What is authorisation and why does it matter?

Why FCA authorisation matters when you lease a car

TL;DR: What actually is FCA authorisation?

It’s official permission from the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) to offer credit and financial advice, and it exists to protect you as a borrower.

Any company involved in arranging car finance – including us, Carparison – needs the right type of FCA authorisation to legally issue quotes, give advice, or accept orders on finance products.

We’re an appointed representative of Product Partnerships Limited, which is directly authorised and regulated by the FCA (FRN 626349), so every quote and every piece of advice you get from us sits within that regulatory framework.

As a trusted leasing broker, we rely on authorisation from and regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)

Borrowing money is a stressful business.

Whether you’re applying for a mortgage, taking out a credit card, or leasing a car, you should expect professional guidance every step of the way.

Any broker worth its salt finds the best available option for your circumstance. As a leasing broker, that’s our bread and butter, working with you to find the right deal at the right price. We’ll never place financial commission over your needs, and we’ll never lure you in with bait-and-switch lease deals.

Treating customers fairly isn’t just regulation – it’s at the heart of everything we do.

It’s why authorisation matters so much to us and why it’s worth understanding properly rather than skimming past the small print.

What is FCA authorisation?

FCA authorisation is official permission, granted by the Financial Conduct Authority, to carry out regulated financial activities in the UK.

That includes arranging credit, issuing finance quotes, and giving financial advice.

The FCA exists to make sure any company offering financial advice or accepting orders on finance products is legally regulated. Its job is to protect you, the borrower, by holding firms to clear standards around honesty, fairness, and transparency.

And that’s exactly the framework we operate in.

As an appointed representative of Product Partnerships Limited (PP), which is authorised and regulated by the FCA, we’re fully compliant with this legal requirement. But compliance is the floor, not the ceiling.

Our team is made up of trained, experienced advisors who are committed to giving you the best possible service throughout your leasing journey, from quote to keys.

What type of FCA authorisation do car finance providers need?

Not all FCA authorisation looks the same, and car finance sits in a specific corner of it.

Firms arranging vehicle finance typically need permission to carry out ‘credit broking’ activities, which covers introducing customers to lenders, presenting finance options, and helping to arrange the agreement itself.

A firm can hold this authorisation directly, or operate as an appointed representative of a company that does, which is how Carparison works.

Either way, the requirement is the same.

The firm must be permitted by the FCA to broker credit before it can legally quote you a price or take your order on a finance product. If a company offering car finance can’t point to its FCA authorisation, that’s a big red flag waving right at you.

Carparison and BVRLA accreditation

We don’t just take our cues from the FCA – we look to the British Vehicle Rental and Leasing Association (BVRLA) too.

The BVRLA is the governing trading body for vehicle leasing in the UK, and it enforces strict standards of practice for leasing companies like us.

We value their accreditation and have built their codes of conduct into our everyday practice.

This means:

• We offer a high standard of service
• We provide accurate and transparent information to customers
• We abide by fair terms and conditions
• We only use accurate and clear advertising
• We obtain all required licences
• We have a proven track record of strong customer service
• We’re GDPR compliant

The BVRLA also sets the universal, pre-agreed standard for the condition of your vehicle when it’s returned at the end of your lease.

If you want the full detail, their Fair Wear and Tear Guide is worth a read before your return date creeps up on you.

Expert advice you can trust

It matters to us that you have confidence in our services and the products we offer.

After all, if you’d trust a mortgage broker with your house, you should be able to trust us with your car lease.

We have a duty of care to treat you fairly, and it’s something we take seriously.

It’s one of the essential building blocks of our company culture, embedded at every level, starting with training. All our staff do the training needed to provide you with sound financial advice – even those of us not in customer-facing departments.

By following the FCA’s guiding principles and the Consumer Duty rules, we’re setting higher standards and helping you make informed, effective financial decisions.

Whether it’s finding your perfect car or explaining what additional services might benefit you, we’re here to help you make the most of your lease.

Why authorisation matters for you

It’s easy to skim past the FCA authorisation line at the bottom of a website and assume it’s just legal box-ticking.

But it isn’t.

What it is, is the difference between a broker who’s accountable to a regulator for how they treat you, and one who isn’t.

Practically, that means the advice you get has to be suitable for your circumstances, the way we present finance options has to be clear and not misleading, and if something goes wrong, you have a proper route to complain and be heard.

None of that’s guaranteed with an unregulated broker.

Want to see for yourself? Carparison reviews are visible and available for everyone to see.  

Honest customer feedback is one of the ways in which we continue to grow and improve as a business. We believe every one of our customers should have the opportunity to tell us what we can do better.

So, if you decide to take us up on one of our car leasing deals, you can be sure we’ll be following up to ask how we did.