Car giveaway guides
Everything we've learned from reading the official rules of hundreds of car and truck giveaways, written up so you don't have to.
Tools
The basics
- How car giveaways work (and how the sponsors make money)How car and truck giveaways actually work in 2026: why they're legal, where the money comes from, how entries and drawings work, and what your odds look like.8 min
- Is that car giveaway legit? How to spot a scamThe checks that separate a real car giveaway from a scam: official rules, a named sponsor, published winners, and the red flags that should stop you entering.7 min
- Car giveaway odds: how to work out your real chancesHow odds work in an entry-based car giveaway, why nobody publishes them, how to estimate the entry pool, and why the free mail-in entry changes the math.7 min
Entering free
- How to enter a car giveaway for free by mailStep by step: how a free mail-in (AMOE) entry works, what to write on the card, how to address the envelope, and the mistakes that get mail-in entries thrown out.9 min
- Mail-in entry supplies: what to buy and what it costs per cardThe index cards, envelopes, pens and stamps you need for mail-in sweepstakes entries, what the rules allow, and how to keep each entry under a dollar.6 min
Taxes and money
- Taxes on winning a car: what you'll owe and how to pay itHow prize taxes work when you win a car or truck: fair market value, the 1099-MISC, federal and state income tax, cash bonuses and the cash option, with worked examples.8 min
- Take the car or the cash? How to decideWhen a giveaway offers a cash alternative, which is worth more after taxes? How to compare the car's value, the cash, resale and the tax bill.6 min
If you win
Free alerts for new and ending giveaways
New car and truck giveaways once a week, and a heads-up 48 hours before one closes. Free, one click to unsubscribe.