Instant decision car finance

Instant decision car finance is a quick way for you to understand whether or not you could be offered car finance, without going through a full application to get an answer. Here at First Response Finance, this means we run a soft credit search when you get a quote from us to give you a quick idea of your eligibility, in as little as 60 seconds.

A soft search will only show you if you’re likely to be accepted before you apply. This helps you to assess your options without damaging your credit score. If you choose to go ahead with finance, a full application (and hard credit check) will still be required before this can be confirmed. 

At First Response Finance, the process for getting an instant decision is straightforward:

Get a quote
Provide us with a few basic details about you and your situation – this should only take a few minutes. 

We run a soft credit search
This runs a check over your credit file without leaving a mark that other lenders see, so won’t affect your score. 

You can get an instant decision
Within seconds we’ll be able to tell you whether or not we think we can help you. 

If the outcome’s positive, you can continue with your application. 
Only at this stage will we run a hard credit check on your file and carry out a full affordability assessment. We may need to speak to you to do this - we’ll be in touch if this is the case. 

We want to give you a clearer idea of your chances early on, so that you can move forward with your finance with confidence. This will help you to avoid any unnecessary hard searches, and most importantly, save you time and stress – especially if you’ve struggled to get finance elsewhere. 

No, not always. At First Response Finance, our instant decisions are based on a soft credit search using the information you provided when you got a quote. This is why it’s important to be open and honest with your responses at this stage. It’s designed to give you an idea of whether we’re likely to approve your application, but it isn’t a guarantee.

A final decision is only made once you complete a full application with us, which includes a hard credit check. An instant decision can be a helpful early indicator, but it can still change once we’ve seen the full picture. It’s designed to give you confidence before you make an application, not to lock you into a result straight away.

We’re authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

We're committed to treating customers fairly and giving clear, honest information so you can trust us to put your best interests first every step of the way!

Jonathan Such, Head of Sales and Marketing at First Response Finance, had this to share:

“There’s really no such thing as instant car finance approval. What lenders are able to offer is an instant indication based on a soft credit search, which is a quick way to see whether you’re likely to be accepted. Before full approval can be given, proper checks always need to be taken, to help protect you from entering into an agreement that you may not be able to afford or manage. Essentially, while the first answer might be instant, the final decision never is.” 

We use Experian, one of the UK's top credit reference agencies, to run our credit checks. This helps us to understand your credit history, which is one of several factors we take into consideration when making a decision on your approval for vehicle finance.

Having bad credit doesn’t have to mean the end of the road for your chances of getting car finance. While it may make it harder for some lenders to provide you with finance, specialist lenders like us are here to help you, especially if you have an imperfect or limited credit history. We look at more than just your credit score, so while your credit file may make things a little harder, it doesn’t necessarily rule you out.

You might assume that an instant decision means you're fully approved, but that’s not the case. An instant decision simply gives you an early idea on your chances based on a soft credit search. This means that the final answer can change once full affordability and underwriting checks are completed. It also doesn’t guarantee your credit limit (how much you can borrow) either.

You might also think that having bad credit will mean you won’t get a positive instant decision. In reality, many do! At First Response Finance, we look at more than just your credit score, so a past financial hiccup or two doesn’t automatically mean hitting the breaks on your application. 

We're SAF Approved by the Finance & Leasing Association (FLA), which means that all of our customer-facing employees have passed the Specialist Automotive Finance (SAF) Expert test. This ensures our team members have all the relevant knowledge to advise you on available finance products and help find the right one for you!

Choosing car finance isn’t always straightforward, especially if you a thin or poor credit file. At First Response Finance we know there’s never a single answer that works for everyone – your circumstances, goals and day-to-day needs all play a part in your decision making process. We take the time to understand you properly, so that we can shape our finance around what genuinely works for your situation.

We’re proud to be one of the UK’s most trusted providers of bad credit car finance, with a long track record of supporting customers who’ve struggled elsewhere:

• 98% of customers would recommend us
• Five-time winners of Feefo’s Platinum Trusted Service Award
• More than 300,000 customers supported with vehicle finance
• Voted Best Car Finance Provider five years in a row at the Consumer Credit Awards