Yes, you can hire a car or van with bad credit from DriveOn. Hiring a vehicle isn't the same as taking out car finance, so there's no credit agreement in your name and no automatic rejection for a low score. Old defaults or a recent refusal don't rule you out on their own. We look at your whole situation, not one number, and making an enquiry doesn't affect your credit score.
DriveOn owns the vehicles and runs the hire ourselves. You deal with us directly, not a broker passing your details around, and you hire cars and vans on fixed 6–24 month terms. "All credit considered" means what it says: we'll look at an application even when you've been told no somewhere else.
Can I get a car on hire with bad credit?
In most cases, yes. Because you're hiring rather than borrowing, the checks are lighter than a finance application and the focus is on whether the monthly payment is affordable for you today. We keep more than 100 cars and vans, so there's usually something that fits both what you need and what you can spend. Have a look through the cars we've got in stock and note the ones you like for when you enquire.
Do you credit check?
We run our own checks as part of an application, but a hire isn't a finance product, so a low score doesn't decide the outcome on its own. We're interested in the fuller picture. If you've had a rough patch, tell us about it — context helps. Here's what actually matters to us:
- Whether the monthly payment is genuinely affordable for you
- Your recent situation, not something from years ago
- A valid UK driving licence
- Proof of address and income
What if I've been refused car finance?
A refusal for finance doesn't carry across to us. Finance and hire are different products with different criteria, so being turned down for PCP, hire purchase or a loan doesn't mean you'll be turned down for a hire. Plenty of our customers came to us after a "no" somewhere else. If you'd like to understand the arrangement before you enquire, our guide on how it works walks through it step by step.
How is hiring different from car finance?
With car finance you take on a credit agreement and buy the vehicle over time. With DriveOn you're hiring it: you pay a fixed monthly amount, drive the vehicle for your agreed term, then hand it back. No loan, no balloon payment, nothing to sell at the end. Here's the short version:
Car finance (PCP or HP)
- A credit agreement in your name
- A hard credit search that shows on your file
- Refusal is common with a poor credit history
- You're buying the car over the term
Hiring with DriveOn
- A rental, not a credit agreement
- All credit considered
- An enquiry leaves no mark on your file
- You hand the vehicle back at the end
If a shorter commitment suits you better, our short-term rental terms start at six months.
Will enquiring hurt my credit score?
No. An enquiry is a conversation about what you need, not a credit application, so it leaves no mark on your file and won't move your score. You can ask questions, get a rough idea of the costs and change your mind, all with no impact. We only run a full check once you've decided you want to go ahead.
What about bad credit van hire?
Same approach, same answer. Whether you're a sole trader, run a small business or just need something bigger for a job, we consider all credit for van hire too. Vans go out on the same fixed 6 to 24 month terms as our cars, with the same deposit credited to your first payment.
Can you deliver, wherever I am?
We're based in Shrewsbury and deliver across the UK, so you don't have to be local to hire from us. Delivery is charged at £1.50 per mile exc VAT from Shrewsbury, and home delivery is available. Take a look at the areas we cover to see how it works near you, or just tell us where you are and we'll sort the details.