Representative example: borrowing £6,500 over 5 years with a representative APR of 29.9%, an annual interest rate of 29.9% (Fixed) and a deposit of £0.00, the amount payable would be £196.34 per month, with a total cost of credit of £5,280.14 and a total amount payable of £11,780.14.
By planting a tree for every car finance agreement issued to one of our customers, CarFinance 247 is driving towards a more sustainable future.
Yes! The good news is that you can secure bad credit car finance – even if you’ve been refused elsewhere.
At CarFinance 247, we know that credit scores come in all shapes and sizes. If you’ve had a CCJ, IVA, been in mortgage arrears, or missed payments in the past, then your credit score could need some work.
But having poor credit doesn’t mean you have to give up on getting car finance.
There’s no judgement here. While we can’t guarantee we’ll be able to find you an approval, we look at every application individually and take a range of factors into account to search for a finance option that’s right for you and your circumstances.
A bad credit rating is typically the result of missing payments or experiencing financial difficulties in the past.
There’s no one credit score that’s considered bad as each of the UK’s three credit reference agencies use different scales to formulate and measure ratings.
Here are the bandings that Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion currently use to define a poor or very poor credit score:
If you’ve never borrowed money before and have no credit history, it can be hard to buy a car on finance. That’s because lenders have no way of knowing what kind of borrower you’ll be.
Be cautious with any lender that claims to be able to offer no credit check car finance, especially as a young driver or someone with no credit history. Credit checks are an important step in the financing process as they provide reassurance for both the lender and the borrower. When you get a quote with CarFinance 247, we’ll only run a soft credit check that won’t impact your score unless you choose to proceed.
Even so, if you’re concerned about your credit history, you may still be able to find a finance option that works for you.
The best thing about credit scores is that they aren’t fixed; you can take steps to improve your score over time. Keep in mind though that it isn’t an exact science, and each credit reference agency uses a different system to calculate your score. If you’re looking to fix your credit score quickly, here are five steps you could take:
We work with a panel of lenders – including some that can offer poor credit car loan options – and the documents they need can vary.
We’ll probably ask for:
Self-employed with bad credit? This doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker. We also work with lenders that can, subject to approval, help people with a range of employment circumstances get a car loan.
For us, used car finance is all about helping people improve their everyday lives.
Whether it’s sorting out the school run, getting that big boot for the big shop, or a car you’re proud to park outside the office, we’ll work to find you the best deal from our panel of lenders, even if you have bad credit.
Plus, you’ll have a dedicated account manager on hand to help guide you through the process.
When a finance application with us, it all starts with a no obligation quote. If you’re approved in principle by one of the lenders on our panel, your personal account manager will give you a call to explain all the details. They can also answer any questions you have and grant you access to our marketplace – home to 100,000 used cars from community-rated dealerships based across the UK. Found a car elsewhere? No problem – we can still help!
Wondering how much you might pay? Use our bad credit car finance calculator to get an estimate of your potential monthly repayments.
The short answer is yes, you may be able to get a car on finance with bad credit. Here at CarFinance 247, we work with a wide panel of lenders and some of them can help people with poor credit scores secure finance. And it’s not all about your score; we look at every application individually and take a range of factors into account to find a finance option that’s affordable and right for you and your circumstances.
Yes, several lenders on our panel can finance a car with bad credit. Each lender has different criteria that they need applicants to meet and it’s often about more than just your credit score. We look at your individual circumstances, financial habits, and affordability to find out what finance options are available to you and best suit your needs.
While having a large down payment will not change your credit score, it could mean you need to borrow less money to buy a car. Having bad credit won’t necessarily prevent you from finding a loan but having a large deposit to put down doesn’t mean that your application will automatically be accepted. However, if you can put down a large down payment, your total loan amount will likely be lower, your monthly repayments could be more affordable, and you may need to pay back less over time.
If you have bad credit, you can still buy a new car. Having a poor credit rating could make it harder for you to find a car loan but it’s not impossible. When you apply with CarFinance 247, you can secure your finance first so you can choose a new car with confidence, even if you’ve been refused elsewhere. You’ll receive a decision in minutes and if we can find you an approval in principle from our panel of lenders, you can then choose a vehicle from our car search or any reputable UK dealer.
There’s no way to wipe your credit clean but you can improve a bad credit score over time. There are no quick fixes but there are clear steps that you can take to boost your rating. If you have a marker on your credit report that is impacting your score, like a CCJ or default, then these can be removed after a few years. Similarly, if you check your report and notice that there’s a mistake, you can raise this with the relevant credit reference agency and have it removed.
Car finance can affect your credit score positively or negatively depending on the type of borrower you are. You could see your score dip slightly when you first take out a new loan as you’re adding a large new debt to your file but, if you keep up with your repayments, this can help you build credit over time. However, if you miss payments or regularly pay late, you could negatively affect your score.
There’s no set credit score that will guarantee you’ll get finance to buy a car. While a low credit score can make it more difficult to find a loan and some lenders may refuse you finance, we work with lenders that specialise in bad credit car finance. This means that we can help people with poor credit scores find a car finance deal that’s right for them. You can get an estimate of what your monthly repayments might look like if you have a low credit score by heading over to the car finance calculator.
Yes, you can finance a car with a 500 credit score. There’s no set score that can guarantee you’ll get a car loan and no minimum acceptance score; you could even find finance if you have no credit history at all. A credit score of 500 is considered low or poor by most of the UK’s credit reference agencies and so it may restrict the number of lenders available to you, it doesn’t mean you have to give up on finding car finance completely. At CarFinance 247, we work with a panel of lenders including those who can help people with poor credit scores find and finance their dream car.
We work with a panel of lenders and some do offer car finance options with no deposit – even if you have bad credit. Speak to your account manager who can let you know how it works and what options are available to you.
You can get a car finance decision in minutes. Make an application, pop the kettle on, and you’ll find out if you’re approved by the time you’ve finished your tea. If we’ve found you an approval in principle, your dedicated account manager will give you a call to confirm your details and discuss the next steps.
At CarFinance 247, the car finance process starts with a no obligation quote. As soon as we’ve received your online application, we’ll look to find you the best deal from our panel of lenders. If we’re able to find you an approval, your account manager will give you a call to discuss the next steps. They’ll guide you through the process, take care of all the admin, and even negotiate with the dealer on your behalf.
You can choose a car from any reputable dealer or check out our car search – home to over 100,000 used vehicles. We’ll then carry out all the checks, chase the lender, and make sure the dealership is kept in the loop so you can just sign on the dotted line and drive away.
There’s no such thing as guaranteed car finance. There are a range of factors that determine whether you’ll be approved for car finance and every loan offer is subject to circumstances. We work with a panel of lenders and, while we can look for loans for customers with a variety of different credit profiles, we can’t offer guaranteed car finance. It you’ve found a car finance company that says they can guarantee car finance – especially if you have bad credit – we’d advise treading carefully.
There’s no credit score that will guarantee you can get car finance. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on finding finance if your score could do with some work. In fact, at CarFinance 247, we’ll look to find you the best deal from our panel of lenders, whether you have excellent, good, fair, or bad credit. We might even be able to help if you’ve had a CCJ, defaults, been in an IVA or refused elsewhere.
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Contact us* The UK's largest online car finance broker by unique users to the website. Based on Similar Web data – 1,137,647 to CarFinance 247 vs. 753,819 for nearest competitor. January to June 2023.
CarFinance 247 is a trading name of CarFinance 247 Limited. Registered office: Universal Square, Devonshire Street North, Manchester, M12 6JH. Registered in England. (Registration Number 06035525).
CarFinance 247 is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority for insurance distribution and credit broking (Firm Reference Number: 653019). CarFinance 247 is registered with the ICO (Registration Number Z1897658).
Finance is subject to status and is only available to UK residents aged 18 and over. Written quotations are available on request.
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