CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED
Creation Consumer Finance Limited is a UK-regulated subsidiary of BNP Paribas Personal Finance providing personal loans, motor finance, and point-of-sale retail credit through major UK retailers such as Currys, B&Q, John Lewis, DFS, and Apple, serving over two million UK and Ireland consumers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1997
- HeadquartersBelfast County Borough, United Kingdom
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED does
Creation Consumer Finance Limited is a UK-regulated consumer finance company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, the consumer credit arm of the BNP Paribas banking group. Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Belfast with additional operations in Solihull, the company provides personal loans (£1,000-£30,000, 1-7 year terms), motor finance (Hire Purchase, Personal Contract Purchase, and Value Added Products), and retail finance products, with a credit card book that was closed to new customers in 2025. The core business operates on a B2B2C model, embedding point-of-sale credit at major UK retailers including Currys, B&Q, John Lewis & Partners, DFS, Apple, SCS, and Poltronesofa, alongside direct-to-consumer personal loan distribution via creation.co.uk and price comparison websites.
Underlying technology centres on two mobile applications (Creation Finance App and Creation Credit Card App) used by 2M+ customers for account management, an Open Banking infrastructure (Account and Transaction, Confirmation of Funds, and TPP Registration APIs) exposed via a developer portal at developers.creation.co.uk, and integrations with consents.online and the three UK credit reference agencies (TransUnion, Equifax, Experian). Automated credit scoring, fraud detection, transaction categorisation, and affordability assessment underpin the lending process, with all activities conducted under FCA regulation (Registration Numbers 311518 and 313153).
Revenue is generated primarily through net interest income on lending products (representative APRs ranging 13.9%-29.9% depending on product and creditworthiness) and transactional revenue-share or commission arrangements with retail partners for originating point-of-sale finance. The company serves UK residents (including Channel Islands and Isle of Man) with separate operations for Republic of Ireland customers, and is positioned as the UK consumer finance arm within BNP Paribas Personal Finance's broader 50-year-old consumer lending franchise.
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED
- Legal name
- Creation Consumer Finance Limited
- Website
- https://creation.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1997
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Creation Consumer Finance Limited is a UK-regulated subsidiary of BNP Paribas Personal Finance providing personal loans, motor finance, and point-of-sale retail credit through major UK retailers such as Currys, B&Q, John Lewis, DFS, and Apple, serving over two million UK and Ireland consumers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Consumer Lending
- NAICS
- Sales Financing (52222), Consumer Lending (522291)
- SIC
- Personal Credit Institutions (6141)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Merchant-Branded Installment Financing (Retailer Private-Label) (FSAKAFAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Consumer Electronics & Appliance Financing (FSAKAFAL), Large Purchase & Lifestyle Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAG), Retail Credit (Closed-End) & Promotional Financing (0%/Deferred Interest) (FSAKAFAF)
Keywords
Where CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Belfast County Borough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Consumer Lending Interest: Interest income from personal loans, motor finance agreements, and retail finance products. Consumers pay monthly installments with interest calculated at representative APR rates (13.9%-29.9% depending on product and creditworthiness).
- Credit Card Revenue: Interest on outstanding credit card balances, transaction fees, and associated charges. Note: credit cards are now closed for new spending.
- Retail Finance Partnership Fees: Revenue share or commission arrangements with retail partners (Currys, B&Q, John Lewis, DFS) for providing point-of-sale finance options. Retailers act as credit brokers.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Personal Loans: £1,000-£30,000 over 1-7 years |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Currys Flexpay: Retail finance for tech purchases over £99 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | B&Q FlexiPlan: Retail finance for home improvement purchases over £75 |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Monthly | Apple Flexible Finance Account |
| Subscription | Monthly | Motor Finance: Hire Purchase and Personal Contract Purchase |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels5 records
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Creation Consumer Finance Limited provides consumer credit products in the UK, including personal loans (£1,000-£30,000), retail finance partnerships with major retailers (Currys flexpay, B&Q FlexiPlan, Flexible Finance Account for Apple), motor finance (Hire Purchase, Personal Contract Purchase, and motor loans), and credit card services (now closed for new spending). Operating as part of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, the company serves over 2 million customers through embedded point-of-sale finance options and direct lending channels across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Product overview
Creation Consumer Finance Limited is a consumer finance provider and part of BNP Paribas Personal Finance. The company operates a multi-product portfolio consisting of retail finance partnerships (Currys flexpay, B&Q FlexiPlan, Flexible Finance Account for Apple), personal loans (£1,000-£30,000), motor finance (HP, PCP, VAP), and legacy credit card services (now closed to new customers). All accounts are managed through the Creation Finance App (for retail/loans) or Creation Credit Card App (for credit cards), with Open Banking integration available for third-party provider access. The company primarily serves UK consumers through partnerships with major retailers including Currys, B&Q, John Lewis, and Apple.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Currys flexpay: Flexible credit account for Currys tech purchases with spread the cost options
- B&Q FlexiPlan
- Flexible Finance Account
- Creation Loans
- Creation Motor Finance
- Creation Credit Card App
Products and services
- Currys flexpay Account
- B&Q FlexiPlan
- Flexible Finance Account (Apple)
- Creation Loans
- Motor Finance
- Creation Credit Cards
Quantifiable outcome
- Repayment periods of 12-36 months for retail finance, 1-7 years for personal loans
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration6 records
AI capability4 records
Feature4 records
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Currys Group LimitedflagshipCurrys flexpay account provides flexible credit for tech purchases over £99. Finance embedded at checkout on currys.co.uk and in Currys stores. One of Creation's primary retail finance partnerships, offering spread-the-cost options on electronics and appliances with 29.9% APR Representative.
- B&Q LimitedflagshipB&Q FlexiPlan provides credit for home improvement purchases over £75. Finance available in B&Q stores and diy.com. Includes interest-free credit options for purchases £1,000+ and Buy Now Pay Later for £500+ purchases. 17.9% APR Representative.
- Apple Retail UK LimitedcoreFlexible Finance Account enables Apple product purchases with spread-the-cost options. Available at Apple Stores and apple.com/uk. 14.9% APR Representative. Apple acts as credit broker, Creation provides the finance.
- John Lewis & PartnerscoreRetail finance partnership providing credit options for John Lewis home and lifestyle products. John Lewis acts as credit broker.
- DFScoreRetail finance partnership for DFS furniture purchases. DFS acts as credit broker, Creation provides the finance.
- SCSminorSCS (furniture retailer) offers Creation finance options for sofa and furniture purchases.
- PoltronesofaminorPoltronesofa furniture retailer partners with Creation for retail finance options.
- consents.onlinecoreOpen Banking partner that helps Creation receive bank account information during credit applications. Enables secure identity verification and affordability assessment through bank data sharing. Trusted partner selected by Creation for the consents.online service.
- Third Party Providers (TPPs)coreFCA-authorized Third Party Providers access Creation's Open Banking APIs (Account Information Service, Confirmation of Funds, TPP Registration) to provide account aggregation, payment initiation, and credit application services.
- PayPlancoreDebt advice charity partnered with Creation to provide free, impartial debt advice and solutions (DMP, IVA, Trust Deed) to customers facing financial difficulties. Also provides BudgetSmart budgeting tool for Creation customers.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Barclays Partner Finance: UK retail finance division of Barclays providing point-of-sale installment lending for retailers. Direct competitor for retailer-branded finance partnerships and a close substitute for Creation's core embedded finance business with major UK retailers.
- Close Brothers Retail Finance: UK retail finance provider offering point-of-sale lending for retailers across furniture, jewellery, and home improvement. Closely comparable to Creation's B2B2C retail finance model and competes for similar merchant partnerships.
- Hitachi Capital (Novuna) Personal Finance: UK personal finance and retail finance provider (formerly Hitachi Capital) offering consumer loans, retail point-of-sale finance, and motor finance. Comparable multi-product consumer credit platform with similar distribution through retail partnerships.
- NewDay: UK consumer credit card issuer and retail finance provider (behind brands like Aqua, Marbles, and Argos card). Comparable in UK consumer credit operations and retail-branded credit cards, directly relevant given Creation's recent credit card shutdown.
Emerging players
- Zopa: UK digital consumer lender offering personal loans, credit cards, and savings products. Comparable in personal loans and emerging UK consumer credit space, with digital-first customer experience similar to Creation's app-led model.
- Klarna: Global BNPL and embedded payments provider operating in the UK. Directly competes for point-of-sale installment share at major retailers; while business model skews more BNPL/short-duration, Klarna targets the same checkout moment as Creation's retail finance products.
- Divido: UK-based white-label point-of-sale financing platform. Comparable as a technology platform enabling retailer-branded installment finance, competing for the same embedded finance distribution channel.
Broad incumbents
- Capital One UK: Major UK consumer credit card and personal loan provider. Comparable in UK consumer credit scale, regulatory positioning, and target customer base, though more focused on credit cards and direct-to-consumer lending rather than retail POS finance.
- Secure Trust Bank: UK challenger bank offering personal loans, motor finance, and retail finance. Comparable multi-product UK consumer credit proposition with similar target segments and product mix.
- Shawbrook Bank: UK specialist challenger bank offering personal loans and consumer credit products. Comparable in UK personal loan and consumer credit market, with overlapping target customer segments in unsecured lending.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED social profiles
Digital presenceCREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED 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 CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED
What does CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED do?
Creation Consumer Finance Limited provides consumer credit products in the UK, including personal loans (£1,000-£30,000), retail finance partnerships with major retailers (Currys flexpay, B&Q FlexiPlan, Flexible Finance Account for Apple), motor finance (Hire Purchase, Personal Contract Purchase, and motor loans), and credit card services (now closed for new spending). Operating as part of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, the company serves over 2 million customers through embedded point-of-sale finance options and direct lending channels across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Is CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED a public or private company?
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED founded?
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED was founded in 1997. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED based?
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED is headquartered in Belfast County Borough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consumer Lending Interest is the primary driver. The others are credit Card Revenue and retail Finance Partnership Fees.
Who are CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Retail Finance, Hitachi Capital (Novuna) Personal Finance and NewDay. Emerging players are Zopa, Klarna and Divido. Broad incumbents are Capital One UK, Secure Trust Bank and Shawbrook Bank.
Does CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED have an API?
Yes. Creation provides Open Banking APIs for Third Party Providers (TPPs). The APIs available include: Account and Transaction API (v3.1.0) for accessing credit card account information and transactions, Confirmation of Funds API (v3.1.0) for checking available funds, and TPP Registration API (v3.2-RC1) for TPP registration. APIs are accessible via a Developer Portal at developers.creation.co.uk with sandbox testing environment using test data (no real customer data). Services are provided for account information, confirmation of funds, and TPP registration purposes. Developer documentation is at developers.creation.co.uk.
What industry is CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED in?
CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED's product category is Consumer Lending. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAKAFAA, Merchant-Branded Installment Financing (Retailer Private-Label), with a secondary code of FSAKAFAL, Consumer Electronics & Appliance Financing. Its NAICS code is 52222 and its SIC code is 6141.