Alastair Shephard

Content Writer

Bumper International Limited, the automotive payments orchestration platform and leading provider of interest-free car repair financing, is now authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) with permissions for consumer credit lending in the UK.

The authorisation represents a major milestone for Bumper as it expands its mission to make car ownership more flexible and affordable, enabling the development of longer-term credit products to complement its flagship Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) product.

Building on its new permissions, Bumper’s PayLater offering will be joined by PayLonger, which will allow customers to spread larger car repair bills over a longer period.

The announcement also comes at a pivotal time as the UK BNPL industry moves towards formal regulation, positioning Bumper ahead of the upcoming sector-wide requirements.

James Jackson, CEO at Bumper, said: “Securing FCA authorisation not only reinforces our commitment to responsible lending and consumer protection, but unlocks exciting new opportunities for Bumper – particularly the ability to develop longer-term credit products that offer greater flexibility and affordability for customers facing substantial repair bills.

“This is a milestone moment for Bumper as we look to launch our PayLonger product, continuing to accelerate our growth and empowering our dealership partners to deliver even better support to their customers.”

Bumper Secures FCA Authorisation for Consumer Credit Lending

Bumper, the digital payments platform, has announced a new strategic partnership with Renault Group UK.

The agreement sees Bumper’s PayLater solution being made available to dealers across the Renault, Dacia and Alpine brands.

Nearly half of Renault Group’s 190 retailers are already live with Bumper’s buy now, pay later (BNPL) service, with more in the process of being onboarded.

Commenting on the new contract, Alex Platt, Bumper’s Senior OEM and Commercial Partnership Manager, said: “Renault Group becoming our latest OEM partner marks a significant milestone for Bumper as we pursue our ambition to revolutionise the automotive payments experience.

“With our deep integrations across DMS and eVHC platforms, we’re already enabling Renault Group retailers to sell more work, more profitably and deliver even more positive customer outcomes.”

Stephen Whitcombe, Head of Aftersales at Renault Group UK said: “This new partnership with Bumper is part of our ongoing commitment to deliver greater value, flexibility and transparency to our customers. By rolling out Bumper’s PayLater solution across our retailers, our customers can manage repair bills more easily through spreading the costs, helping them to stay on the road.

“Working with innovative partners like Bumper enables our retailers to operate more efficiently and improve customer satisfaction. We're confident this evolving partnership will drive long-term benefits for both our retail partners and their customers.”

The partnership comes as Bumper celebrates a number of recent milestones in its rapid growth both in the UK and internationally. The company recently announced an $11m extension to its Series B funding, and has also expanded its solutions with the launch of Bumper Pro – an integrated payment platform that delivers cost-savings and performance insights.

Bumper partners with Renault Group UK to power aftersales payments across their retail network

Bumper, the automotive payments platform, has announced three new senior hires to support its ambitious expansion plans. 

Fintech heavyweight Adrian Fradd has joined as Bumper’s Chief Strategy Officer, following 10 years at PayPal. He brings a wealth of experience in payments platforms and partnerships, building new global products for merchants and consumers, and growing omni-channel payment solutions at scale. 

At Bumper, Fradd will lead strategic projects, oversee Bumper’s Product team, and help the company develop its offering as a comprehensive payments platform. 

Joining Fradd on Bumper’s executive team, Kerry Turnbull has been appointed Chief Financial Officer. A former Deutsche Bank director and most recently Senior Vice President at Einride AB, Turnbull brings 16 years of investment banking and corporate finance experience to accelerate Bumper’s next stage of growth. 

At Einride, Turnbull led multiple successful capital raises, including the world’s first heavy-duty electric vehicle securitisation, and closed a Series C equity round. Turnbull’s background spans private and public markets across a diverse global investor base, while her Deutsche Bank pedigree adds strong European market expertise. She has a proven record in designing innovative financing structures, building resilient balance sheets and driving long-term value creation. 

As CFO, Turnbull will lead Bumper’s capital strategy, fundraising, operational finance, and investor relations, strengthening the company’s access to funding and supporting disciplined growth. 

Bumper is also expanding its Growth team with the addition of Annabelle Clarke as PR Manager, formerly Vice President for Media Relations at global communications firm Weber Shandwick. Annabelle brings a decade of consultancy experience in strategic corporate and consumer communications, with specialist expertise in technology and fast-growth businesses. Her former clients include Samsung, HP, eBay, Purplebricks, IKEA, Nespresso, Budweiser, Philips and Experian. 

Clarke will oversee Bumper’s media presence and positioning in the UK and Europe as the brand continues to evolve its payment offerings and expand internationally. 

James Jackson, CEO at Bumper, commented: “We are delighted to welcome Adrian, Kerry and Annabelle to the team, bringing with them rich collective experience across payments, technology, automotive and fast-growth companies. Our new colleagues join at an exciting time for Bumper, as we set our sights on rapid expansion plans both in the UK and internationally. These appointments will be instrumental in supporting Bumper’s growth in this next phase of our journey.” 

Bumper has marked a number of growth milestones in recent weeks. Last month, the company announced $11m in Series B extension investment and celebrated its 10

 anniversary with a refreshed brand identity. It also recently launched Bumper Pro, a full suite of payment tools for dealerships and OEMs. 

Bumper bolsters senior team with former PayPal and Deutsche Bank executives 

New government figures have revealed the areas in the UK with the highest number of road traffic casualties, with Kent, Surrey, and Birmingham topping the list. Despite a slight drop in total incidents in 2024, the number of people killed on British roads rose, prompting calls for urgent action.

Provisional estimates from the Department for Transport show that 128,375 people were injured in road traffic collisions last year, including 1,633 fatalities, a 1% increase from 2023. Worryingly, motorcyclist deaths rose by 9%, while pedestrian fatalities increased by 2%.

The figures clearly show that while overall collisions may be declining, the severity of incidents is not. Fatalities are rising among vulnerable groups like motorcyclists and pedestrians, and that should be a wake-up call for national and local policymakers.

Kent, Surrey and Birmingham have consistently high numbers of casualties, and this year’s data only reinforces the need for targeted interventions in these hotspots. These aren’t just numbers – each one represents a life impacted by road trauma.

Young drivers aged 17 to 29 remain significantly overrepresented in road casualties, while older drivers account for a disproportionate share of fatalities. Road safety campaigns must do more to address these specific demographics with education and technology.

We support tougher penalties for high-risk behaviours like drug driving and not wearing a seatbelt. But beyond punishment, we also need better infrastructure, improved driver training, and smarter in-car safety systems – especially for those just starting out behind the wheel.

According to the data, the top 10 local authorities with the most casualties were:

While the Department for Transport has committed to releasing a new Road Safety Strategy, experts stress the need for swift and bold action.

Map Reveals the UK's Worst Areas for Road Incidents

Bumper has successfully completed its Series B extension round, raising an additional £8 million in equity funding. This marks the second extension to its Series B round, bringing the total investment to £20 million.

The round attracted the continued support from leading automotive and mobility investors, including Autotech Ventures, Suzuki Global Ventures, Porsche Ventures, JLR’s InMotion Ventures and Shell Ventures.

The completion of this latest funding round coincides with Bumper marking its tenth anniversary with a refreshed corporate brand identity and the launch of an all-new website with greater functionality for both dealer partners and car owners.

Bumper will use the new funding to launch the Bumper Pro platform and AutoBI services across the UK and Europe and support strategic hiring to scale the company’s operations.

Bumper Pro enables automotive retailers to use Bumper’s direct payment solutions to reduce card transaction fees and automate back-office workflows. AutoBI, a business acquired by Bumper last year, provides real-time business intelligence tools for car retailers and OEMs.

James Jackson, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Bumper, said: “This investment is a strong vote of confidence from existing investors in our ambitious growth trajectory, long-term vision and our amazing team.

“We are now operationally profitable and on track to surpass £1 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) in 2025, representing a tripling of our GMV year-on-year. This momentum is driven by our expanding suite of services that deliver quantifiable value to automotive retailers and OEMs.

“Ten years ago, Bumper launched as a provider of interest-free repair financing for car owners. Today, it has evolved into a comprehensive digital payments and software as a service (SaaS) platform for the automotive retailing sector, with products designed to streamline dealer operations, reduce costs and enhance customer experiences.”

Tony Rimas, Venture Partner of Autotech Ventures, said: “We first invested in Bumper in 2021, attracted by its industry-leading buy now, pay later (BNPL) product and penetration in the UK dealer sector. Since then, we have been impressed by its remarkable revenue growth in the UK and across Europe, its expanded portfolio of payment solutions and the team’s ability to execute on its ambitious plans.

“We’re delighted to support the next phase of Bumper’s growth and are particularly excited by the opportunities presented by its acquisition of AutoBI and Cocoon Payments and the rollout of the game-changing Bumper Pro platform.” 

Kaihei Takagi, Director of Suzuki Global Ventures said: "We are very excited to continue supporting Bumper’s growth, following our initial investment, in this Series B extension. As a result of Bumper’s proactive M&A growth strategy, we have been able to engage in broader strategic discussions beyond just Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL), including areas of potential collaboration with Suzuki Motor Corporation. 

“We look forward to deepening these strategic conversations and supporting Bumper’s continued expansion across Europe, Japan and other regions."

Bumper raises £8 million in Series B extension to accelerate expansion and product rollout

Bumper has acquired Cocoon Payments, the UK-based business providing a digital payments platform to the car retailing sector.

Cocoon was launched in 2021 and its services are currently used by over 20% of the UK’s top 100 franchised dealer groups. 

The management team and staff have all transferred to Bumper as part of the acquisition.

The acquisition follows Bumper’s November 2024 purchase of AutoBI, the specialist provider of business intelligence tools for car retailers and OEMs.

Cocoon has rapidly gained traction by helping dealers reduce costs and streamline payment operations across sales, servicing and parts. 

Its platform supports all major payment types, including credit and debit cards, via in-store terminals or remote pay-by-link, Pay by Bank App and its unique Automated Bank Transfer feature used for handling large balance payments at significantly lower transaction fees than cards.

Cocoon also integrates with several leading Dealer Management Systems, enhancing operational efficiency and reducing administrative time. Additionally, dealers use the platform to pay customers directly for vehicle purchases and part-exchange settlements.

“Cocoon has come a long way since launching just four years ago due to the value it provides dealers across sales and aftersales. It has also grown its customer base at a rapid speed, adding a new dealer group every couple of weeks,” said James Jackson, CEO of Bumper.

“What impressed us about the business was the tech behind its platform and the way it is achieving considerable savings for dealers, especially with its Pay By Bank service, which eliminates the charges retailers pay on credit and debit card transactions and aligns perfectly with Bumper’s proposition.

“We’re delighted to welcome Cocoon’s talented team and customers to Bumper. By homogenising our platforms, this acquisition will accelerate our growth as the leading digital payment solution for car dealers in the UK and across Europe,” said Jackson.

Commenting on the acquisition Sam Meekins, Cocoon Co-Founder, said: “Cocoon was built to give our customers faster settlements, lower costs and a better customer payment experience. 

“We’ve focused on solving real problems in automotive payments – like simplifying pay-by-link, automating bank transfers and integrating with dealer systems. Joining Bumper means we can bring these tools and the benefits they deliver to more dealers, faster.”

Bumper acquires Cocoon Payments to rapidly grow its digital sales and aftersales payment services for dealers

Bumper neemt Cocoon Payments over om zijn leidende positie in digitale betaaloplossingen voor de autobranche te versterken.

Bumper adquiere Cocoon Payments para reforzar su liderazgo en soluciones de pago digital en el sector de la automoción

Bumper übernimmt Cocoon Payments, um seine digitalen Zahlungsdienste für Verkauf und After-Sales im Autohausbereich schnell auszubauen.

With sun glare becoming a bigger issue on UK roads as summer approaches, drivers are being urged to carry one simple item in their glovebox that could help them avoid hefty fines, penalty points, and potentially dangerous driving conditions.

Experts are now warning that sudden, intense sunlight can reduce visibility behind the wheel, making it crucial for motorists to be prepared. Their advice? Always keep a spare pair of legal sunglasses in your car.

Sun glare can appear suddenly and completely obscure your vision, especially during early morning or late afternoon driving. Having a spare pair of sunglasses within easy reach could be the difference between driving safely or committing a serious offence.

Although it's not a legal requirement to wear sunglasses while driving, the Highway Code Rule 237 states that drivers must slow down or stop altogether if they are “dazzled by bright sunlight.” Failing to do so could be seen as driving without due care and attention, which carries a £100 on-the-spot fine and three penalty points.

In more serious incidents, police can escalate the offence to dangerous driving, where fines can reach £5,000, along with higher penalty points or a potential driving ban.

Being dazzled by the sun and continuing to drive without slowing down could be seen as reckless. You don’t need to be in a crash for it to be a legal issue — the risk alone can result in a penalty.

However, not all sunglasses are road-safe. Dark-tinted 'category four' lenses, fashion frames with small lenses, or glasses with oversized side arms may obstruct vision or peripheral awareness, and wearing these while driving could also lead to prosecution.

Drivers need to be aware that some sunglasses are actually unsafe for road use. Stick to category two or three lenses, which reduce glare while maintaining clear visibility.

Motorists who already wear prescription lenses are advised to consider prescription sunglasses or anti-glare coatings, especially for vehicles without built-in tinting or sun visors.

Drivers urged to keep this ‘essential’ item in glovebox to avoid summer fines and points

As the weather gets warmer, the number of drivers on the road increases, but so do the number of wasp colonies which may leave you with an unwelcome passenger in your car.

While it may seem unlikely to happen, wasp numbers are significantly higher in the summer months. During this time, wasps pose an additional hazard to drivers, who may become distracted by the flying insects entering their car whilst they are driving, especially when travelling on high-speed roads and motorways.

If you fear bugs, flies, and other insects, the sudden appearance of one inside your car might be startling and could cause erratic driving behaviour.

Driving whilst distracted by a wasp or any other insect could lead to up to 9 penalty points and a £2,500 fine for careless driving in extreme circumstances. In some cases, if it results in someone getting hurt, the punishments could be even more severe.

Even to people who don’t mind wasps, the sudden appearance of one could be quite alarming. When in the enclosed space of a car, it's understandable that they could prove to be a distraction to the driver.

Nevertheless, it's crucial that we stay as calm as possible and don’t let wasps or other insects distract us from driving safely.

Experts advise maintaining a clean and tidy car, free from food and drink containers, as these usually attract insects.

If you encounter a wasp flying around your vehicle whilst driving, remember to remain calm. The calmer you are, the less likely the wasp is to sting you. Be sure to wind down your windows to give the wasp an opportunity to escape. Keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes on the road.

Drivers warned to stay calm over deadly insect or risk fine of £2,500

Industry news and key updates affecting drivers and dealers.

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