WheelPrice

WheelPrice is a Charlotte, North Carolina-based online marketplace for buying, selling and trading car wheels. It operates as a peer-to-peer platform on which individuals list wheels (or wheels with tires mounted; standalone tires are not permitted) and buyers can purchase instantly, submit offers that open a direct message thread with the seller, or bid in no-reserve live auctions. Auctions extend by two minutes whenever a bid lands in the final two minutes, and bidders must be signed in with a linked credit card. Fulfilment can be handled either through prepaid shipping labels generated by the platform — with carrier and speed options including USPS, UPS and FedEx and in-app tracking — or through local pickup and handoff.

The product is built around wheel-specific structure and trust mechanics. Listings require a minimum of four photos and carry structured specifications, and buyers can filter and search by bolt pattern, diameter, width, offset, brand, seller or keyword. A purchase protection program covers buyers against misrepresented wheels such as bends, cracks or curb rash, and payouts are released to sellers only after the buyer marks an item as received; off-platform communication is prohibited. The company has added an AI fitment assistant that answers questions about whether a given set of wheels will fit a specific vehicle, and a beta WheelPrice Index tracking historical pricing and value shifts for popular wheel models. Supporting content includes fitment guides, a fitment calculator, brand directories and a shop finder.

Alongside the marketplace, WheelPrice maintains a consumer-facing community presence through in-person events across the United States, charitable initiatives including an annual toy drive and charity wheel auctions, and a partnership focused on automotive restoration education. The platform is available on the web and through an iOS app distributed by WheelPrice LLC.

Founding story

Kyle Mayers and Wally Namane, car enthusiasts who met as college friends, were repeatedly frustrated by the absence of a specialized marketplace for buying and selling car wheels — contending with sketchy forums, unanswered direct messages and listings lacking specifications or photographs. After graduating and initially going separate ways, the two reconnected and founded WheelPrice in 2023 to build a dedicated platform for finding, buying and selling rare wheels and parts.

Business model

WheelPrice operates a peer-to-peer transactional marketplace and takes a commission on completed sales: 7% charged to sellers and 3% charged to buyers, for a combined 10% take rate, with no listing fees. Payments and seller payouts are processed through Stripe, which sellers must connect before publishing a listing. Beyond transaction fees, the company monetizes managed shipping — it partners with a shipping company to obtain commercial freight rates for heavy wheels and resells that service at a premium — as well as brand collaborations across its social media channels and advertising space sold on its website. Management has described the combination of multiple revenue streams and low operating costs as producing high margins.

Revenue comes from marketplace commissions (7% from sellers, 3% from buyers, 10% combined, with no listing fees), a margin on managed shipping services resold above negotiated commercial carrier rates, paid brand collaborations leveraging the company's social media audience, and advertising space sold on the WheelPrice website.

Traction

By May 2025 the company reported a five-person team, more than 250,000 social media followers and 150 million impressions across platforms, monetized brand collaborations and website advertising, and events that have drawn thousands of car enthusiasts. The iOS app holds a 4.6 average rating from 41 ratings and has shipped releases from version 1.0 through 1.2.7. The company was bootstrapped as of that report.

Latest developments

In 2025 WheelPrice launched an AI-powered fitment assistant that answers questions in real time about wheel-to-vehicle fitment, and published a beta of the WheelPrice Index tracking price trends for specific wheel models, inviting users to contribute data. The company won the audience vote in the "Marketplaces and Platform Innovation" category at CED's Venture Connect. Management stated the company had focused on building credibility and community and was preparing to expand the commerce side of the business, with a longer-term aim of covering the broader automobile aftermarket. The iOS app has continued incremental releases, reaching version 1.2.7.