By Blessing Dube in Car finance — 05 Mar 2026

Car Finance for Dealers: How to Offer Finance on Your Website

If you're running a car dealership in the UK and you're not offering finance on your website, you're leaving money on the table. It really is that straightforward.

According to the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), over 90% of new cars and around 60% of used cars in the UK are now bought on finance. That's not a niche. That's the default way people buy cars. Buying with cash is the exception, not the rule - and your website needs to reflect that.

I spent years as a car sales executive before I built Vehiso, and I saw first-hand how much difference finance makes to conversions. A customer looks at a car priced at £18,000 and hesitates. Show them £299 a month over four years and suddenly it feels achievable. That's not a trick - it's just how people budget. Monthly payments fit into household finances in a way that lump sums don't.

This guide covers everything you need to know about offering car finance on your dealer website - from the types of finance available, to FCA authorisation, to how finance calculators actually work, to the integrations we offer at Vehiso. Whether you're just getting started or looking to improve what you've already got, this should give you a clear picture.

Why finance matters for independent dealers

The days of "cash or nothing" are behind us. For independent dealers especially, offering finance is one of the most effective ways to increase your average order value and close more deals.

Here's why:

It widens your buyer pool. Not everyone has £10,000 or £15,000 sitting in a savings account. But plenty of people can afford £200 to £400 a month. Finance opens your stock to buyers who would otherwise scroll past.

It increases the value of each sale. Buyers on finance are more likely to add extras - GAP insurance, paint protection, extended warranties - because the monthly cost increase feels small. An extra £10 a month is easier to agree to than an extra £500 upfront.

It keeps you competitive. If a buyer is comparing your £15,995 cash price against another dealer showing "from £249/month" on the same car, which advert do you think gets the click? Monthly pricing is now the expectation on dealer websites, AutoTrader, and every other platform buyers use.

It generates commission income. When you arrange finance through a lender, you typically earn a commission on each deal. This is a legitimate and significant revenue stream for most dealerships - but it comes with regulatory responsibilities, which I'll cover below.

Types of car finance: PCP, HP, and personal loans

Before you put a finance calculator on your website, you need to understand what you're actually offering. There are three main types of car finance that UK dealers work with.

Hire Purchase (HP)

HP is the simplest form of car finance. The buyer puts down a deposit, then pays fixed monthly instalments over an agreed term - typically 2 to 5 years. Once all payments are made, the buyer owns the car outright.

For the buyer: It's predictable. Fixed payments, no balloon payment at the end, and full ownership once the agreement finishes. The downside is that monthly payments tend to be higher than PCP because the buyer is paying off the full value of the car.

For the dealer: HP is straightforward to explain and sell. There's less complexity than PCP, and buyers who choose HP tend to be more committed - they're buying the car, not renting it. Commission rates vary by lender.

Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)

PCP is the most popular form of car finance in the UK. The buyer pays a deposit, then lower monthly payments over a term (usually 3 to 4 years). At the end, they have three options: pay a final "balloon payment" (the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value) to own the car, hand it back, or use any equity as a deposit on a new car.

For the buyer: Lower monthly payments than HP make PCP attractive, especially for newer or more expensive cars. The flexibility at the end is a selling point. The trade-off is that the buyer doesn't own the car during the agreement and faces mileage restrictions.

For the dealer: PCP is excellent for customer retention. When the agreement ends, the buyer often comes back to you for their next car - especially if they've had a good experience. It also means you get a steady flow of part-exchange stock as customers roll into new agreements.

Personal loans

Some buyers prefer to arrange their own finance through a bank or building society. A personal loan gives the buyer cash to purchase the car outright, and they repay the bank separately.

For the dealer: You don't earn commission on a personal loan, but the transaction is simpler - the buyer pays you the full amount and the car is theirs. You should still display finance options on your website to capture buyers who haven't yet arranged funding, because many will consider your on-site finance as a convenience.

FCA authorisation: do you need it?

Short answer: if you're arranging finance for customers, yes.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulates consumer credit in the UK, and that includes car finance. If your dealership introduces customers to lenders, helps them complete finance applications, or earns commission from finance sales, you need to be authorised.

There are two routes:

Directly authorised

You apply to the FCA directly and hold your own authorisation. This gives you full control but comes with more regulatory responsibility. You need to demonstrate compliance with FCA rules, maintain adequate records, handle complaints according to FCA procedures, and submit regular returns. Most independent dealers find this route more burdensome than it needs to be.

Appointed representative

This is the more common route for independents. You operate under the FCA authorisation of a "principal firm" - usually your finance lender or a compliance network. The principal firm takes responsibility for ensuring you meet FCA requirements, and in return you follow their processes and training.

Being an appointed representative is typically faster and cheaper than getting directly authorised. Your lender or finance provider will usually guide you through this. Codeweavers, iVendi, and CarFinance247 all work with lenders who offer appointed representative arrangements.

The FCA Motor Finance Review

It's worth mentioning the FCA Motor Finance Review, which has been a significant topic in the industry. The FCA has been examining how motor finance is sold, with particular attention to discretionary commission arrangements (DCAs) - where dealers could set the interest rate and earn more commission by charging the customer a higher rate.

The FCA banned DCAs in January 2021, moving the industry to fixed commission models. More recently, the review has focused on whether customers were treated fairly under the old DCA model, with potential implications for historical complaints and redress.

What does this mean for you right now? Make sure your finance processes are compliant. Be transparent with customers about commission. Use fixed-rate commission models. And keep up to date with FCA guidance - your principal firm or lender should be helping you with this.

How finance calculators work on dealer websites

A finance calculator is a tool embedded on your vehicle detail pages (VDPs) that lets buyers see estimated monthly payments based on the car's price. Here's what the experience typically looks like:

What the buyer sees

The buyer lands on a vehicle page - say, a 2022 BMW 3 Series listed at £24,995. Below or alongside the price, they see a finance widget showing something like "from £389/month." They can adjust the deposit amount, the term length, and sometimes the annual mileage (for PCP). The monthly payment updates in real time.

If the quote looks good, the buyer clicks through to check their eligibility or apply. Depending on your finance provider, this might be a soft credit check (which doesn't affect their credit score) or a full application. Either way, the buyer stays on your website - they're not redirected somewhere else.

What happens behind the scenes

The calculator pulls live rates from your finance lender's system. When the buyer adjusts the sliders, it recalculates using the lender's current APR and criteria. When they submit an application, it goes to the lender for a decision - often within minutes.

As the dealer, you get notified of the application. In Vehiso, this feeds directly into your dealer management system, so the finance enquiry sits alongside all your other leads and customer communications.

Compliance on the calculator

Every finance illustration on your website must include the representative APR. This is a legal requirement under FCA rules and the Consumer Credit Act. You also need to include the total amount payable, the deposit, the number of payments, and the cash price of the vehicle. Most finance calculator widgets handle this automatically, but it's your responsibility to check.

Vehiso's finance integrations

At Vehiso, we integrate with four finance partners. Each one works differently, and choosing the right one (or combination) depends on your dealership's setup and lender relationships.

Codeweavers

Codeweavers is probably the most established name in UK motor finance technology. Their calculators are used by thousands of dealers and most of the big manufacturer websites.

What it does: Codeweavers provides a finance calculator widget that sits on your vehicle pages. It connects to your lender's rate card and displays monthly payment illustrations for HP and PCP. The branding can be customised to match your website.

Why dealers use it: If your lender works with Codeweavers (and most do), it's the path of least resistance. The calculator is reliable, well-supported, and buyers are used to seeing it. It also handles the compliance display requirements - representative APR, total cost, deposit - automatically.

iVendi

iVendi goes beyond a simple calculator. It's a finance platform that covers the full journey from initial quote through to application and payout.

What it does: iVendi's tools let buyers get a personalised finance quote, check their eligibility with a soft credit search, compare offers from multiple lenders, and apply - all within your website. It's a more complete journey than a standalone calculator.

Why dealers use it: If you want to offer multi-lender finance (where the buyer can see quotes from several lenders and pick the best rate), iVendi is strong. It also provides detailed analytics on your finance conversions, so you can see where buyers drop off.

CarFinance247

CarFinance247 is a finance broker that connects buyers directly with lenders. Their plugin integrates into your Vehiso vehicle pages and lets buyers check their eligibility and apply for finance without leaving your site.

What it does: The CarFinance247 widget appears on your vehicle detail pages. Buyers enter basic details, get an eligibility indication, and can proceed to a full application. The widget is responsive and adapts to your website's styling.

Why dealers use it: CarFinance247 has a large panel of lenders, including options for buyers with less-than-perfect credit. If you want to capture finance leads from a wider range of credit profiles, this integration helps. Setup is quick through your Vehiso dashboard.

We wrote a dedicated post on this integration: CarFinance247 is now available on Vehiso-powered websites.

ChooseMyFinance

ChooseMyFinance works differently from the other three. Rather than a calculator on your website, it's a stock feed - we send your vehicle inventory directly to ChooseMyFinance's platform.

What it does: Your stock appears on ChooseMyFinance alongside finance options. Buyers searching for cars they can afford on finance discover your vehicles through their platform and come to you as pre-qualified leads.

Why dealers use it: It's an additional source of finance-ready buyers without any extra work on your part. Once the feed is set up, your stock is automatically published and updated. Think of it as another marketplace - but one specifically for buyers who are already looking for finance.

We covered this in more detail here: Vehiso's new stock feeds for finance companies.

How to display finance effectively on vehicle pages

Getting the integration set up is only half the job. How you present finance information on your vehicle pages makes a real difference to enquiry rates.

Lead with the monthly payment

The monthly payment should be one of the first things a buyer sees on the VDP - not buried at the bottom of the page. I'd recommend showing it right alongside the cash price, ideally in a format like:

£24,995 | from £389/month PCP

This immediately reframes the price in terms the buyer thinks in. It doesn't replace the cash price (you must always show both), but it gives the monthly figure equal visual weight.

Make the calculator interactive

A static "from £ X per month" line is fine, but an interactive calculator where the buyer can adjust deposit and term is better. It keeps them engaged on the page longer and gives them a sense of control over the numbers. The more time someone spends configuring their finance, the more committed they become.

Show representative APR clearly

This is a legal requirement, not optional. Your representative APR, along with the total amount payable and other required information, must be displayed whenever you quote a monthly payment. Your finance provider's widget should handle this, but check it regularly. The FCA takes a dim view of dealers who bury the APR in small print.

Include a clear call to action

After the finance illustration, what should the buyer do next? "Apply for finance," "Check your eligibility," or "Get a personalised quote" - whatever your process, make the next step obvious. Don't leave buyers staring at a monthly payment with no way to act on it.

Mobile matters most

Over 70% of your website traffic is coming from mobile. Your finance calculator must work properly on smaller screens. Test it yourself - if you have to pinch and zoom or the sliders are fiddly, buyers will give up. All of Vehiso's finance integrations are responsive, but always check the actual experience on a phone.

Offer sheets with finance options

One area where many independent dealers fall short is the offer sheet - the document you send to a buyer summarising the deal. Too many dealers are still sending a text message saying "we can do it for 15 and a half" and hoping for the best.

In Vehiso's dealer management system, you can generate professional offer sheets that show the cash price alongside finance options. The buyer sees the car, the price, and representative monthly payments for HP and PCP side by side. It's a proper document they can review, share with their partner, and come back to - not a throwaway message.

This matters because buying a car is a considered purchase. People don't impulse-buy a £20,000 car. They compare, they discuss, they sleep on it. A well-presented offer sheet with finance options keeps your dealership in the conversation during that decision period. It also demonstrates professionalism and transparency, which builds trust - especially with first-time buyers or people who've had bad experiences elsewhere.

The offer sheet also helps with FCA compliance. By presenting finance options in a standardised, documented format, you create an audit trail showing that you gave the customer clear information. If a complaint arises later, you have evidence of what was communicated.

Common mistakes dealers make with finance on their websites

I've seen hundreds of dealer websites, and these are the mistakes that come up again and again.

Not showing finance at all

This is the biggest one. Some dealers still don't display monthly payments on their website, either because they haven't set up a finance integration or because they think buyers prefer to discuss finance in person. In 2026, if your VDPs only show a cash price, you're losing clicks to competitors who show monthly payments.

Showing finance but not making it interactive

A static "from £ X per month" badge is better than nothing, but it's not as effective as a calculator the buyer can play with. If the buyer wants to put down a bigger deposit or extend the term, they should be able to see how that changes the monthly cost - right there on the page.

Ignoring mobile

I've seen finance calculators that look perfect on a desktop and completely break on mobile. Given that most of your traffic is mobile, this is a deal-breaker. Test your finance tools on an actual phone, not just by resizing your browser window.

Non-compliant finance promotions

If you're showing a monthly payment anywhere on your website - including on listing pages, social media, or adverts - you must include the representative APR and the required supporting information. "Only £199/month!" on its own, without the APR, deposit, term, and total amount payable, is a compliance breach. The FCA can and does take action on this.

Using outdated rates

If your finance calculator isn't pulling live rates from your lender, the numbers on your website might be wrong. Buyers get frustrated when the quote they saw online doesn't match what you offer in person. Make sure your integration is connected to live lender data, and check it periodically.

Not following up on finance leads

A buyer who submits a finance application on your website is one of your hottest leads. They've found a car, they've checked the monthly payments, and they've given you their details. If you take 48 hours to respond, they've already gone somewhere else. In Vehiso, finance enquiries land in your DMS immediately - but you still need to act on them quickly.

Forgetting about offer sheets

I mentioned this above, but it's worth repeating. Sending a buyer a professional offer sheet with cash and finance options side by side is far more effective than a verbal quote or a text message. It shows you take the sale seriously.

Bringing it all together

Offering finance on your dealer website isn't a "nice to have" any more. It's a fundamental part of how cars are sold in the UK. The dealers who do it well - with proper integrations, compliant displays, interactive calculators, and fast follow-up - sell more cars and earn more per deal.

If you're already on Vehiso, setting up a finance integration takes minutes. Log into your dashboard, connect your chosen provider (Codeweavers, iVendi, or CarFinance247), and finance calculators will appear on your vehicle pages automatically. If you want your stock sent to ChooseMyFinance, we can set that up for you too.

If you're not on Vehiso yet and you want a car dealer website that handles finance, payments, and stock management in one place, take a look. There's a 7-day free trial with no credit card required.

FAQ

Do I need FCA authorisation to offer car finance?

Yes, if you're arranging finance for customers - introducing them to lenders, helping with applications, or earning commission on finance deals - you need to be FCA authorised. Most independent dealers do this through an appointed representative arrangement, where you operate under the authorisation of a principal firm (usually your lender or a compliance network). This is faster and less costly than applying for direct FCA authorisation. Your finance provider can guide you through the process.

What is PCP vs HP?

PCP (Personal Contract Purchase) and HP (Hire Purchase) are the two main types of car finance. With HP, you pay a deposit and then fixed monthly payments until you own the car outright. Monthly payments are higher because you're paying off the full value. With PCP, you pay a deposit and lower monthly payments, but there's a large final "balloon payment" at the end if you want to keep the car. Most PCP buyers either hand the car back or use any equity towards their next vehicle. PCP tends to have lower monthly payments, making it popular with buyers who want a newer car for less per month.

How do finance calculators work on dealer websites?

A finance calculator is a widget embedded on your vehicle detail pages. It connects to your finance lender's system and pulls live rates. The buyer sees the car's price alongside an estimated monthly payment, and they can adjust the deposit, term, and sometimes mileage to see how it affects the cost. When they're ready, they can check eligibility or apply - all without leaving your website. The calculator handles the compliance display requirements (representative APR, total cost, deposit) automatically. On Vehiso, we integrate with Codeweavers, iVendi, and CarFinance247, so you can choose the provider that matches your lender setup.

Which finance integration should I choose?

It depends on your lender relationships and what you want the buyer experience to look like. Codeweavers is the most widely used and works with most UK lenders - it's a reliable, well-established calculator. iVendi offers a fuller journey including multi-lender comparison and soft credit checks. CarFinance247 is a broker model with a large lender panel, strong for buyers across a range of credit profiles. You can also use ChooseMyFinance as a stock feed to reach finance-ready buyers on their platform. On Vehiso, you can run more than one integration if you want to.

Do I have to show representative APR on my website?

Yes. Whenever you display a monthly payment figure - whether on a vehicle page, a listing, social media, or any advert - you must include the representative APR alongside the deposit, number of payments, total amount payable, and cash price. This is a legal requirement under the Consumer Credit Act and FCA rules. Non-compliance can result in enforcement action. Your finance provider's calculator widget should display this information automatically, but it's your responsibility to check.

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