Did you know you can buy and sell drones on Swappa’s marketplace? You’ll find drones from DJI, Autel, Parrot, PowerVision, and more. In addition to drones, you can also find accessories like drone controllers and drone batteries. Swappa has low, low fees so you can grab a great deal on a gently used drone or sell a drone and keep more of your hard earned money.
Buy a New or Used Drone on Swappa
Swappa offers a wide range of used drones including the ever-popular DJI Mavic, Mini, and Air series. Sellers often create listings that include the flight controller, multiple batteries, props, and other accessories so you’re bound to find a great deal. Your drone should arrive ready to fly. All you’ll need to do is register it with the FAA, charge your batteries, turn it on, and takeoff. In many instances, a case (hard or soft) is included to keep the drone safe during shipping.
- Swappa is people-powered. You buy directly from other users so you’ll always get the best price.
- The price of shipping is included in the price.
- Swappa has fair fees
- Swappa uses PayPal for payments due to the extensive buyer protections they offer.
Note: You must register the drone if it weighs more than 250 grams with the FAA. Whether you plan on flying the drone recreationally or commercially, all drone pilots in the US must abide by FAA rules. We highly recommend you start your drone flying journey by reading this FAA guide.
Sell a New or Used Drone on Swappa
Anyone can sell a used drone. All you need to do is register and connect your PayPal account to get started. The listing process is simple and quick. All you’ll need is a PayPal account, your phone’s camera, a pen, and paper.
- Swappa has a large and active community of people who are searching for deals on gently used tech.
- Swappa has fair fees for sellers. You’ll make more selling on Swappa.
- Swappa uses PayPal for payments due to the extensive seller protections they offer.
Note: Swappa’s drone category will be expanded over time, so please reach out to our support team if you want to sell a model that isn’t yet available on Swappa.
Buying a Drone on Swappa
Buying a used drone on Swappa is easy. If you have a specific model in mind, you can use the search bar at the top of the Swappa homepage to find it. Otherwise, you can start browsing our Drone page.
Once you’ve drilled down to the drone you’re interested in, you’ll see a tabular view of all the available listings with information like:
- Price
- Product thumbnail image
- Condition
- Name of the seller with ratings
- Seller location
- Payment types accepted (PayPal or Stripe)
- Cost of shipping (always free for drones)
- Listing Code (unique identifier for the listing)
Clicking on a listing will give you more information about the listing including more photos, a listing headline and description, as well as any warranty information provided by the seller. If the seller is an individual user or a Power Seller, you’ll be able to leave them comments if you have any questions about the drone or want to offer the seller a lower price.
Carefully browse through the photos and check the condition. Read the listing descriptions carefully to make sure it has everything you’re expecting or needing. Take note of the warranty the seller is offering and any terms or restrictions they set in place. All sellers on Swappa must meet our Swappa policies which you can read on this page.
If you’re ready to purchase, click the big green ‘Buy Now’ button and you’ll be taken to a checkout page where you can enter your address and payment information. If the seller offers Stripe payments, you’ll be able to checkout directly on the checkout page with a debit or credit card. Otherwise, you’ll pay through PayPal.
After the payment is processed, a private sale page is created for the transaction. This sale page is visible to you, the seller, and Swappa staff and is where you’ll be able to communicate with the seller and view the shipment tracking information.
Requirements for Listing a Drone on Swappa
Drone and drone accessory listings on Swappa must meet some minimum requirements to be listed. Please reference the requirements for all drones and drone accessories below:
Required (must be included with all drone listings):
- Drone: Must be fully functional
- Propellers: Minimum 1 undamaged set
- Battery: Minimum 1 functional battery. It must include a charger if one is needed to charge the battery (some batteries are able to charge while in the drone via a cable)
- Controller: Must be fully functional, the controller must hold a charge, no cracks in the screen (if applicable), and sticks must be included (if applicable)
Drones must also be deregistered from the FAA DroneZone website and manufacturer account (if applicable).
New or Used, You can Sell Both
Sellers can list drones as New or Used on Swappa.
A New condition drone is unused and unflown (with zero flight hours).
A Used condition drone is fully functional with the accessories listed above.
How to Create a Drone Listing
Creating a drone listing on Swappa is a free, simple process that will only take you a few minutes. You’ll need a pen, paper, and a camera (a smartphone camera works). You won’t have to pay a penny until your listing sells.
Step 1 – Create a Swappa Account and Connect PayPal
You can login to an existing Swappa account or register for one from our Login Page.
Payments on Swappa are processed through PayPal. You’ll need to connect your PayPal account to your Swappa account to receive payments for listings you sell on Swappa.
Step 2 – Find Your Drone in Our Catalog
In order to start the listing process, you’ll need to find your drone in our product catalog. You can use the search bar at the top of the Swappa.com homepage or browse through our drone product page.
Step 3 – Create Your Listing
When you’ve located your drone, click the ‘Sell Now’ button on the product page and the listing creation form will open. Follow the form prompts, filling in all the required information to create your listing. When you submit the listing creation form, a listing page for your item will be created on Swappa with a unique Listing Code. The listing code will be used in Step 4 to create verification photos.
Note: the cost of standard shipping should be included in your listing price. You will receive your listing ask price minus the Swappa seller fee and the PayPal payment transaction fee.
Step 4 – Take Photos of Your Drone
You’ve submitted your listing and it’s time to take photos. Follow the instructions on the photo upload page. You’ll need at least one valid verification photo along with a series of photos showing what is included in your listing. Take photos of your drone from all angles clearly showing any and all wear. It’s important that the photos are in focus and accurately represent what the buyer will receive.
Sellers on Swappa should always strive for transparency and accuracy when it comes to listing condition. There’s no reason to hide the true condition of a device. If what the buyer receives doesn’t match the listing condition and photos, the seller could be stuck with a costly return. Accurately describe any wear in your listing description and show it in your photos.
Step 5 – Monitor Your Email for Communication
Swappa staff will moderate your listing after you’ve submitted photos and will contact you via email if they require any additional information to approve your listing. Once it’s moderated and approve, your listing will be available for purchase. You will receive emails from potential buyers if they have any questions about your listing.
When your listing sells, you’ll receive a notification via email and a private sale page will be created. You can communicate with your buyer on this private sale page and upload the shipment tracking information once you’ve shipped. You can read more about shipping on Swappa on our Shipping Page.
Read more: Swappa’s device criteria requirements and Swappa’s device condition requirement