Find the details for your car finance calculation
More accurate inputs make an estimate more useful. Gather these details before replacing the calculator's illustrative assumptions.
Read the agreement labels carefully
- Lender and agreement reference
- The finance provider may be different from the dealer or vehicle brand. Check the agreement, statements or payment reference.
- Agreement date
- Use the agreement's actual start date where available, rather than the year you sold the car.
- Amount of credit
- This is the borrowing shown on the finance agreement. It may differ from the vehicle's cash price and from the total amount repayable.
- APR
- Use the figure labelled APR. Do not substitute a flat interest rate or the monthly repayment.
- Term and payments
- Find the number of months, payment schedule and any final balloon. This calculator models equal monthly payments and has no separate balloon input.
- Commission
- Look for lender correspondence about commission. Do not treat the calculator's 8% assumption as evidence of what your broker received.
- Settlement
- If you repaid early, retain the settlement quote, date and amount. A settlement date alone does not recreate the lender's statutory calculation.
Illustrative reading example
If a document says "cash price £12,000", "deposit £2,000" and "amount of credit £10,000", the borrowing input is £10,000. This is an invented simple example: your agreement may include other financed items, so use its stated amount of credit rather than estimating from the vehicle price.
If the paperwork is missing
- Search your own email or files for the finance provider and agreement reference.
- Use statements to identify a payment recipient, then verify it against the lender's official website. Our lender finder is a starting point.
- Ask the lender for the agreement details, repayment history and available commission information. Keep a copy of the request and response.
- Mark unknown figures as assumptions when interpreting an estimate. Do not invent missing commission or treat an assumed result as an offer.
Use the lender's verified contact route for documents and identity checks. Do not post agreement numbers, bank statements or personal documents publicly.
Primary references: FCA PS26/3, including the made rules in Appendix 1, and Technical Annex 1. Check FCA consumer guidance for current scheme status.
Published: 19 October 2026. General information; estimates are not offers.