Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

Bumper has teamed up with Ecologi to set and achieve goals for a carbon neutral future.

Bristol based, Ecologi, was set up to empower everyday people and businesses to help tackle the climate crisis. Funds raised go directly to planet saving projects. A key area of focus is Tree Planting, one of the best tools to help keep our temperatures from rising, and carbon reduction, the process of removing more greenhouses gases than are produced.

So far Bumper has funded the planting of 1,000 trees, which is 73.53 tonnes of carbon reduction. This is equivalent to 56 long haul flights, 148,428 miles driven in a car and 221 square meters of sea ice saved.

Bumper’s funding has already contributed to several green projects.

This project aims to provide long term access to clean water for families in the Zoba Debub district of Eritrea by repairing water boreholes. Boreholes are used in the region to access clean water however a large number are broken. Repaired water boreholes access naturally cleaned water purified as it percolates through pores in the rock and reduces the number of residents using fired wood as a means of purification.

Forest plantation on degraded grassland in Uruguay

Previously used for cattle grazing for 300 years, 21,298 hectares of land have been turned into sustainable managed forestry. The project, which is over seen by Rainforest Alliance, should remove 7,644,973 tonnes of CO2 in the next 60 years.

Our goal is to help plant 100,000 trees in the next 12 months and become a carbon neutral business.

To learn more about the work Ecologi is doing 

Bumper is an interest free financing solution for car repairs and services that is customer centric and responsible.

Bumper team up with Ecologi to tackle urgent climate crisis

A recent forecast produced by the DVSA predicted the number of MOTs carried out in October and November will be 60% higher than normal levels.

Their recent ‘Beat the Rush’ campaign caused one million vehicle owners to bring forward their test last month. More than one million MOTs that took place in September weren’t due until October 2020 – January 2021.

The DVSA said: “The key message now is for customers to book their MOT as early as possible. By encouraging customers to book early, we hope you are able to plan effectively for this busy period and maximise the number of MOTs you can complete.

For garages wanting to get involved in the DVSA’s ‘Beat The Rush’ campaign, you can find more information here. To find out more about how Bumper can help your customers with their repair bill in just a few clicks, click here.

If your MOT is due soon book in as early as possible. To split your next MOT or repair bill into monthly instalments at no extra cost and find garages in your area visit the Bumper website.

DVSA predict number of MOTs to be 60% higher than normal in October and November

Bumper are pleased to announce that they are now a Living Wage Accredited Employer.

The Living Wage Foundation campaigns for businesses to pay their staff a wage which meets everyday living costs.

Their proposed living rate is based on what real people need to live; a weekly shop, utility bills, rent and unexpected bills.

CEO & Co-Founder, James Jackson, said “As a responsible lender with a keen focus on treating customers fairly, it seemed only right to extend this to all our employees who all play such a vital role in offering a world class service to our customers and dealerships. The accreditation doesn’t just cover our direct employees, but also our contractors and suppliers – meaning our pledge has an even wider impact.”

Other companies taking part in the scheme include Ikea, Nationwide, Nestlé, Aviva and many others.

The new Living Wage is announced each year in November and Living Wage Accredited employers are expected to make any due pay rises within 6 months.

To find out more about the Living Wage Foundation visit 

Bumper is a Buy Now Pay Later provider for car repairs and servicing.

Bumper Becomes Living Wage Foundation Accredited

Bumper has been named the Best Finance Provider at the 2020 Motor Trader Industry Awards 2020.

The award ceremony was due to take place in October at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel but due to the recent government guidance surrounding Covid-19, the winners were revealed online each day throughout November.

This is the 5th award Bumper has won in the last two years, following on from our success in early 2020 and 2019:

CEO & Co-Founder, James Jackson, said: “I am so proud of what we have achieved over the last 2 years, beating a number of multinational brands to some incredible awards. It has spurred everyone at the company to keep working hard and continue to grow the brand – in a post Covid world.”

Congratulations to all of the other winners!

Bumper win Best Finance Provider at the Motor Trader Awards 2020

Bumper is the 8th fastest growing FinTech company and the 89th fastest growing across all sectors in the Financial Times’ list of Europe’s fastest-growing 1,000 companies.

The list, compiled annually by research company Statista, is determined by companies with the highest revenue growth between 2016 and 2019.

Also making the list is finance company, Sun Finance; energy companies, Bulb and Octopus Energy; and credit-score calculators, Clear Score.

The news is welcomed after many companies in Europe face financial pressures because of the pandemic and uncertainty with the Brexit change over. One thousand companies reporting revenue growth over the last few years is excellent news both for the economy and for the thousands they employ.

Our quick growth is evidence of the hard work and dedication of the internal team and the service teams in a difficult time. Team Bumper is grateful to the dealership group and garages who chose to offer our service and the many loyal customers who use it. Without your support we wouldn’t have made it into the top 100.

Bumper is 8th fastest growing FinTech company in Europe

1st March 2021 – We’re pleased to announce we’ve rebranded from AUTO SERVICE FINANCE to BUMPER.

We’ve refreshed our look and tuned up our name, so let’s pull up to the Bumper and see how we got here.

We chose Bumper as we wanted a name that epitomisess our brand values.

A name that conveys usefulness, convenience, and flexibility, whilst also being simple and transparent. One that was more memorable, shorter, and easier to recall than Auto Service Finance.

We believe the new name speaks to drivers and engages them - it’s human, upbeat, savvy, and different.

Car bumpers protect vehicles and their drivers - just like Bumper.

We chose the colour orange as we wanted to stand out from other FinTech and Buy Now Pay Later providers.

We wanted to choose a colour that was bold and striking, whilst also being friendly and inviting.

Much like how Cadbury’s own purple and Coca-cola own red – Bumper is here to own orange.

Visiting a garage can be a daunting experience.

It’s hard to know the good work from the bad, and a fair price from a rip-off.

We’ve built strong relationships with a network of responsible and trusted garages.

We bring you garages with the best workmanship and the fairest prices – matching top-class drivers with a top-notch service.

Then came a problem we all face – the cost of repairs.

From unexpected large amounts to small ones you’d rather skip, they are necessary for keeping you on the road.

We want to release drivers from the burden of the upfront lump-sum, with simple monthly payments, that are always interest-free.

So, whether you’re a driver looking for car repairs made easy or a garage looking to do things right – Bumper’s got your back.

Auto Service Finance has rebranded to Bumper

¿Qué es Bumper? Conócenos

Covid lockdowns and restrictions have prompted nearly two-thirds of car owners to delay servicing and repair work, even though they know dealer workshops and garages are open for business, according to consumer research by Bumper.

Bumper, the new name for Auto Service Finance, polled the views of 2,635 car owners in February to see whether decisions on having their vehicles maintained had been impacted by the pandemic.

The research found 63% had delayed services and repairs because of Covid restrictions, even though 86% admitted to being aware that garages and dealer workshops were permitted to operate.

“Our research highlights a worrying trend with most car owners admitting to being worried about taking their vehicles into garages and dealerships as a result of Covid restrictions,” said James Jackson, CEO and co-founder.

“This raises safety concerns as service schedules are being stretched and repair work is being put off. Dealers and garages need to allay customer fears by reassuring them that Covid-19 secure guidelines are in place with timed appointments, contactless handovers, vehicle sanitation and social distancing.”

Bumper’s research also identified that customers would favour the option of remote payment, rather than paying a service advisor in person. Most (53%) said they would prefer to pay for work remotely by phone, laptop or computer. Over half (57%) said their preference had changed as a direct result of Covid.

“As we work through the current lockdown it’s increasingly apparent that customers want reassurance from dealerships and garages. Encouraging them to pay remotely is an easy win, especially as most businesses are already set up to take payments over the phone, suggesting that communicating this option needs to be more widely promoted,” said Jackson.

Bumper provides an interest-free digital payment platform for vehicle repairs and services, enabling owners to spread their costs.

Formerly Auto Service Finance, the multi award-winning UK fintech company delivers an instalment financing solution using proprietary AI enabled technology to facilitate real-time lending decisions.

Bumper enables dealerships and garages to sell a larger proportion of red and amber work, reducing workshop downtime, with no risks or liabilities, while also creating greater customer loyalty.

Co-founded by CEO James Jackson and CCO Jack Allman, Bumper is rated 89 in the 2021 FT 1000 listing of Europe’s fastest growing companies. Bumper works with 2,500 franchised dealers, over 650 garages and major car brands across the UK and Republic of Ireland, helping over 100,000 drivers to fund their servicing and repair bills.

Bumper is based in Sheffield and London, with a tech development centre in Ankara, Turkey.

Nearly two-thirds of car owners delay servicing and repair work because of Covid concerns, finds Bumper research

Bumper ranks 21st in the Financial Times annual list of fastest-growing FinTech companies in Europe. This is the second consecutive year the business has made the list.

The list is comprised of independent companies that have shown strength and resilience. To qualify businesses needed a minimum revenue of £1.2 million in 2017. Growth is then calculated as an average over the last 5 years. 

Bumper CEO and co-founder, James Jackson, said, ‘We’re delighted to be featured on the FT1000 list, and incredibly proud to be one of the fastest-growing companies in Europe for the second year in a row.’

‘Over the last 12 months our growth has been powered by working with many of the top 100 dealer groups; new partnerships with Nissan, Keyloop, CitNOW and RTC; launching into Ireland and Germany, and securing £9m in Series A funding.

‘We're ideally positioned to achieve further growth in 2022. Our motivation remains the same as it always has been – to put motorists back in the driving seat, by offering accessible, affordable and manageable finance solutions for everything from repairs and maintenance to accessories and more recently the addition of add-ons including GAP, service plans, warranties and paint protection.’

With recent significant investments and an expanding executive team, Bumper is in a position to increase growth and continue its mission of empowering drivers. 

Bumper ranks 21st in the fastest growing FinTechs by Financial Times

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