Most people buying a used car will be taking out finance of some kind to pay for it, but there are plenty of options available in used car finance that make it worth shopping around rather than taking whatever a car dealer offers you.
If you’re buying from a franchised dealer, the finance quote will often come from the car manufacturer’s own finance company. If you’re buying from an independent dealer, it may come from one of the dealer’s preferred lenders or finance brokers. Either way, the dealer is usually earning commission for arranging the finance, just as it earns money from selling the car.
That doesn’t automatically make the dealer’s finance offer bad, but it does mean you should compare it with other options before signing anything. Very few used-car buyers properly challenge the finance quote they’re given, even though shopping around could save a significant amount over the length of the agreement.
Used car finance is different from new car finance. Manufacturer finance companies often use attractive finance offers to help sell new cars, but they usually have less reason to subsidise used-car deals. That means independent finance brokers can be well worth checking, especially if you’re buying a car from a used-car dealer or you’ve already found the car you want.
Many independent finance brokers can also help buyers with poor credit histories, or customers who have been turned down by a dealer’s finance provider. That doesn’t mean finance will be cheap, and it doesn’t guarantee approval, but it may give you more options.
Before applying for used car finance, check what type of finance is being offered. Most used-car finance sites offer hire purchase (HP), while some also offer personal contract purchase (PCP), personal loans or leasing. These products work differently, so don’t treat them as interchangeable.
You should also check the APR, the total amount repayable, the deposit, the term, any fees and whether the quote is based on a soft search or a hard credit check. A calculator can be useful, but it’s only a guide. The finance deal you’re offered will depend on your credit history, income, affordability checks, the car you’re buying and the lender’s own rules.
Representative APR can also be useful, but don’t read too much into it on its own. A provider with a higher representative APR may be working with more customers who have weaker credit histories, while a lower representative APR may suggest it focuses more on buyers with stronger credit profiles. The rate you’re offered could still be higher or lower than the headline figure.
It’s also worth remembering that most of the companies below are credit brokers rather than lenders. That means they introduce you to one or more finance providers rather than lending the money themselves.
This list isn’t a ranking. The right provider will depend on the car you’re buying, your credit history, how much you want to borrow and whether you already have a vehicle in mind. Some companies below are marked with an asterisk* because they’re commercial partners of The Car Expert. If you click through to their websites, we may receive a small commission. This doesn’t affect the finance deal you’re offered or the price you pay.
URL: creditplus.finance
Creditplus is a Bournemouth-based car finance broker offering finance for new and used cars. It can arrange hire purchase and personal contract purchase finance, as well as leasing for new and nearly-new vehicles.
The company says it works with a large panel of lenders, which should give applicants a decent chance of finding a suitable used-car finance offer. It can also help connect you with a vehicle from a dealer if you haven’t already found the car you want.
The website includes a calculator that lets you see how monthly payments can change depending on the amount borrowed, term and credit profile. As always, treat this as an estimate rather than a quote. The finance offer you receive will depend on your own circumstances and the car you’re buying.
Creditplus may suit buyers who want help with both the finance and the vehicle search, rather than simply arranging a loan after choosing a car.
Rates from 9.9% APR. Representative APR 23.9%.

URL: carmoney.co.uk
CarMoney is a car finance broker offering used-car finance through a panel of lenders. It describes itself clearly as a broker rather than a lender, which is useful for buyers trying to understand who is actually providing the money.
The site offers hire purchase and personal contract purchase options, and says it can help with used cars, vans, motorbikes and other vehicles. It also promotes an initial eligibility check that does not affect your credit score, with a hard credit check only coming later if you choose a specific finance option.
CarMoney’s site includes finance guides, calculators and explanations of different borrowing options. It also highlights dealer and vehicle checks, which should help if you’re arranging finance for a car you’ve already found.
CarMoney may suit buyers who want a straightforward broker with a broad lender panel and a reasonably clear explanation of how the finance process works. As ever, check the APR, total amount repayable, fees and lender before accepting an offer.

URL: wefinanceanycar.com
We Finance Any Car is an Essex-based used car finance broker offering hire purchase and personal contract purchase options.
The site is built around helping customers compare finance before committing to a dealer’s offer. Its “Beat the Dealer” angle is useful, as it encourages buyers to challenge the quote they’ve been given rather than simply accepting it at the showroom.
There’s also a finance calculator that shows how monthly payments can change depending on credit profile, term and amount borrowed. It’s a useful guide, although the final offer will depend on the lender’s checks and the specific car.
We Finance Any Car may suit buyers who’ve already found a used car and want to see whether they can get a better finance quote than the one offered by the dealer.

CarFinance 247 is one of the best-known online car finance platforms in the UK. You can use it to arrange finance for a car you’ve already found, or browse used cars from partner dealerships through the site.
The website has plenty of guides explaining different finance products, along with a calculator to estimate monthly payments. That makes it more useful than a basic application form if you’re still trying to understand how used car finance works.
CarFinance 247 can be a good starting point if you want a finance broker with a large online presence and the option to search for cars as well as finance. As with any broker, check the actual lender, APR, total amount repayable and finance type before agreeing to anything.

Quick Car Finance is a finance broker that focuses on hire purchase, with particular attention given to customers who may not have perfect credit histories.
The site is colourful but easy to follow, and its calculator gives a rough idea of how much you may be able to borrow or what your monthly payments could look like. It also offers finance for vans and motorbikes, so it’s not limited to private car buyers.
The process is straightforward: complete the application form, view available offers and choose the one that suits you best. That simplicity is helpful, although you still need to check the full finance details carefully before accepting an offer.
Quick Car Finance may suit buyers who want a simple application process and are looking beyond the most mainstream lender options.

Carmoola stands out from the more traditional finance-broker sites with a cleaner, more app-led feel. Its branding is bold, but the website itself is simple and easy to use.
Like most used car finance providers, Carmoola has focused mainly on hire purchase finance, although the existing source copy says it has also been launching personal contract purchase. That’s worth checking before publication, as product availability can change.
The site includes useful guides, calculators and other information. It also has a depreciation index suggesting which cars and car types hold their value best or worst, although depreciation is complicated and shouldn’t be treated as a precise forecast.
Carmoola may suit buyers who want a more modern, digital-first finance experience, particularly if they already know what car they want and want to move quickly.

Happy Motor Finance has a cheerful name and a fairly straightforward website, offering finance options for a wide range of customers and vehicles.
The homepage includes a finance calculator that gives an indication of monthly payments at different credit levels. This is useful for getting a rough idea of affordability, but it’s not the same as a guaranteed offer.
The process is clearly explained. You complete an application, receive offers from the company’s panel of lenders and then choose the option that best fits your needs.
Happy Motor Finance may suit buyers who want a simple broker site that explains the application process without burying the basics.

Zuto is a well-known car finance broker and is also Auto Trader’s preferred finance partner, so many buyers will already have seen the name while browsing used cars.
The site has a good amount of explanatory content, including information for different buyer circumstances. It’s also clear that Zuto works with what it calls verified dealers. That may limit your choice of car, but it should reduce the risk of problems with the dealer or vehicle during the buying process.
Zuto may suit buyers who want finance and car search to sit fairly close together, especially if they’re already using Auto Trader. The verified-dealer approach is also useful if you’d rather not arrange finance for a car from an unknown seller.
As always, compare the finance quote with alternatives before committing.

Oodle is a used car finance provider that works with a network of dealers across the UK. Once you’re approved, its OodlePay system is designed to let you visit a participating dealer and buy a car using the approved finance.
If you’ve found a car outside its dealer network, Oodle says you can contact the company and it will check the dealer before deciding whether the finance can be used. That’s a useful extra layer if you’ve found a specific car but aren’t sure how the finance will work.
Unlike some used-car finance sites, Oodle doesn’t plaster poor-credit finance messaging across every page. That suggests it may be more focused on mainstream used-car buyers than some of the more sub-prime-led providers.
Oodle may suit buyers who want a pre-approved finance route and are happy to shop within, or close to, a dealer network.

My Car Credit is part of Evolution Funding, which the existing copy describes as a major motor finance credit broker.
The site is useful for buyers who want a clear indication of how credit profile can affect the interest rate offered. Its calculator shows different example rates for different credit ratings, which helps explain why two buyers looking at the same car may receive very different finance quotes.
That does not mean you’ll automatically be offered the rate shown. The final offer will depend on your application, affordability checks, credit history, the car and the lender.
My Car Credit may suit buyers with stronger credit histories who want to compare finance through a large broker rather than simply taking the dealer’s offer.

MatchMe Car Finance has a clean and simple website, with the key information fairly easy to find.
The site states its representative APR clearly, which is helpful. There is less explanation of different finance products than on some rival sites, so it may be better suited to buyers who already understand the basics of hire purchase and used-car finance.
Like most of the sites in this guide, MatchMe acts as a broker and aims to match customers with finance from its lender panel.
MatchMe may suit buyers who want a straightforward application process without too much extra content around it.

Choose My Car combines car search with finance, showing vehicles from affiliated dealers that fit within your monthly budget.
The site has improved significantly since previous versions, with clearer explanations of what the company offers and how the process works. It also brings useful FAQ content onto the homepage rather than hiding basic information away.
This approach may be helpful if you’re more focused on a monthly budget than a specific car. Instead of finding a car first and working backwards, you can start with what you can afford and see what cars are available.
As with any budget-led search, don’t focus only on the monthly payment. Check the deposit, term, APR, total amount repayable and finance type before deciding that a car is affordable.

Motorly has a clear site that explains the finance process reasonably well. It can help find finance from a panel of lenders and offers hire purchase, personal contract purchase and personal loan options.
The main frustration is that the site still appears to rely heavily on search-led pages for different locations and car brands. That sort of content doesn’t help buyers much, and it can make the site feel more interested in Google than in explaining finance properly.
The core finance proposition is still straightforward. If you want to compare HP, PCP or personal loan options through a broker, Motorly is worth a look.
Motorly may suit buyers who want several types of finance considered, but the usual checks still apply: APR, total repayable, fees, lender, finance product and whether the quote is suitable for the car you’re buying.
A dealer finance quote can be convenient. Everything is handled in one place, and if the rate is competitive there may be no need to overcomplicate the process.
But convenience is not the same as value. Used car finance can vary significantly between providers, especially if your credit history is less than perfect or the dealer only works with a small number of lenders.
Getting at least one independent quote before signing a dealer finance agreement gives you a useful comparison. It may help you get a better deal, or it may simply confirm that the dealer’s quote is competitive.
The key is to compare like with like. A lower monthly payment may come from a longer term, a larger deposit, a different finance product or a higher final payment, rather than a genuinely cheaper deal.
If you’re buying a used car on finance, don’t leave the finance decision until the end of the sale. Work out what you can afford, check your credit position and compare options before you commit to the car.
Online brokers can be useful because they let you compare used-car finance away from the pressure of a dealership. They may also help if you’ve been declined by a dealer’s finance company or you’re trying to understand what rate you’re likely to be offered.
But don’t treat broker quotes as magic. Read the finance agreement carefully, check the total amount payable and make sure you understand whether you’re taking out HP, PCP, a personal loan or another product.
The best finance deal is not always the one with the lowest monthly payment. It’s the one that gives you the car you need, at a cost you can afford, with terms you properly understand.
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This article was originally published in March 2022. Last updated September 2026.
The Car Expert has commercial partnerships with Car Finance 247, Carmoney, Caramoola, Creditplus, Quick Car Finance and We Finance Any Car. If you click through to their websites, we may receive a small commission. This does not affect the price you pay.
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