Personal Contract Purchase (PCP)
PERSONAL CONTRACT PURCHASE (PCP)
With PCP, as with HP, you choose the car and the finance company pays the dealer. You still pay monthly instalments to the finance company as with other forms of credit, but you are only paying for part of the total amount due. The rest is due as a lump sum (balloon payment) at the end of the repayment period. This means you pay less each month for a car of the same value than you would with a traditional HP plan. At the end of the repayment period you can simply give the car back and start again with a newer vehicle. Alternatively, you can pay the pre-agreed balloon payment and buy the car.
There are a couple of possible complications around returning the car. First, it has to be in good condition—you’ll be charged for the costs of any damage. Second, you have to estimate your mileage at the start. If you go over, you'll be charged (say 10p a mile) for every mile above the estimate, unless you renegotiate beforehand.
Fixed monthly repayments?
Yes
Repayment periods available
Typically 12–36 months, but can be longer
Deposit
Recommended deposit is usually 10%
Best for?
People with a reasonable credit score who like to update their car every few years and are happy not to be car owners. If you want to buy a car outright, other finance options will probably work out cheaper overall.
Who owns the car?
The finance company own the car during the repayment period. If you choose to buy the car at the end of the period rather than giving it back, it becomes yours once you’ve made the final balloon payment.
Flexibility to sell/pay off early
If you want to sell the car before the end of the term, you’ll have to pay the agreement off early. This will almost certainly cost you a lot more than if you waited until the end, because of the way de-preciation is worked out.
Getting behind with payments
Fall behind with payments, and the finance company can take the car back. They will sell it and use the money to repay your debt. If they don’t get enough, you’ll have to pay the difference plus any court costs. If you have paid (or can pay) 50% of the total owed, you can choose to give the car back. You will have to pay for any missed instalments due up to the time you end the agreement. You may also find it harder to get credit after.
PCP can be a great way to get to drive a car you couldn’t otherwise afford—but it’s important to do your sums beforehand so you can be confident you won’t run into difficulties.
With PCP, as with HP, you choose the car and the finance company pays the dealer. You still pay monthly instalments to the finance company as with other forms of credit, but you are only paying for part of the total amount due. The rest is due as a lump sum (balloon payment) at the end of the repayment period. This means you pay less each month for a car of the same value than you would with a traditional HP plan. At the end of the repayment period you can simply give the car back and start again with a newer vehicle. Alternatively, you can pay the pre-agreed balloon payment and buy the car.
There are a couple of possible complications around returning the car. First, it has to be in good condition—you’ll be charged for the costs of any damage. Second, you have to estimate your mileage at the start. If you go over, you'll be charged (say 10p a mile) for every mile above the estimate, unless you renegotiate beforehand.
Fixed monthly repayments?
Yes
Repayment periods available
Typically 12–36 months, but can be longer
Deposit
Recommended deposit is usually 10%
Best for?
People with a reasonable credit score who like to update their car every few years and are happy not to be car owners. If you want to buy a car outright, other finance options will probably work out cheaper overall.
Who owns the car?
The finance company own the car during the repayment period. If you choose to buy the car at the end of the period rather than giving it back, it becomes yours once you’ve made the final balloon payment.
Flexibility to sell/pay off early
If you want to sell the car before the end of the term, you’ll have to pay the agreement off early. This will almost certainly cost you a lot more than if you waited until the end, because of the way de-preciation is worked out.
Getting behind with payments
Fall behind with payments, and the finance company can take the car back. They will sell it and use the money to repay your debt. If they don’t get enough, you’ll have to pay the difference plus any court costs. If you have paid (or can pay) 50% of the total owed, you can choose to give the car back. You will have to pay for any missed instalments due up to the time you end the agreement. You may also find it harder to get credit after.
PCP can be a great way to get to drive a car you couldn’t otherwise afford—but it’s important to do your sums beforehand so you can be confident you won’t run into difficulties.