Prices and finance on your website: the rules for UK car dealers
Two sets of rules matter most on a dealer's website: consumer law on prices, and the FCA's rules on finance. Here's what they mean in practice. This is general information, not legal advice. If you're unsure, ask your lender or compliance adviser.
Your advertised price must include your admin fee
Since 6 April 2025, the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Act 2024 has banned "drip pricing": showing a headline price and adding compulsory charges later. The price you show has to include every fee the buyer must pay. The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), which enforces this, lists administration fees among the charges that must be included.
So if every buyer pays a £99 admin fee, a car you'd otherwise advertise at £9,000 should be shown at £9,099. You can still explain what the fee covers, but the headline price has to be the full amount.
The CMA can now fine businesses itself, up to 10% of their worldwide turnover. In April 2026 it fined the AA and BSM driving schools £4.2 million over a fee left out of their headline prices.
Optional extras can be shown separately
Things a buyer can genuinely choose not to have, such as an extended warranty or paint protection, don't have to be in the headline price. If a buyer can't say no to it, it's not optional, and it goes in the price.
Describe every car accurately
Mileage, MOT, service history, number of owners and condition all need to match the car. Use photos of the actual car, and make sure the price and details on your website match your other adverts.
To show finance, you need to be authorised
To arrange finance for your customers, you need FCA permission for credit broking, either directly or as an appointed representative of a firm that has it. If you're not authorised, leave finance offers off your website altogether.
Monthly prices need a representative example
Under the FCA's rules (CONC 3.5 in its handbook), if you show an interest rate or any figure about the cost of credit, such as "£199 a month", you must also show a representative example. That's a worked example of the finance, headed "Representative example", showing:
- the cash price and the deposit
- the total amount of credit
- the length of the agreement
- the number and amount of the monthly payments, and any optional final payment
- any fees
- the interest rate, and whether it's fixed
- the total amount payable
- the representative APR, shown as "X.X% APR"
The example has to be prominent, at least as eye-catching as the monthly price, not buried in small print. For PCP, a monthly price should also say "plus deposit and optional final payment" and give the yearly mileage it's based on. The one common exception is a 0% APR deal, where a monthly payment doesn't trigger a representative example. Your lender will give you the exact figures and wording to use.
Say that you're a credit broker
Your finance promotions should say clearly that you're a credit broker and not a lender, and give your full legal company name as it appears on the FCA register, even if you trade under another name.
These points aren't theoretical. In late 2019 the FCA ordered a Warrington dealer to take down finance adverts from its websites and Instagram. Its homepages showed monthly costs without a prominent representative example, and its credit broker statement was tucked away at the bottom of the page.
Be upfront about commission
If lenders pay you commission, the FCA expects you to tell customers about it. Car finance commission has been under close scrutiny for the last few years, so make your commission statement easy to find, and follow your lender's wording.
How we handle this
Every Wheelbase Studio website shows prices with your admin fee included. We only show finance for FCA-authorised dealers, using your lender's figures, with the representative example and credit broker statement laid out clearly. Ask us for a free website check and we'll tell you honestly if anything on your current site needs fixing.