No credit check car finance

Our lenders do what's called 'soft' credit check first meaning that getting a no obligation quote will not affect your credit score and won't leave a footprint on your credit profile. If you then decide to proceed with your quote and get car finance, a full hard search will be conducted on your credit profile. You're still eligible to apply for car finance if you don’t have a credit history, but that doesn’t mean you’ll definitely be accepted.

You can get car finance quote without a credit check

Bad credit usually suggests you've had challenges managing debts previously, such as missing payments. On the other hand, having no credit might mean you've encountered more significant financial difficulties, such as receiving County Court Judgments (CCJs) in the UK, entering an Individual Voluntary Arrangement (IVA) with creditors, or even experiencing bankruptcy.

Many lenders may be cautious about offering further car loans, which could lead to rejected applications. At Carplus, our panel of lenders offers a no-hard-credit-check car finance quote, also known as a soft search. This allows lenders to provide a provisional quote based on your eligibility without impacting your credit score. If you choose to move forward with your car finance application and purchase the vehicle, a hard credit search will be conducted at that point, which may affect your credit score, as it leaves a mark on your credit profile. All finance offers are subject to ID, income, and affordability checks.

Car finance with a soft credit search

We understand that securing car finance can be stressful, especially if you have a poor credit history. While it's essential for lenders to assess your ability to repay any loan or line of credit—following the regulations of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)—we aim to make the process as smooth as possible without negatively impacting your credit score upfront.

Rather than immediately performing a hard credit check, which can affect your credit score, we start with a soft search. This soft check provides a quick snapshot of your financial situation, including your income, outgoings, and existing credit. Importantly, this soft search has no impact on your credit record with the major credit reference agencies.

Once you're happy with the results of the pre-check, and if you decide to proceed with the application, a full, formal credit check will be carried out by the lender, which will be recorded on your credit file.

Hard credit search vs soft search

Before proceeding with a ‘hard search’, it is helpful to be aware of your current credit score. You can request your statutory credit file for free with any of the three major credit reference agencies like:

• Experian
• TransUnion
• Equifax.

The statutory report will give you basic information about your credit history, although extras such as credit monitoring or fraud alerts are not included.

Each credit agency uses a different system, so do not be alarmed if the actual figure varies from one to the other. What matters is how your score is classed on the agency’s scale, which can range anywhere from ‘Very Poor’ to ‘Excellent’. If your credit score is not what you were expecting it to be, check through the information for any irregularities. You can contact the relevant company where it is necessary to put a ‘notice of correction’ on your credit report, should it be required.

But what is a ‘hard credit check’? It's when a financial company checks reference agencies' records for your credit history. So if you want the best deal, it's best to get a ‘soft check.’ It is not the kind of formal process in which a lender determines if you can qualify for a loan. The results of such a search are not visible to other lenders.

Why do we advise you to do it this way? First, simultaneously applying for more than one loan gives the impression that you are in a desperate financial situation. Then, of course, borrowers will wonder if you can pay off the extra money.

So when comparing car finance costs, take advantage of our no credit check car finance services. This approach is guaranteed to leave no mark on your credit history.

Get Approval!

Once you have accepted our no-obligation quotation and your formal application to the reputable lender has been approved, it is simply a question of choosing the new or used vehicle you want to buy from any reputable dealer in the UK.

We even make checks on the vehicle on your behalf — to confirm that there is no outstanding financing on it, for example. We also do all the paperwork and pay the money directly to the dealer, so that the only role you are left to play is to drive your new car away.