After a non-fault accident, someone will offer you a car. The question is whose car, on whose terms, and who pays. This guide explains the difference between a standard insurer courtesy car and a credit hire replacement vehicle in plain English — so you can choose with a clear head.
What Is a Courtesy Car?
A courtesy car is a small runabout provided by a bodyshop or insurer while your vehicle is repaired. It's usually:
- A small 3-door hatchback, whatever you normally drive
- Subject to repairer availability — if their pool car is out, you wait
- Withdrawn immediately if your vehicle is declared a total loss
- Part of your own policy — so claiming may affect your excess and no-claim discount, even on a non-fault claim
For a quick repair to a second car, a courtesy car can be perfectly fine. The problems start when it isn't.
What Is Credit Hire?
Credit hire is the arrangement recognised across the UK motor insurance industry that restores you to the position you were in before someone else's negligence.
With a credit hire company like Courtesy Cars UK:
- The vehicle is like-for-like. A like-for-like replacement matches the size, class and specification of your own car — an executive saloon for an executive saloon, an SUV for an SUV, and a TfL-plated PCO car for a private hire driver.
- You pay £0 upfront. No excess, no deposit, no hire charges. The credit hire company invoices the at-fault driver's insurer under the industry's General Terms of Agreement (see GTA rates explained).
- Delivery is fast. We deliver across Greater London within 2 hours — to your home, workplace or repairer.
- The vehicle stays until your case concludes. Even if your car is written off, you keep the replacement until your total loss settlement is finalised.
- Accident management is included. Recovery, bodyshop coordination, insurer negotiation and settlement — handled for you, and trackable live in your claim portal.
The Key Differences at a Glance
Insurer courtesy car:
- Vehicle — small pool hatchback, whatever you normally drive
- Availability — subject to the bodyshop's pool; if it's out, you wait
- If your car is written off — usually withdrawn immediately
- Cost to you — your excess often applies, and the claim sits on your policy
- Support — a car, and nothing more
Credit hire with Courtesy Cars UK:
- Vehicle — like-for-like, including TfL-plated PCO cars
- Availability — delivered within 2 hours across Greater London
- If your car is written off — you keep the replacement until settlement is paid
- Cost to you — £0 upfront; the at-fault insurer pays under the GTA
- Your own insurer — no claim on your policy; costs recovered from the third party
- Support — recovery, repairs, live tracking in your portal and a dedicated handler
When a Courtesy Car Makes Sense
- Your own car will be repaired within a few days
- You don't depend on the car for work or private hire income
- The offered vehicle genuinely suits your needs
- You're happy to claim on your own policy
When Credit Hire Makes Sense
- The accident wasn't your fault — that's the essential requirement
- You need a like-for-like vehicle: a larger car, an automatic, an executive saloon, a van or a PCO-plated car
- You drive for a living and downtime costs you money every day
- Your vehicle may be a total loss
- You don't want to pay an excess or risk your no-claim discount on someone else's mistake
Your Legal Right to Like-for-Like
If another driver's negligence put you off the road, UK law entitles you to be put back in the position you were in before the collision. That includes the reasonable cost of a replacement vehicle of an equivalent type while yours is repaired or settled. Credit hire exists precisely to provide that, at no upfront cost to you, with costs recovered from the at-fault insurer. Our guide on your rights after a non-fault accident covers this in more detail.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does credit hire cost me anything?
For a valid non-fault claim, no. You pay £0 upfront — no excess, no deposit. Hire charges are recovered from the at-fault driver's insurer under the GTA.
Will claiming on credit hire affect my insurance?
No claim is made on your own policy. The costs are pursued directly against the at-fault insurer, so your excess and no-claim discount aren't touched.
Can PCO drivers get a plated replacement?
Yes. We maintain a TfL-plated PCO fleet so Uber and Bolt drivers stay on the road — an ordinary courtesy car can't keep you earning.
What if I'm unsure whether the accident was my fault?
Report it anyway, or call 020 7052 5403. We'll assess the circumstances before anything is agreed, and never place you on hire if the claim isn't valid.
Ready for a Like-for-Like Replacement?
Report your accident online in about 3 minutes, or call 020 7052 5403. Like-for-like vehicle within 2 hours across Greater London, £0 upfront, live tracking in your claim portal.