Bumper, which offers buy now, pay later (BNPL) financing for repair bills, has found that 67% of customers for its PayLater service are now completing their payments remotely, outside of dealership opening times.

PayLater enables customers to split repair bills into monthly, interest-free installments, with online payments.

33% of customers for its PayNow service completed transactions remotely, while dealerships were closed.

Bumper reported that this shift is due to customers authorising advisories on Vehicle Health Checks (VHCs).

Daniel Christie, head of sales at Bumper, said: “By expanding the number of rooftops utilising our services and integrating with more dealer systems, we’re seeing customers embrace the ability to authorise and pay for repair work at their convenience.

“VHCs are proving to be a game changer for remote payments, giving customers instant access to the information they need.

“Consequently, most transactions now occur in the evening, when car owners are at home and have time to make informed decisions and without the pressure of in-person upselling. 

“This move eliminates discounting and drives conversions, making aftersales transactions more profitable. “

In 2024, Bumper facilitated £300m worth of transactions, the firm is on track to exceed £1.1bn this year.

Bumper offers its services across 5,000 dealerships, in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Netherlands, and Spain.

Christie said: “These automated out-of-hours payments are also helping to streamline dealership operations, freeing up valuable resources to be used elsewhere by allowing teams to focus on higher-value tasks.”