First Response Finance – Finance Provider (Sub-Prime) 2026

12:44 pm, July 14, 2026

Buying a used car can be a tough task for some buyers, who find themselves unable to secure a finance agreement due difficult personal circumstances.

However, the best providers of sub prime finance are able to overcome those obstacles by combining sensible underwriting with outstanding dealer support and a genuine desire to get deals over the line.

A serial winner of this prize down the years, First Response has once again scooped the gong after blowing voters away with its amazing customer service and fantastic range of products.

Retailers also commented on the firm’s excellent customer service and clear communication style, which has seen them see off stiff competition from our highly commended firms – Moneybarn and Oodle.

The much-loved business employs around 300 people at its offices in Nottingham, Leigh and Glasgow and places an emphasis on top quality service to both dealers and customers.

Reacting to the latest win, Owen Jordan, sales development team leader at the firm, said: ‘It’s a huge honour for us to receive this award again.

‘The guys in the office and out on the road, who look after our dealers, put a hell of a lot of effort into supporting them, giving them what they need and making sure we’re supporting them as a business.

‘To win the award again is a huge privilege for us, and a massive thanks to all our dealers up and down the UK for voting for us.

‘We’ve always been people-focused. That’s both for our customers, by giving them a chance through sub-prime lending, and for our dealers, by being there for them, answering the phone quickly and providing a good service. I think that’s why we stand out.’

The past year has seen First Response expand its product offering and introduce new technology to make the finance application process quicker and easier for dealers, including a new WhatsApp application service.

The firm has also increased lending limits for provisional licence holders as part of a wider push to help retailers complete more deals.

Looking ahead, the firm says further product enhancements and digital improvements are in the pipeline as it continues to broaden its sub-prime offering.

Jordan added: ‘We’ve had quite a big focus recently around product changes.

‘One of the highlights is that we’ve implemented a new process where dealers can submit applications via WhatsApp.

‘A dealer can literally send us a message saying “app”, an automated journey is triggered, it quickly captures the application details, and we do the rest.

‘We’ve also made some improvements by extending our lending capability. There are a few little things we’re doing to help dealers even more.

‘Although we’ve already got quite a broad product range in the sub-prime space, we’re expanding it a little further so we can help dealers do even more business.

‘There is more to come on that as well.’