Get going with a car loan

Thank you for having a look at Zopa.

As a responsible lender, we take several things into account to help us decide if we can offer you a loan. Here are the main criteria.

You'll need to…

• tell us who you are
• be at least 20 years old
• be a UK resident with at least 3 years of address history
• be employed, self-employed or retired with a pension
• have an income of at least £12,000 per year (before tax)
• have a credit history that we can see, and a good track record of repaying debt, e.g. utility bills, credit cards
• be able to afford the loan (in relation to your income and outgoings)

It takes just 3 minutes to find out if you're eligible and see your personalised rates. Don't worry, this won't affect your credit score.

Please keep in mind, we can't offer joint applications or guarantor loans.

We offer personal loans from £1,000 to £25,000 over 1 to 5 years.

Here are some of the most popular ways our customers use a Zopa loan:

• Buy a car
• Pay off credit cards
• Consolidate a more expensive loan
• Make home improvements
• Spread the cost of a wedding
• And much more

We'll ask you what you plan to use the loan for when you apply. If you don't see your loan purpose listed, please choose 'other'.

What can't I use a Zopa loan for?

There are some types of loan we don't offer at the moment.

These include: business loans for companies (other than sole-traders), mortgages, loans for bad credit, joint applications, guarantor loans, bridging finance.

So you've already got your confirmed rates for a Zopa loan (without affecting your credit score) and you're ready to apply.

What happens next depends on your personal circumstances and how much information is available in your credit file.

We may be able to give you an instant decision, or we may need to carry out some extra checks.

EITHER: INSTANT DECISION

As long as we have all the information we need, we can give you an instant decision when you apply online.

OR: EXTRA CHECKS

If there are any gaps in the information that we can access through a full credit search when you apply, we may need you to confirm a few things (ID, income and/or bank details) by uploading documents. It's simple to do this online and takes around 10 minutes.

Once we've got these documents, we may then be able to give you an instant online decision.

If not, we'll review your application manually, which takes around 2 working days. We will let you know the outcome by email.

MONEY TRANSFER

If your loan is approved, we'll automatically send the money to your bank account. It usually takes about 3 days to receive your loan money, but sometimes it can take a little longer. If you have any concerns over this when applying, give our friendly customer service team a call.

A soft credit search gives lenders a window into your debt history. It's invisible to other lenders (so it won't hurt your credit score) but you'll be able to see it in your credit file.

When we calculate your personalised rates for a Zopa loan, we use a soft credit search.

There's also such thing as a "hard credit search". It's similar to a soft credit search, but it shows up to other lenders (and can affect your credit score).

We only do a hard credit search when you apply for the loan.

Both types of search take place with the help of a credit reference agency.

In the market for a loan? Be sure to check which kind of search a lender does and when.

If your loan is approved, we'll arrange a transfer to your chosen bank account straight away. It usually takes about 3 days to receive your loan money, but sometimes it can take a little longer. If you have any concerns over this when applying, give our friendly customer service team a call.

Going for our £10 Fast Track option? We'll speed things along and make sure the money is sent to you 1 working day after approval.

Yes you can, with no penalty fees. We can help you through it if you like, or you can do it yourself from your online dashboard.

To settle your loan online: please sign into your Zopa account, open up the relevant loan, and follow the steps on screen.

To settle your loan over the phone: call us on 020 7580 6060 (Monday to Thursday, 8am to 8pm, Friday 8am to 5pm) and we’d be happy to walk you through it.

Things to keep in mind

• We'll take the final payment via your registered Direct Debit agreement. Once we've got the money, we will not take any more payments from you. You're welcome to cancel your Direct Debit with us, but please wait until the final payment has left your bank account.
• If we’re processing one of your regular monthly repayments, you'll need to wait a few days until the payment has cleared before you can make an extra payment.
• To settle your loan, you need to repay the total amount of credit (which includes your borrowing fee) plus any interest that's due. This is all calculated for you in your settlement figure.
• We can't accept credit card payments.