Can I Buy a Car with a Debit Card?

Person buying a car using their debit card

If you’ve found your dream car, have enough savings in the bank, and haven’t yet considered looking at your different car finance options, you may want to seal the deal immediately by paying with a debit card.

However, whilst this may sound like the easiest method of buying a car, it might actually come with some complications.

Can you buy a car with a debit card?

Technically, yes, you can buy a car with a debit card. Buying a car with a debit card may be advantageous for you, provided you have enough cash in your account when you make the payment. Be sure that your bank doesn’t have a cap on the card’s daily spending limit, too.

That said, it’s not quite that simple. Some dealers simply won’t accept payment via debit card. There are a number of reasons why this could be the case. Firstly, there are fees that come with this process which can result in dealers losing net profit on a sale.

Secondly, debit card payments are riskier for them. If you, the buyer, dispute the sale for whatever reason, this can cost the dealer money – particularly if you only dispute the sale once you’ve driven the vehicle, which means that it can’t then be re-sold at its initial price.

Debit card vs finance

If you do intend to pay for your vehicle with a debit card, be sure to check that the dealer accepts this payment method prior to entering any negotiation. However, most drivers will benefit from car finance as an alternative to spread the cost of a new car. Get a car finance quote today for a better idea of your budget.

Rates from 9.9% APR. Representative APR 12.4%

Evolution Funding Ltd T/A My Car Credit

My Credit Rating

Excellent

  • You are a home owner
  • You have been on the electoral role for a long period of time
  • You have current credit arrangements and mortgage with no defaults
  • You have no CCJs, credit arrears or missed payments
  • You rarely apply for credit
  • You are employed or self-employed

Good

  • You are on the electoral role
  • You are a home owner or long standing tenant
  • You have a stable employment history
  • You have current credit arrangements with occasional missed payments
  • You have no CCJs

Fair

  • You are or have recently been on the electoral role
  • You may have recently changed address
  • You may have occasional missed payments
  • You may have an old CCJ
  • You may have regularly applied for credit

Poor

  • You may have had frequent changes in address
  • You may not be traceable on the voters roll
  • You may have exceeded credit card limits
  • You may have missed payments on current agreements
  • You may have had a CCJ in the past

Bad

  • You may not be traceable on the voters roll
  • Your credit cards are over their limits
  • You have recent CCJs
  • You may have been refused credit elsewhere
  • You may be in a debt management plan
£

X monthly repayments of
£X

Typical rate

Loan amount

Total payable

X% APR*

£X

£X

*for illustration purposes only

No impact on your credit score*

Representative Example

Borrowing £7,500 at a representative APR of 12.4%, annual interest rate (fixed) 12.36%, 47 monthly payments of £196.44 followed by 1 payment of £206.44 (incl. estimated £10 option to purchase fee), a deposit of £0.00, total cost of credit is £1,939.12, total amount payable is £9,439.12.

Evolution Funding Limited, trading as My Car Credit, is a credit broker and not a lender.

Please ensure you can afford the repayments for the duration of the loan before entering into a credit agreement.

*Initial application is a soft search. Should you progress, some lenders may perform a hard search on your credit file.

Require more help?

Got a question you can’t find the answer to, or need some advice and guidance around taking out car finance? Our Car Credit Specialists are friendly, experienced, and here to help so get in touch today!