Ever Worn It (also known as Hewi), you can sell designer clothes, accessories and shoes for men, women and children.

What items do they accept?

Hewi happily accept luxury designer clothes, shoes, accessories, bags and jewellery from a range of brands. The items can be unworn, in very good condition or with minor defects, but nothing too shabby or damaged.

How does it work?

Hewi have two options when it comes to selling designer items. If you want complete control over your selling experience, opt for the Private Selling Service.

With this service, you’ll be able to upload your own items, speak directly with buyers and organise your own shipping.

If you go for the VIP Service, however, the Hewi team will take care of all the finer details, enabling you to stay anonymous, sit back and have the work done for you.

Are there seller fees?

Hewi charge an 21.6% commission on products you sell through their Private Selling Service but they don’t charge you to list items.

If you’re using the VIP Service, the commission you pay for selling items depends on how much you sell them for. See the table below for a breakdown of the costs.

Neither of these options are cheap, although they’re certainly not the most expensive we’ve seen.

It’s definitely worth weighing up the selling fees for each company before you commit to one service. And if you want a company to do the hard parts for you, it might be worth the extra fee.

Zara Pre-Owned

The Zara Pre-Owned scheme is designed to help UK customers sell their pre-loved Zara items with ease.

You have control over your product descriptions, photos and price, as long as they are approved by the Zara team. When you sell an item, Zara will send you a pre-paid shipping label, so all you have to do is package up your item and send it off.

What items do they accept?

Zara accept most Zara clothing, including outerwear, accessories and shoes. Your items can be from Zara’s men’s, women’s or kids’ ranges, but they must be in good condition.

Your items will only be approved if your pictures and descriptions are accurate, any blemishes or quirks are accurately described, and the condition you’ve selected accurately reflects the pictures you’ve uploaded.

How does it work?

The first thing you need to do is find the item you’re selling in Zara’s product catalogue. You can do this by searching the product name, scanning the tag or manually filling out the product listing form.

You’ll then need to provide between three and five high-quality photos of your item, showing all angles in good lighting. You set the price, although you might want to have a look at how much other similar items are going for to give you an idea of how much to charge.

Are there seller fees?

There are absolutely no seller fees when you sell with the Zara Pre-Owned scheme. Even postage is pre-paid, so you literally don’t need to pay for anything.

Thrift+ believe in reusing over recycling. Reusing clothes uses less energy than recycling, as well as helping eliminate the need for more clothes to be made.

The clothes you donate to Thrift+ will be sent all over the world to countries with high demand.

What items do they accept?

Thrift+ accept clothing, shoes and accessories for men and women from a wide range of brands. You can donate items from high street, premium and luxury brands, whether that’s dresses from Zara, a Whistles blouse or a Prada sweater.

How does it work?

When your items sell, Thrift+ will email you to let you know. They’ll send you the breakdown of fees, including your chosen charity donation and credit. You can choose whether you want to keep 100% of your profit or donate 50% to a charity of your choice.

Your credit can be used to shop on Thrift+ or be exchanged for one of their participating retailers, which include ASOS, Karen Millen and Gymshark.

Are there seller fees?

Yes, Thrift+ charge a 90% fee on items that sell for £4.99 or less, 80% for items sold between £5 and £49.99 and 60% for items over £50.

In the past, Thrift+ used to deduct a listing fee and handling charge from each sale, which sometimes left sellers with no credits. The new system ensures every seller earns credits from every sale, regardless of selling price.

Selling vintage and handmade clothing

If you design your own clothes or are considering becoming a professional seller of vintage clothing, we’ve got all the information you need.

ASOS Marketplace is a fantastic place to sell vintage clothing. If your application is successful, you also have the chance to get editorial coverage for your brand, which can increase exposure and boost sales.

Thanks to their dedicated customer service team for sellers and your own personal account manager, you’ll never be left on your own.

What items do they accept?

ASOS Marketplace have a pretty specific set of criteria for sellers to meet in order to be able to sell on their platform. They’re interested in original designs from independent brands and true vintage collections (Y2K or older).

How does it work?

Are there seller fees?

ASOS take a 20% commission on all sales made through their market platform, although they sometimes offer half-price seller rates to students.

Etsy is one of the best platforms to use if you’re a fashion lover trying to build your own independent clothing brand. It’s the perfect place to experiment with your designs and marketing strategy in a safe, encouraging environment.

You might want to set up your clothing business using Etsy while you’re still learning the ropes, but eventually, their relatively high selling fees will probably make you want to consider other platforms.

What items do they accept?

If you’re wondering whether you can sell clothes on Etsy, the answer is an absolute yes, but it’s not as simple as just selling and buying second hand clothes.

Etsy is designed for selling handmade and vintage items. Any clothing items you sell through your Etsy shop must be your own work that you have physically created or designed.

If your top-selling product is an embroidered leather jacket or you specialise in loungewear and beauty products like eye masks and dressing gowns, you can find your audience on Etsy.

How does it work?

Before you start selling clothing on Etsy, you’ll need to set up your own Etsy store with a cohesive theme and clear, high-quality listings.

There’s more effort involved with this method than with other methods like dedicated clothes-selling apps. You need to think about your whole shop image, including your branding and shop description.

Once you’ve set up your Etsy shop, it’s time to start listing items. As always, the quality of your image, title and description is vital when you create listings.

You should also utilise the category and additional information sections to help flesh out your posts so they show up in more people’s searches. If you want to boost sales, make sure to offer your customers free shipping too.

Are there seller fees?

Etsy charge a $0.20 listing fee for each item you list on your store, as well as a 6.5% transaction fee per item sold. It’s not a lot to pay in comparison to other selling sites, but when you’re selling your own handmade and reworked items, the fees can be a bit off-putting.

If you make enough sales and price your products correctly, the transaction fee shouldn’t affect you too much. However, make sure you factor in these fees when calculating your profits each month because you might not have earned as much as you think.

More websites to sell clothes with minimal effort

There are lots of great websites out there that have been designed specifically for selling pre-loved items.

Even though their primary focus might not be secondhand clothes, you can still sell your old clothing on these platforms. They can be a fantastic way to reach more buyers, particularly if your items aren't of high value.

There are thousands upon thousands of different products you can buy and sell on eBay. So, if you’re planning on selling clothes on eBay, there are a few things you need to consider.

Is selling clothes on eBay worth it?

If you want to sell clothes online, eBay can be a brilliant platform to use. While this eCommerce website is famous for bidding wars between buyers, you don’t actually have to auction your items off when you sell through the site.

You can set your products at a Buy It Now price if that makes things easier for you. This means you can set your price and stick to it, without worrying about whether anyone bids on your item or not.

What clothes sell best on eBay?

Lower-priced clothing tends to sell best on eBay because potential buyers don’t go looking on eBay for higher-priced products.

For example, if you’re after a genuine second hand Louis Vuitton handbag, you’re far more likely to check out places like RESELFRIDGES or Vestiaire Collective.

Your eBay shop can be a great place for selling bundles of everyday clothing at a cheap price. You can sell clothing from popular brands on eBay, including Zara, Topshop, ASOS and AllSaints, as well as non-branded items. Most of all, it’s a great way to have a clear-out and give your clothes a second life.

Are there seller fees?

eBay have recently completely binned their fees for UK-based private sellers selling pre-owned clothes.

This means you won't pay any transaction fees for any clothing you sell on eBay, although this doesn't extend to accessories, hats, bags, footwear, watches or jewellery.

On a mission to reduce landfill, Preloved are helping people all over the UK reuse and recycle their clothing. Whether you list your items at a set price or offer them for free, declutter your wardrobe and help prevent damage to the planet with Preloved.

What items do they accept?

Preloved accept new and worn clothes, including jeans, dresses, jackets, boots and fitness clothing (branded and unbranded).

How does it work?

There are three different types of personal seller accounts to choose from when you sell with Preloved.

Go for the free account to ease yourself in if you want to, but it only costs £6 for a 12-month Preloved membership. With this subscription, you’ll be able to place unlimited adverts and respond to adverts as soon as they’re placed. You’ll also be able to include as many photos in your listings as you want.

If you’d like the option to embed YouTube videos, why not go for the Preloved premium subscription? For £15 a year, this subscription will also get you priority placement on the site and you'll be able to browse without ads.

Are there seller fees?

There are no listing fees or selling fees when you sell your clothes online through Preloved. In fact, if you stick to the basic Preloved account, you can earn instant cash without paying a penny.

Shpock is a mobile-first marketplace where you can sell clothing and electronic goods through their website and app. You can sell a huge range of clothing items on Shpock, from T-shirts and jackets to accessories and footwear.

Shpock have separate services for casual sellers and business owners. If you’re a professional seller with a registered business in the UK, you can sign up for a Shpock+ Shop.

You’ll receive expert advice from their customer service team, as well as performance insights and the chance to sell to over 10 million active users.

How does it work?

Shpock works in a similar way to eBay in that people can make offers on products to try and bag the best deal.

A standard Shpock account is free to use, or you can upgrade to a premium membership. As a premium member, you won’t see any ads while using the site and you’ll get a premium badge to help your account stand out from the rest. Premium members also benefit from free search boosts, plus the ability to add up to 10 photos per listing.

List your items with good-quality photos and a clear, concise description, and you’re pretty much good to go.

Are there seller fees?

Shpock have recently introduced seller fees for sellers using PayPal, which depend on the price of the item you sell. You'll also pay a 3.4% + 20p PayPal fee per item.

Sell clothes using social media

One of the absolute best places to sell clothes online is on social media. Cut out resale sites altogether by selling through Facebook Marketplace or Instagram.

Selling through Facebook Marketplace is a great way to reach a wide range of buyers. Public listings can be seen by anyone using Marketplace, as well as being shown on Facebook feeds and even other places outside of Facebook.

Make sure you join some relevant Facebook selling groups to help you reach a wider customer base near you and increase local sales.

Can you sell clothes on Facebook Marketplace?

How does it work?

On Facebook Marketplace, you can sell items or give them away for free if you just want to get rid of them.

You list items just as you would with most other reselling platforms, which includes adding high-quality photos, a title, description and pricing.

With Facebook, you can choose whether to offer delivery or request that buyers collect them from you instead.

Are there seller fees?

Facebook don’t charge any fees to list or sell items. If you want to, you can pay to boost your listings. You get to choose your budget, duration and target audience, so you can spend as little or as much as you like on promotion.

While Instagram isn’t typically known for being used to sell second hand clothes, it’s becoming more and more popular for doing just that. Because Instagram is a very visual app, uploading amazing quality clothing photos is particularly important.

You also need to bear in mind it’s a social media platform, so you need to post consistently and at optimal times to help you reach the most people.

What items do they accept?

As long as they’re in great condition, you can sell clothing from high street brands and luxury designers on Instagram, whether they’re brand new or used. As well as clothes, you can sell bags, shoes, footwear and accessories on Instagram too.

Make sure the items you’re selling are of good quality. Instagram shoppers aren’t generally interested in products that are very cheap or very expensive, so sticking to mid-range pricing will help you out a lot.

How does it work?

When you’re selling clothes through Instagram, there’s no formal strategy to follow.

Unless you’re a professional seller with a website to link to, there’s no section on Instagram dedicated to selling items privately. This gives you pretty much total freedom as long as you don’t violate Instagram’s terms of use.

When it comes to taking payment, you’ll have to arrange that on a case-by-case basis with each customer.

PayPal is a good way to collect funds as it doesn’t involve exchanging bank details. If you’re selling through PayPal business, however, be aware of their transaction fees.

Are there seller fees?

There are no seller fees when it comes to selling on Instagram but you might want to consider paying to promote certain posts to help you reach more potential buyers.

Recycle old clothing for cash

Ease:

Fees: none

Best for: any old clothes and textiles with little value

If you don’t have any particularly valuable pieces or maybe you just have loads of clothing to get rid of, recycling clothing by weight might be a better option for you.

There are lots of places that buy clothes for cash and many are willing to collect bags of clothing straight from your home.

Where can I take my old clothes for cash?

When it comes to finding places that exchange clothes for cash by weight, do some research for places in your local area first.

Looking for clothes for cash collection from home? Companies like We Just Recycle offer free collection of your unwanted clothes, paired shoes, belts and handbags from your front door with cash paid on the spot.

Cash For Clothes offer a similar service, but you’ll need to drop off your unwanted clothing at your nearest branch. Cash For Clothes happily accept old clothes, household items and textiles (including towels, bedding covers and net curtains).

How much do Cash For Clothes pay?

Keep in mind that there isn’t a huge amount of money in this method, as We Just Recycle and Cash For Clothes will only pay up to 50p per kilo.

While you can sell clothes instantly (or thereabouts) with this method, when you consider how little you'll earn, you might want to just donate them to a local charity shop instead. 

Can I return clothes for cash at high street stores?

Ease:

Fees: none

Best for: any old clothes and textiles with little value

Use a clothes recycling app like reGAIN

Out of ideas? Why not try a car boot sale?

Ease:

Fees: £5-15 for your pitch

Best for: anything and everything

If you’re having no luck selling clothes online or you’re just looking for an easier way to get rid of your old clothes, car boot sales can be a fantastic way to make some extra cash.

Do a quick search on Google for local sales in your area and find a place and time that suits you.

The average price for a pitch at a car boot sale is between £5 and £15 for the whole day, so bear this in mind before you decide to try this method. If you don’t have your own car, you could ask a friend or family member to help you out.

There isn’t a huge amount of money in selling at car boot sales, but you can get around 10-15% of the product’s original value as your resale price, which is better than nothing.

Not fussed about selling clothes for money? Why not donate instead?

If you live in London and want to contribute to the circular economy, you can take your children’s pre-loved clothes to a Drop Off point at Harvey Nichols Knightsbridge or Caramel London.

You won’t get paid for these items, but it’s a quick and easy way to get rid of kids’ clothing you no longer need. Donating clothes actively helps prevent tonnes of post-consumer waste from clogging landfills.

Which selling method is right for you?

So, now you’ve been through our ultimate guide to selling old clothes for cash, it’s time to settle on your plan of action.

Deciding where to sell unwanted clothes can be a tricky one, mainly as there are so many options. From clothes-selling apps like Vinted to social media platforms like Facebook Marketplace, there’s something for all clothing styles and price points.

Here's our short round-up of our favourite platforms, depending on what you're selling.

You're by no means limited to using just one platform either, so why not try a few different methods and see what works best for you?

We're big on side hustles here at TopCashback, which means we've got a wide range of guides to help you work out which side hustle might be best for you. Read our side hustles guide if you're looking for some broader inspiration, or why not find out how you can make money with online surveys or become a mystery diner?