- Best For: Shoppers who want pre-owned designer pieces, and owners who want to sell them
- Model: Consignment. The RealReal prices, photographs, and sells your item
- Selling Options: At-home appointment, pickup, in-store drop-off, or prepaid shipping label
- Payout: The month after a sale, by direct deposit, check, or site credit with a 5% bonus
- Buyer Returns: Request within 14 days, with fees and exclusions
- Current Promo: No dated offer could be verified today
Designer resale has a trust problem. How do you know a bag is real? How much will you actually keep when you sell? The RealReal built its business on those two questions.
This guide splits into two paths, buying and selling, and ends with how the site compares with two rivals. Facts come from The RealReal's own pages where possible. We label anything from other sources.
Offers and Savings Options Right Now
Here is the honest part. We could not verify a current, dated shopper promotion or a working site-wide code. The consign page we could read showed a January 2026 event that has already ended, so we are not presenting it as live. Check the banner at checkout.
| What | Detail | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Site credit payout | Sellers who take payout as site credit get a 5% bonus. | On the consign page |
| Free selling options | At-home appointment, pickup, in-store valuation, prepaid label | On the consign page |
| Unaccepted items | Returned to you free of charge | On the consign page |
| Markdowns | Unsold items drop in price over time, up to 80% off the first price. | Per a third-party guide |
| Occasional $25 or $50 off | Tied to order minimums | Per a third-party guide, not confirmed |
The practical savings move is patience. Save your searches, heart the items you want, and let a price drop do the work.
If You Are Buying: What to Know First
Every item goes through an authentication step before listing. The RealReal says it handles authentication, photography, and measurements. A third-party guide describes a risk-based process, with expert authenticators on higher-risk items and a quality control team spot-checking before listing. Treat that as an outside description, not a promise.
Shipping is the number that varies by source. One guide lists $12.95 standard, charged once per order. Another comparison says free shipping above $250. We could not confirm either on the site, so look at the cart total before you pay.
Return Rules for Buyers
Resale returns are stricter than regular retail. Read this before you click buy.
| Rule | What the Return Page Says |
|---|---|
| Window | Request within 14 days, ship back within 21 days. |
| Online fee | $14.95 taken from your refund |
| In-store fee | $6.95 restocking fee, waived if you also buy in-store |
| Refund timing | Your card will be in about 5 business days. |
| Final sale | Swimwear, beauty, items 40% or more off, as-is, and final sale items |
| Bags | Not returnable unless you buy the Return Guarantee |
One conflict: the page's FAQ lists handbags as final sale, while the main policy points to the Return Guarantee add-on. Assume a bag is final unless you see the add-on at checkout.
If You Are Selling: How Consigning Works
You hand over the item, and The RealReal does the rest, including pricing. Listings go live after processing, which can take up to four weeks. You are paid the month after a sale.
Commission is where sellers get confused. The consign page does not show a rate. It points to a "How We Price" page. Outside guides disagree wildly, from 20% to 55% depending on the item, so we are not quoting a number. Get your actual rate from the estimate, not from a blog.
If you already bought from The RealReal, you can reconsign. The January event offered extra credit for that, but it has ended.
A Smart Way to Use the Real-Real
- Compare the price with the brand's own end-of-season sale. A pre-owned price does not always win.
- Check the photos and the condition label. "As is" means final sale.
- Read the return rules before checkout, not after.
- If you sell, take the site credit option only if you plan to shop there. The 5% bonus is credit, not cash.
Why Consider the Real-Real?
Choice is the first reason. Handbags, jewellery, clothing, and shoes from many luxury names sit on one site, with photos and measurements for each.
Convenience is the second. Sellers can choose a pickup, an at-home visit, a drop-off, or a mailed label, and none of those has a fee on the consign page.
Authentication is the third. Instead of guessing about a seller on a marketplace, you buy from a company that checks items first.
The cost of that convenience is clear: a return fee, tight windows, and a commission you only learn after you ask.
The RealReal vs. Fashionphile vs. Rebag
| Parameter | The RealReal | Fashionphile | Rebag |
|---|---|---|---|
| How you sell | Consignment, with pickup, drop-off, or label | Sell online or in person, with consignment also offered | Sell with upfront quotes. |
| Return window | 14 days to request, 21 days to ship | 15 days from delivery | 7 days from delivery |
| Return fee | $14.95 online | $14.99 prepaid label; in-store returns have no listed fee. | $20 per item, free for Gold and Diamond members |
| Bags | Need the Return Guarantee | Returnable with authenticity tags attached | Returnable, outlet items final sale |
| Current offer | None verified | Sale categories, such as Chanel up to 50% off, no dates | 15% off everything with code HEADSTART, through 10/14. |
| Shipping | $12.95 or free over $250: sources differ. | Free ground shipping, domestic orders | Not shown on the pages checked |
Rebag has the shortest return window and the only dated code. Fashionphile counts its 15 days from delivery, the longest clock to start a return. The RealReal has the broadest range but the most conditions on returns.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does The RealReal have a promo code?
We could not verify a current one. Check the site banner at checkout.
How are items authenticated?
The RealReal says it handles authentication before listing. Outside guides describe a risk-based process.
Can I return a bag?
Only with the Return Guarantee, per the return page. The FAQ lists bags as final sale, so confirm before buying.
How do I get paid as a seller?
The month after a sale, by direct deposit, check, or site credit with a 5% bonus.
What does it cost to sell?
A commission. The rate is not shown on the consign page.
Final Verdict
The RealReal is a strong choice if you want one place to find authenticated luxury and a hands-off way to sell. Treat it as a patient shopper's site. Watch price drops, read the return rules first, and ask for your exact commission before you consign.