CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED

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.

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

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

• Consumer lending
• Retail finance
• Personal loans
• Point-of-sale credit
• Motor finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Belfast County Borough

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 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).
2. Credit Card Revenue: Interest on outstanding credit card balances, transaction fees, and associated charges. Note: credit cards are now closed for new spending.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core 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

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability4 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Currys Group LimitedflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCurrys 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 LimitedflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorB&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 LimitedcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFlexible 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 & PartnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail finance partnership providing credit options for John Lewis home and lifestyle products. John Lewis acts as credit broker.
• DFScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorRetail finance partnership for DFS furniture purchases. DFS acts as credit broker, Creation provides the finance.
• SCSminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSCS (furniture retailer) offers Creation finance options for sofa and furniture purchases.
• PoltronesofaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPoltronesofa furniture retailer partners with Creation for retail finance options.
• consents.onlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationOpen 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)coreTechnology or IntegrationFCA-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.
• PayPlancoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDebt 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

Direct 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

• Xx.com/creation_uk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/creation-financial-services

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CREATION CONSUMER FINANCE LIMITED