Car Finance Lenders in Ireland (2026): Who to Contact, What Each Is Known For, What They Ask

"Who do I actually ring?" is the question nobody answers. Every guide explains PCP versus HP and then leaves you at the dealer's desk. This one names the lenders that are open for business in Ireland right now, what each is known for, and what they'll ask you for. Every firm below states on its own site that it is regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland — and you can check any of them yourself at registers.centralbank.ie before you sign a thing.

Which car finance companies operate in Ireland in 2026?

Here's the map. "Direct" means you apply yourself and turn up with the money; "via dealer" means the salesperson keys your application into the lender's system. Rates are each lender's own published figures, September 2026, and they change — treat them as a shape, not a quote.

One number to hold onto: the median asking price on Autoza, September 2026, is €18,900. A 2018–2021 car sits at €18,950, a 2014–2017 car at about €12,300. That's the ballpark most of these loans are written for, and it matters, because a €12,000 loan and a €30,000 loan can be priced very differently by the same lender.

Banks: two doors into the same building

The three pillar banks each sell a plain personal loan you apply for yourself, and Bank of Ireland and PTSB also run a dealer-side hire-purchase desk under a different name. Same bank, different product, different rules.

AIB

• Product: variable-rate personal car loan, €1,000–€75,000 over 1–5 years (online up to €30,000, branch or phone above that).
• Known for: a green car loan at 6.40% APR for battery-electric and plug-in hybrid cars, €3,000–€30,000 through the app. Standard example on the site: €15,000 over 4 years at 8.95% APR, €369.26 a month, total cost of credit €2,724.48.
• Asks for: photo ID, proof of address, PPSN, employment details, income and outgoings, and any existing loans. No early-repayment penalty.

Bank of Ireland (and Bank of Ireland Finance)

• Car loan, direct: €2,000–€75,000; the site's 5-year examples are 7.1% APR for petrol or diesel and 6.5% APR green. Electric and hybrid cars can go out to 7 years, petrol and diesel to 5. You'll need your 365 online login and proof of PPSN; the green rate wants a dated seller's quote.
• Motor finance, via dealer: hire purchase from €7,000, 2–5 years (6 for EVs). Published examples: 6.3% APR standard, 5.85% APR electric. The car cannot be more than 9 years old when the agreement ends, so a 2019 car on a 5-year HP is borderline. Two fees of €63.49 (documentation and purchase) apply.

PTSB (and PTSB Asset Finance)

• Car loan, direct: PTSB's own comparison material quotes €25,000 over 5 years at 6.2% APR (€483.20 a month), with a maximum of 8.80% APR.
• Consumer hire purchase, via dealer: the published example is €20,000 over 5 years at 9.08% APR, €410.33 a month. A 20% minimum deposit applies where the car will be over 10 years old at the end.
• Asks for: ID, proof of address and typically 3 months of bank statements. PTSB's pages block automated readers, so confirm the current figures on ptsb.ie before you rely on them.

Credit unions: the option people forget until a friend mentions it

A credit union car loan is a personal loan, so you own the car from the first day, there's no balloon and no mileage limit, and the car's age is irrelevant — which makes it the natural home for the €6,000–€12,000 end of the market that HP desks don't love.

• Rate: the Irish League of Credit Unions' survey (16 June–8 August 2025) put the average car loan at 7.7% APR, based on a €15,000 loan for a used hybrid. The law caps any credit union at 12% (12.68% APR), and most sit well under it.
• The quiet bonus: 46% of ILCU credit unions paid an interest rebate in the year to 30 September 2024, averaging 3.7% of interest paid. It isn't guaranteed, but it's real money back.
• The catch: you have to be a member (usually by where you live or work), and every credit union sets its own rate, paperwork and turnaround. Some approve online in a day; some still want you in the door. Ask for their car-loan rate, not the standard rate — several run cheaper "green" rates for EVs and hybrids.
• Asks for: ID, proof of address, proof of income, and by law they'll check your Central Credit Register record.

Motor lenders the dealer arranges: Close Brothers and First Citizen

These are the names on the paperwork when an independent (non-franchised) dealer says "we can do finance". You don't ring them; the dealer does. If you've been searching for Bluestone Motor Finance, stop — it was bought by Close Brothers in November 2023 and has traded as Close Brothers Motor Finance since April 2024. The old web address now redirects.

• Close Brothers Motor Finance: HP on cars and vans, plus a PCP product on new or used cars up to 4 years old, "accessible through all our dealer partners". Its pitch is fair rates across credit profiles, so it's often the desk that says yes when a bank has said no — and prices for that risk. Ask the dealer for the APR and total amount payable in writing before you get attached to the car.
• First Citizen Finance: an Irish-owned lender working through over 500 SIMI dealers, and — unusually for this group — it also takes applications direct by phone, app or online. Fixed-rate motor finance for consumers and businesses. Vehicle age limits and rates aren't published; they're quoted per deal.

Manufacturer finance: only through a franchised dealer

Buy from a main dealer and the finance offer will usually come from the brand's own bank. These are real Irish-regulated lenders, and their rates are often subsidised on new stock and approved-used cars to shift metal — which is when they beat everyone above.

• Volkswagen Financial Services Ireland: PCP and HP across six brands — Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, Škoda, CUPRA and VW commercial vehicles — with used-car PCP and HP applied for online. Throws in an 18% Allianz insurance discount for its customers.
• Toyota Financial Services Ireland: Toyota Easy PCP with deposits from 0% to 36% over 2–3 years, available on Approved Used Toyotas aged 12–54 months; HP over 1–5 years on new and used. Current new-car offers are advertised around 5.90% APR fixed.
• BMW Financial Services (Ireland): "BMW Select" is its PCP (legally a form of hire purchase) alongside plain HP, for new and approved-used cars. Watch the small print: a €75 documentation fee on the first payment and a €74.99 option-to-purchase fee on the last.

Most other franchises have an equivalent arm. The rule is the same for all: the offer only exists on that dealer's stock, and it's usually best on the cars they most want gone.

Online personal loans: Avant Money (and its An Post badge)

Avant Money is the trading name of Bankinter S.A. in Ireland, and the same loan is sold over the counter as An Post Money, with An Post acting as the credit intermediary. It's a fixed-rate unsecured loan, so again you own the car outright and can buy privately, from any dealer, or import.

• Amount and term: €5,000–€75,000 over 1–7 years through An Post; Avant's own site allows terms up to 10 years.
• Rate: risk-priced. The An Post car-loan page shows 6.9%–16.9% APR on €20,000 and above, and 8.4%–19.9% APR on €5,000–€19,999. Good profiles borrowing bigger sums get the low end; the top end is well above any bank or credit union.
• Asks for: passport, driving licence or age card; a utility bill or bank letter dated within 3 months; recent bank statements or payslips (tax forms if self-employed). Decisions are online and quick, which is the main draw.

How do you compare offers properly?

Rank the offers on one line: the total amount you will pay back. The CCPC's advice is to compare the total cost of credit on a personal loan with the total HP price (the finance amount plus interest and fees). Then check these five things.

1. APR, not flat rate. A "5% flat" quote on a dealer's desk is roughly 9–10% APR because you keep paying interest on money you've already repaid. Only APR is comparable between lenders, and every regulated lender must show it.
2. The balloon. On PCP, the Guaranteed Minimum Future Value is the lump you pay to own the car. The CCPC calls PCPs "among the least flexible forms of car finance". If you can't see yourself paying or refinancing that final figure, take HP or a loan instead — our PCP vs HP vs personal loan guide walks through the maths.
3. Fees. Documentation (typically €50–€150 on HP per the CCPC), completion or option-to-purchase (€50–€75), missed-payment and early-settlement charges. They're small individually and they all sit outside the headline APR.
4. Who owns the car. Loan: you, from day one. HP and PCP: the lender until the last payment. That affects your right to sell mid-term, and it's why HP gives you the half rule (hand it back once you've paid half the total price and owe nothing more) but a loan doesn't need to.
5. Term versus car age. A 6-year term on a 7-year-old car is a bad idea on any product, and most HP desks won't write it. Shorter term, higher payment, less interest.

Run your own numbers before you sit down with anyone: put the price, deposit and term into the Autoza finance calculator (it defaults to 7.9% APR — change it to the rate you've actually been quoted). And if you're trading in, get the trade-in's free valuation first, because a low trade-in price is the oldest way to make a finance deal look better than it is.

What should you have ready before you apply?

Across every lender above, the pack is nearly identical. Have it as PDFs on your phone and a same-day decision becomes realistic.

• Photo ID: passport or driving licence.
• Proof of address dated within the last 3 months.
• Proof of PPSN (banks are strict on this).
• Last 3 payslips, or last 2 years' accounts and Revenue statements if self-employed.
• 3 months of bank statements — lenders read the outgoings as closely as the income.
• For HP or PCP: the dealer's invoice, and the deposit ready to go.
• For a green rate: a dated quote showing the car is electric or plug-in hybrid.

Two honest caveats. This names lenders and what they publish; it is not a recommendation, and none of them pays us. And the rates are the lenders' own September 2026 examples, which move without notice — the method doesn't: compare the total amount payable, and confirm the lender on the Central Bank register. For the buying side, see our used car finance guide and the live used car prices by fuel and brand.

Sources: AIB, Bank of Ireland, Bank of Ireland Finance, PTSB, An Post Money, Avant Money, Irish League of Credit Unions, Close Brothers Motor Finance Ireland, First Citizen Finance, Volkswagen Financial Services Ireland, Toyota Financial Services Ireland, BMW Financial Services (Ireland), CCPC and Central Bank of Ireland websites, all accessed September 2026; Autoza live listing data, September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which car finance company is best in Ireland?

There isn't one. For a car older than about 8 years, a credit union or bank personal loan (average credit union rate 7.7% APR) usually wins because HP desks impose age limits. For a nearly-new car from a main dealer, the manufacturer's subsidised PCP or HP is often cheapest. Compare the total amount payable, not the monthly figure.

Do credit unions do car loans?

Yes — it's one of their biggest lending lines. You must be a member, the loan is unsecured so you own the car from day one, and the rate is capped by law at 12% (12.68% APR); the ILCU's 2025 survey average was 7.7% APR, and many pay an annual interest rebate on top.

Is Bluestone Motor Finance still operating in Ireland?

Not under that name. Bluestone Motor Finance (Ireland) was acquired by Close Brothers in November 2023 and rebranded as Close Brothers Motor Finance in April 2024. Existing agreements carried over unchanged; new finance is written by Close Brothers Finance DAC through its dealer partners.

What documents do I need for car finance in Ireland?

Photo ID, proof of address dated within 3 months, proof of PPSN, recent payslips (or accounts if self-employed) and about 3 months of bank statements. For HP or PCP the dealer adds the invoice; for a green rate you'll need a quote proving the car is electric or plug-in hybrid.

What's a typical car finance APR in Ireland in 2026?

Published bank and dealer-arranged rates mostly sit between 5.9% and 10.9% APR, with EV-specific rates from about 5.85%–6.5% APR. Risk-priced online loans run from 6.9% up to 19.9% APR. Always convert a flat rate to APR before comparing.

Can I get car finance on a private sale?

Yes, with a personal loan from a bank, credit union or Avant Money, because the money is paid to you. HP and PCP are tied to a dealer invoice, so they don't work for private sales. Whichever route you pick, check the seller and the car first — then search used vehicles on Autoza to see what your budget really buys.