Cash

Cash remains the most common form of payment at estate sales. Always prepare enough change ahead of time — a mix of ones, fives, and tens is best. Decide how you’ll store and manage cash during the sale. Many sellers use either a lockable cash box at checkout or a money apron worn by the cashier for easy access and security. Whichever method you choose, make sure it’s secure and monitored at all times.

Zelle

Zelle is a convenient, bank-to-bank payment method that transfers money instantly using just a phone number. It’s widely used and free through most major banks. To accept Zelle payments:

1. Set it up through your bank’s mobile app.
2. Share your phone number with the buyer.
3. Funds transfer directly into your bank account without any extra deposit steps.

Venmo

Venmo is another popular option for person-to-person payments. It’s free to use, but requires you to download the Venmo app and create an account. Buyers can send money using either their bank account or debit card. Make sure your account is set to “business” if you plan to use it regularly for estate sales, which helps track transactions and provides additional features.

Square (Credit Card Processing)

Accepting credit cards through Square can significantly increase sales — buyers tend to spend more when they can use a card. However, Square does charge a small processing fee per transaction.

The good news: you no longer need a physical card reader for many devices. If your phone supports tap-to-pay (NFC), customers can simply hold their chip card or digital wallet (Apple Pay/Google Pay) near your phone to complete the transaction.