Black Horse
Black Horse is a UK motor finance provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group, offering vehicle financing to consumers through authorized dealerships via an API-integrated dealer management platform and pre-eligibility tools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2001
- HeadquartersCardiff, United Kingdom
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Black Horse does
Black Horse is a UK motor finance provider, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group, one of the UK's largest retail banks. Founded in 2001 and headquartered in Cardiff (registered office in London), Black Horse finances vehicle purchases for UK residents aged 18 and over through authorized car dealerships and franchise networks. The company serves two linked customer bases: dealers that need embedded point-of-sale finance capability, and UK consumers that need vehicle financing at the dealership counter.
The company's core product is an API-first motor finance platform that integrates directly with dealer management systems and digital retailing solutions, covering quoting, proposing, signing, and funding in an end-to-end workflow. Approximately 65% of the business is now API-driven. A consumer-facing 'Get a Rate' pre-eligibility tool returns a personalized APR based on credit scores, enabling customers to check finance options before committing to a vehicle purchase. The technology positioning is centered on reducing re-keying errors, improving invoice accuracy, and supporting FCA compliance at the dealer point of sale.
Black Horse generates revenue through interest charges and transaction fees on motor finance loans originated via its dealer network. Its go-to-market is a B2B2C model: the company sells integration and finance capacity to dealerships, who in turn offer Black Horse financing to vehicle buyers. The business operates exclusively in the United Kingdom and currently faces material regulatory headwinds from the FCA motor finance mis-selling redress scheme and an active £66 million court claim, against which Lloyds Banking Group has booked £2 billion in provisions.
Black Horse firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Black Horse
- Legal name
- Black Horse Limited
- Website
- https://blackhorse.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2001
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Black Horse is a UK motor finance provider and wholly-owned subsidiary of Lloyds Banking Group, offering vehicle financing to consumers through authorized dealerships via an API-integrated dealer management platform and pre-eligibility tools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Black Horse is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cardiff
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Black Horse business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Motor Finance Lending: Black Horse provides motor finance loans to consumers purchasing vehicles through dealerships. Revenue is generated through interest charges and financing fees on car loans. The company is part of Lloyds Banking Group and faces provisions related to mis-sold car loans and compensation schemes.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Black Horse product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Black Horse provides motor finance lending to UK consumers purchasing vehicles through authorized car dealerships. The company delivers its finance products via an API-first platform that integrates directly with dealer management systems and digital retailing solutions, with approximately 65% of business now API-driven. Black Horse also offers a pre-eligibility 'Get a Rate' tool that returns personalized APR based on credit scores.
Product overview
Black Horse is a motor finance brand operating as part of Lloyds Banking Group, offering motor finance products to UK residents. The company provides a unified motor finance offering built around API technology, with approximately 65% of business now API-driven. The core product portfolio includes the Black Horse Motor Finance API (enabling quoting, proposing, sign and fund services) and the 'Get a Rate' pre-eligibility tool that returns personalized APR based on credit scores. These products integrate with dealer management systems and digital retailing solutions to create seamless end-to-end processes.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Black Horse Motor Finance
Quantifiable outcome
- 65% of business is API-driven, reducing manual errors and processing time
Companies that use Black Horse
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Black Horse technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
Black Horse partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Black Horse competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BMW Financial Services (GB): UK captive finance arm of BMW Group offering retail and dealer finance for BMW and MINI. Comparable as a UK dealer-embedded motor finance provider, with manufacturer-backed funding advantages distinct from Black Horse's third-party model.
- Stellantis Financial Services UK: UK captive finance arm for Stellantis brands (Peugeot, Vauxhall, Citroën, etc.), offering dealer-embedded retail finance. Comparable as a UK dealer-distributed motor finance peer competing for similar franchise relationships.
- Volkswagen Financial Services UK: OEM-captive finance provider for Volkswagen Group brands in the UK, providing dealer-embedded PCP and hire purchase products. Comparable on dealer-anchored UK motor finance distribution but benefits from manufacturer rate subsidy that Black Horse does not.
- Santander Consumer Finance UK: UK consumer and motor finance arm of Santander, offering dealer-arranged vehicle finance alongside broader consumer credit products. Comparable on the motor finance product set and FCA-regulated UK footprint, with a wider product portfolio than Black Horse.
- Hyundai Capital UK: UK subsidiary of Hyundai Capital providing dealer-anchored finance for Hyundai and Kia brands. Comparable as a point-of-sale UK motor finance competitor, though typically subsidised by manufacturer offers.
Emerging players
- Vesuto: UK automotive fintech providing finance and digital retailing tooling for dealer groups. Comparable to Black Horse's API-driven dealer integration thesis, though more of a technology-enabled intermediary than a balance-sheet lender.
- Octopus Electric Vehicles (finance arm): UK provider of EV salary sacrifice and finance products through employer and dealer channels. Compares to Black Horse on UK consumer vehicle finance but focuses specifically on the EV/salary-sacrifice segment, intersecting rather than fully overlapping.
Direct peers
- MotoNovo Finance: UK-focused motor finance provider serving both dealers and consumers through point-of-sale lending. Directly comparable to Black Horse in target market (UK car buyers), dealer-anchored distribution, and non-captive finance positioning.
- Paragon Bank: UK specialist lender offering motor finance alongside broader asset-based lending portfolios. Comparable as a non-deposit-taking UK credit intermediary active in vehicle finance, addressing similar FCA-regulated consumer credit exposures.
- Close Brothers Motor Finance: UK motor finance division of Close Brothers Group, providing point-of-sale finance through dealer and broker channels. Comparable on product (hire purchase/PCP), dealer distribution model, and regulatory exposure to UK FCA redress.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Black Horse social profiles
Digital presenceBlack Horse financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Black Horse leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Black Horse funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Black Horse M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Black Horse
What does Black Horse do?
Black Horse provides motor finance lending to UK consumers purchasing vehicles through authorized car dealerships. The company delivers its finance products via an API-first platform that integrates directly with dealer management systems and digital retailing solutions, with approximately 65% of business now API-driven. Black Horse also offers a pre-eligibility 'Get a Rate' tool that returns personalized APR based on credit scores.
Is Black Horse a public or private company?
Black Horse is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Black Horse founded?
Black Horse was founded in 2001. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Black Horse based?
Black Horse is headquartered in Cardiff, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Black Horse make money?
One revenue line is on record: motor Finance Lending.
Who are Black Horse's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BMW Financial Services (GB), Stellantis Financial Services UK, Volkswagen Financial Services UK, Santander Consumer Finance UK and Hyundai Capital UK. Emerging players are Vesuto and Octopus Electric Vehicles (finance arm). Direct peers are MotoNovo Finance, Paragon Bank and Close Brothers Motor Finance.
Does Black Horse have an API?
Yes. Black Horse's API technology serves as a core tool in motor finance, enabling direct integration with dealer management systems and digital retailing solutions to create a seamless end-to-end process. Approximately 65% of business is now API-driven. API-enabled services include quoting, proposing, sign and fund, and a pre-eligibility tool called 'Get a Rate' that returns personalized APR based on credit scores. The APIs address common pain points by reducing re-keying errors, improving invoice accuracy, and helping retailers maintain FCA compliance.