UK HPI Check FAQ: Every Answer in One Place
Direct answers to the questions UK car buyers actually ask about HPI checks. What HPI is, what data you get, why HPI charges £19.99, the £4.99 alternative with the same Experian data, and how to avoid the £39/year subscription trap.
Same data as HPI, £4.99 instead of £19.99
CarCostCheck pulls finance, stolen and write-off data from Experian, the same source HPI uses. Plus free MOT history, reliability score and running costs. No subscription, no email list, instant PDF.
What is an HPI check?
What does HPI actually stand for?
Hire Purchase Investigation. The brand name comes from the original 1938 service that checked whether vehicles were on hire-purchase agreements. HPI Limited is now a brand of CDL Vehicle Information Services, owned by Solera. The phrase 'HPI check' has become a generic term for any UK vehicle history check, even when run by a different provider.
What does an HPI check include?
The standard HPI check returns: outstanding finance, stolen status (Police National Computer), insurance write-off category (Cat A, B, S, N plus legacy C, D), VIN verification, plate transfers, colour changes, and previous owner count. It does NOT include MOT history, mileage trend analysis, recall data, or running cost estimates — those are free public-sector data.
Where does HPI data come from?
Three private databases: MIAFTR (Motor Insurance Anti-Fraud and Theft Register, owned by ABI), CUE (Claims and Underwriting Exchange), and finance providers' shared register. Experian aggregates these for resale to all the major UK car-check brands — HPI itself, MyCarCheck, AA, RAC, and CarCostCheck all source from the same underlying providers.
Is an HPI check legally required when buying a car?
No, but it is the only way to discover outstanding finance before you pay. If a car has finance against it and you buy without checking, the finance company can repossess the car from you because the seller never owned it outright. This is the single biggest financial risk in private used-car buying in the UK.
Cheapest HPI check 2026
What is the cheapest UK HPI check in 2026?
CarCostCheck premium at £4.99. It returns the same Experian-sourced data as HPI: stolen, finance, write-off (Cat A, B, S, N + legacy C, D), VIN verification, plate transfers, colour changes, and previous owners. It is 75% cheaper than HPI's £19.99 check and 50% cheaper than MyCarCheck's £4.99 (which only covers stolen + finance + write-off, not the full check).
Is CarCostCheck the same as HPI?
No, but the data is. CarCostCheck and HPI both pull the provenance data (stolen, finance, write-off, VIN, etc.) from Experian, who aggregate from MIAFTR, CUE and the finance industry register. The data flowing into a £4.99 CarCostCheck report is the same flowing into a £19.99 HPI report. CarCostCheck additionally bundles free DVSA MOT history, mileage analysis, reliability score, and running costs — none of which HPI includes.
Why is CarCostCheck cheaper than HPI?
Two reasons. First, no hidden subscription: HPI auto-enrols you in a £39/year subscription after the £19.99 one-off check; CarCostCheck is pay-once with no email list and no follow-up charges. Second, lower overheads: built on modern serverless infrastructure rather than the legacy enterprise stack HPI runs, so the unit cost is lower and the saving is passed on.
Are free HPI check websites real?
No. Sites advertising a 'free HPI check' can only show you DVLA + DVSA data (make, model, tax, MOT status, mileage history). The provenance databases (stolen, finance, write-off) charge per query, so no provider can give those for free. Anything advertising a free full HPI is misleading — usually a lead-gen page that asks for your email then quotes a paid service.
What you get for £4.99 (same data, lower price)
What does the £4.99 CarCostCheck premium report include?
Outstanding finance check, stolen check (Police National Computer), write-off category (Cat A, B, S, N + legacy C, D), VIN verification, previous owner count, plate transfer history, colour change history, scrapped status, and high-risk marker. Plus the free report on top: full DVSA MOT history since 2005, mileage verification with clocking detection, reliability score 0-100, running cost estimates, common faults, recalls and ULEZ compliance.
Is the data really the same as HPI's data?
Yes for provenance. Both use Experian's UK vehicle data feed which itself aggregates MIAFTR, CUE and the finance industry register. We add DVSA MOT history (free), DVLA vehicle data (free) and our reliability + running cost calculations on top — all of which HPI's standard check does not include.
Are there situations where HPI is worth paying £19.99 for?
Two: HPI bundles a £30,000 'guarantee' that pays out if their data was wrong and you suffer financial loss; we do not offer that guarantee. And some dealers and finance providers specifically ask for an HPI-branded certificate. For private used car buyers, those edge cases rarely justify the £15 difference.
Do I get a PDF I can share with a mechanic or finance provider?
Yes. Every premium report is delivered as both a PDF (emailed instantly) and a permanent live web link you can share. Useful for getting a mechanic to review or sending to your finance provider before transfer.
How to run an HPI check
How do I do an HPI check on my car?
Go to carcostcheck.co.uk, type the registration into the search box, see the free report instantly. If you want the full HPI-equivalent check (finance, stolen, write-off, VIN), add the premium for £4.99. The whole process takes under 60 seconds.
Can I do an HPI check on a car I don't own?
Yes. You only need the registration plate to run any UK car check. There is no requirement to be the owner, no permission needed, and the seller is not notified. This is true of every UK provider, not just CarCostCheck.
How long does an HPI check take?
Free DVLA + DVSA data loads in under 10 seconds. The premium provenance check (Experian data) returns instantly after payment, on screen and by email.
Do I need to create an account to run an HPI check?
No. There is no signup, no email collection (unless you want the report emailed), and no password. You can check a car completely anonymously. Card payment via Stripe handles the £4.99 with no account creation.
Provider comparison
How does CarCostCheck compare to HPI?
Same provenance data (both use Experian). CarCostCheck £4.99 vs HPI £19.99. CarCostCheck adds free MOT history, reliability score, running costs, and recalls; HPI adds a £30k guarantee and brand recognition. Both produce a permanent shareable report. CarCostCheck has no subscription; HPI auto-enrols you in £39/year unless you cancel.
How does CarCostCheck compare to MyCarCheck?
Both at £4.99. MyCarCheck includes stolen, finance, write-off only — no MOT analysis, no mileage verification, no reliability score, no recalls, no running costs. CarCostCheck includes everything MyCarCheck does plus the full free-tier features. Same price, more data.
How does CarCostCheck compare to AA Car Check or RAC Car Passport?
AA and RAC charge £9.99 each for the same provenance data CarCostCheck delivers at £4.99. Both run on Experian's feed. The AA and RAC brands carry weight if you are buying through one of their inspection or breakdown services bundled together; for a standalone history check the £5 saving has no downside.
What about CarVertical?
CarVertical (£33.99) bundles UK Experian data with European cross-border history (German TÜV, French CT, etc). Worth the extra cost only if you are importing or buying from overseas. For UK-only used buying, the £29 difference buys you nothing additional.
HPI subscription trap
Does HPI charge a recurring subscription?
Yes. After the £19.99 one-off check, HPI auto-enrols you in a £39/year HPI Watch subscription unless you cancel. Some users have reported being unaware of the auto-enrolment and only noticing on a credit card statement months later. Reading the small print at checkout is the only protection.
How do I cancel HPI Watch?
Log in to your HPI account or call HPI customer service. Many users have reported difficulty cancelling and have had to dispute charges with their bank. Money Saving Expert and Trustpilot have multiple reports.
Does CarCostCheck have any recurring charges?
No. £4.99 is a single Stripe payment. No subscription, no email follow-ups, no auto-enrol. Card details are handled by Stripe and not stored by us.
Run the £4.99 HPI-equivalent check now
Same Experian-sourced finance, stolen and write-off data as HPI. Plus full DVSA MOT history, reliability score, running costs, and recalls. PDF in 60 seconds. No subscription.