Bumper begins European roll-out with launch in Ireland

Bumper, which rebranded last month from Auto Service Finance, has launched its interest-free payment platform for car repairs and servicing in Ireland - its first European market outside of the UK.

The roll-out started this month, with the debut of its services set to more than 100 dealers across Ireland, said Bumper.

Since launching in 2014, Bumper, the new name for Auto Service Finance, has helped over 100,000 car owners use interest free credit to fund their servicing and repair bills in the UK, according to the company. 

Last year, Vehicle Vision formed a partnership with Auto Service Finance (ASF) to offer motorists interest-free instalment payment option for repairs.

In 2020, Auto Service Finance won the AM Award for Best New Product or Service.

James Jackson, the chief executive and co-founder of Bumper, said: “Introducing Bumper into Ireland with the support of Ford and Jaguar Land Rover, and their respective dealer networks, marks the next stage in our expansion plan.

“We are talking to other OEMs and dealer groups in Ireland and plan to significantly grow our presence over the coming months. Within the UK we already provide our platform to over 3,000 sites and our proven proposition is now resonating with dealers in Ireland.

“The experience gained through our launch in Ireland has put the Bumper team in a better position for operating in other European countries and we’re excited to see what the future brings.”

Bumper’s expansion into Ireland follows its debut in the FT1000 survey of Europe’s fastest growing companies of 2021, where it was ranked 89.

In 2019, ASF won its second FinTech award at the Credit Strategy’s Credit Awards in the Alternative Lender of the Year category.

“As an innovative fintech we have established a scalable business based on helping workshops take the pain out of transactions by providing car owners with a Buy Now Pay Later option to spread their costs,” said Jack Allman, chief commercial officer and co-founder of Bumper.

“We look forward to growing our footprint in Ireland, followed by other key markets, with the aim of becoming Europe’s largest Buy Now Pay Later provider for car repairs and servicing,” he said.