Which valuation should we use for a part-exchange?

Most dealers anchor on the trade position and adjust for condition, demand and preparation cost. We return trade, retail and private together so the whole picture is in front of whoever is making the offer.

Do the images show the actual vehicle?

No. They are studio-quality images matched to the make, model, trim and colour resolved from the registration: useful for listing a vehicle before it has been photographed, not a substitute for photographs of the specific car.

Can we run an appraisal from a customer-facing form?

Yes, and it is a common pattern: the customer enters a registration, you show an indicative figure and capture the lead. Keep in mind you are charged per successful lookup, so it is worth rate-limiting a public form.

What does the spec check actually return?

The factory equipment and options fitted to that specific vehicle, with the fitment (standard or optional) and, where held, the list price of paid options.

For motor retail

Appraise, price and list a vehicle from its number plate.

Turn a registration into a complete, listing-ready vehicle record: spec, imagery and a defensible valuation, without re-keying anything.

Start free Talk to sales

Seconds: from plate to appraisal
From 1p: per vehicle image
Factory spec: options actually fitted

What gets in the way

Slow, inconsistent part-exchange appraisals
Listings built by hand from manufacturer brochures
No imagery for vehicles not yet on the forecourt
Provenance surprises discovered after taking a vehicle in

What you can do instead

Appraise a part-exchange in seconds from the plate
Auto-populate listings with verified spec and options
Show a studio-quality image before the vehicle arrives

How it works

Three steps

Take the plate

On the forecourt or in the online appraisal form: one field, no brochure.

Build the record

Valuation, factory spec, imagery and provenance come back together and populate the listing.

Price with confidence

Make the offer against a current trade position, with the provenance already checked.

An appraisal is only as consistent as the person doing it

Two sales executives appraising the same part-exchange will reach different numbers, and the difference is rarely about the vehicle. Anchoring the appraisal on a valuation pulled from the registration gives everyone the same starting point and makes the conversation about condition and demand rather than about who is better at guessing. It also means the number can be produced while the customer is still standing there, which is when it matters.

Listings built from the brochure are wrong

Manufacturer brochures describe what could be fitted, not what was. A listing that claims a spec the vehicle does not have is a complaint waiting to happen, and one that omits options actually fitted is money left on the table. Pulling the factory specification for the specific vehicle from its registration fixes both directions of that error and removes the typing.

Check provenance before you take the vehicle in

A part-exchange with outstanding finance, an undisclosed write-off or an inconsistent mileage record is a problem you have bought. Running the check at appraisal rather than after the vehicle is on your forecourt keeps it as a negotiating position instead of a loss.

Recommended APIs

Where to start

Vehicle Valuation

Trade, retail and private values for any UK vehicle.

From 16p / lookup

Vehicle Images

A studio-quality image of the vehicle, resolved from its registration.

From 1p / lookup

Spec & Options

The factory equipment and options fitted to a specific vehicle.

From 10p / lookup

Full Vehicle Check

Everything in one call: details, MOT history, valuation and provenance.

From £2.45 / lookup

Where it gets used

Common jobs

Part-exchange appraisal

Produce a defensible trade figure from the plate while the customer is in front of you, with provenance checked in the same call.

Listing population

Auto-fill make, model, derivative, factory options and imagery so a vehicle can be advertised before it has been photographed.

Stock imagery

Show a studio-quality image matched to make, model, trim and colour for vehicles that have not reached the forecourt yet.

Online appraisal forms

Replace a long vehicle-details form with a registration field and an instant indicative figure, to keep the customer in the journey.

FAQ

Dealers & retail questions

Which valuation should we use for a part-exchange?: Most dealers anchor on the trade position and adjust for condition, demand and preparation cost. We return trade, retail and private together so the whole picture is in front of whoever is making the offer.
Do the images show the actual vehicle?: No. They are studio-quality images matched to the make, model, trim and colour resolved from the registration: useful for listing a vehicle before it has been photographed, not a substitute for photographs of the specific car.
Can we run an appraisal from a customer-facing form?: Yes, and it is a common pattern: the customer enters a registration, you show an indicative figure and capture the lead. Keep in mind you are charged per successful lookup, so it is worth rate-limiting a public form.
What does the spec check actually return?: The factory equipment and options fitted to that specific vehicle, with the fitment (standard or optional) and, where held, the list price of paid options.

Official registers

Vehicle records from the DVLA Vehicle Enquiry Service, MOT records from the DVSA MOT History API.

Charged on delivery

You are charged on a successful lookup. A lookup that returns nothing costs nothing.

No lock-in

No contract and no minimum. Credits last 12 months; monthly plans are rolling.

UK data protection

You act as controller and we act as processor for delivery, under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018.

Try it on your own data

Create an account, get starter credits, and run your first lookup in minutes.

Start free