What is Swapalease and how does it work?

Leasing is a popular way for people to get into a new vehicle — even though it's probably money expert Clark Howard's least favorite way for you to get transportation.

A look at Swapalease

Despite Clark’s reservations, a lot of people still choose to lease.

"One key bit of advice I have if you're going to lease is to stick to leasing terms of 36,000 miles over three years," money expert Clark Howard says. "Any longer than that and you're really doing yourself financial harm."

Of course, not everyone follows that rule! So what happens if you find yourself stuck in a lease and you want to get out?

Swapalease offers a marketplace where you can transfer your lease to another party and exit it without penalty, or you can get into somebody else's lease.

Here’s a look at how it works:

1. Make sure your lease is eligible for Swapalease

This is a critical first step. You’ll need a few required pieces of info to get started:

Year of your vehicle
Make
Model
Lease company
Your name
Email
Phone

Don't worry, most leases do qualify for a transfer!

2. Create your listing

Once you know your lease is eligible for transfer, it’s time to create your listing. Your listing will include the following info:

Specific vehicle features
Remaining miles and months on your lease
Monthly payment
Photos
Detailed personal description of your vehicle

Once you create your listing, it will stay up on Swapalease for as long as you have your ride.

But note this well: Swapalease is not a free service. There are several packages you can purchase based on how many bells and whistles you want on your listing.

TIP: The "Swapper's Club" for a one-time fee of $199.95 is the cheapest all-in membership. It includes the $200 "success fee" if your lease transfer goes through. You're allowed to post 12 pictures with this plan.

The next cheapest package is the $99.95 standard membership. But the standard membership does not include the $200 "success fee" and you're only allowed to post one picture. That makes the true price closer to $299.95 for a lot less visibility.

3. Transfer your lease

Swapalease gets traffic from hundreds of thousands of customers each month. If one of them is interested in your lease, a Swapalease expert will help you complete the lease transfer process.

Now the hard part is done; you just have to complete the transfer documents provided by your leasing company. Then, hand over your keys to the lease buyer and your transfer is officially complete!