ChipsAway
ChipsAway International is a UK-based franchisor of minor automotive body repair services (paintwork scratches, bumper scuffs, dents, alloy wheel repairs), operating since 1994 through 200+ mobile franchise specialists and 40 Car Care Centre workshops, serving individual car owners across the UK, Ireland and the United States.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1994
- HeadquartersKidderminster, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ChipsAway does
ChipsAway International, headquartered in Kidderminster, United Kingdom, is a franchisor of minor automotive body repair services operating since 1994 and owned by Franchise Brands plc. The company specialises in SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology), a methodology that targets localised paintwork scratches, bumper scuffs, minor dents, alloy wheel damage, keyed-car repairs, and end-of-lease repairs, using mobile equipment loaded onto vans and a colour-matching process that combines manufacturer paint codes with spectrophotometer scanning to blend repairs into surrounding panels without repainting whole sections. Distribution is delivered through two channels: more than 200 mobile franchise specialists who travel to customer homes, workplaces or holiday locations, and approximately 40 Car Care Centre physical workshops offering expanded repair capacity, collection/delivery and courtesy cars.
The business operates a dual-sided model. On the demand side, individual car owners obtain free, no-obligation quotes online, by phone (0800 145 5118) or in-person, with repairs typically priced between £140 and £300 plus VAT and backed by a lifetime guarantee on most services. On the supply side, aspiring franchisees acquire a ChipsAway territory for a £29,995 + VAT franchise fee with a minimum personal investment of £20,000 + VAT, receiving equipment, training, business software, marketing support and ongoing national advertising (TV, PPC, SEO, social). Head Office funnels approximately 1,000+ enquiries per franchisee annually, equating to over £150,000 of average work per franchisee. Strategic partnerships include Supagard (paint protection), 3M and PPG Industries (materials and paints), and the brand operates within the Franchise Brands plc portfolio alongside other franchised concepts.
ChipsAway's footprint extends beyond the UK into Ireland and the United States. The company holds ISO 9001 (quality) and ISO 14001 (environmental) certifications and is an IMI Approved Centre; it carries a 5-star Trustpilot rating and is recognised by YouGov as the UK's leading minor automotive paintwork repair franchise brand. Economically, ChipsAway functions as the franchisor and central brand/services platform, while individual repair revenue accrues to the 200+ franchisees who own and operate their own territories. No consolidated entity revenue, profit or headcount is publicly disclosed by ChipsAway International itself.
ChipsAway firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ChipsAway
- Legal name
- ChipsAway International
- Website
- https://chipsaway.co.uk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1994
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ChipsAway International is a UK-based franchisor of minor automotive body repair services (paintwork scratches, bumper scuffs, dents, alloy wheel repairs), operating since 1994 through 200+ mobile franchise specialists and 40 Car Care Centre workshops, serving individual car owners across the UK, Ireland and the United States.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ChipsAway industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Body Repair Services
- NAICS
- Automotive Body, Paint, and Interior Repair and Maintenance (811121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Auto Body Collision Repair (Cars & Light Trucks) (TLAKAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Bumper, Panel & Plastic Repair (Composite/Trim) (TLAKAEAG)
Keywords
Where ChipsAway is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kidderminster
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
ChipsAway business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Franchise Fees and Licensing: ChipsAway generates revenue through franchise fees. The franchise package costs £29,995 + VAT, with minimum personal investment of £20,000 + VAT. Franchisees receive equipment, training, and licensing to operate under the ChipsAway brand in their territory.
- Repair Services Revenue: Revenue generated from individual repair services including paintwork scratches, bumper scuffs, dent repairs, and alloy wheel repairs. Prices vary based on damage size, location, and depth. Average repair value combined with 1,000+ annual enquiries per franchisee equates to over £150,000 worth of work per franchisee annually.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Full Franchise Package |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Repair Services - Quote Based |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
ChipsAway product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ChipsAway provides minor car body repair services using SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology), including paintwork scratch repair, bumper scuff repair, minor dent removal, and alloy wheel refurbishment. Services are delivered through a network of over 200 mobile specialists and approximately 40 Car Care Centre workshops across the UK. The company also sells franchise opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Product overview
ChipsAway is a UK-based car body repair service specializing in SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology) for minor automotive damage. The core offering consists of paintwork scratch repair, minor dent repair, bumper scuff repair, alloy wheel repair, keyed car repairs, and end of lease repairs. The company operates through two service models: Car Care Centres (approximately 40 fixed workshop locations nationwide offering expanded capabilities including panel replacement and courtesy cars) and a network of mobile specialists who travel to customer locations. Supagard paint protection is offered as an add-on service. ChipsAway also offers franchise opportunities for entrepreneurs wanting to operate their own repair business. All repairs come with a lifetime guarantee and use spectrophotometer-based colour matching technology.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Car Care Centres: Local workshops offering convenient and cost-effective car body repairs, providing larger and more complicated repairs than mobile specialists with collection, delivery, and courtesy car services.
Products and services
- SMART Car Body Repair Small to Medium Area Repair Technology for minor car body damage including scratches, dents, scuffs, and alloy wheel repairs. The technique localizes repairs to the damaged area without repainting entire panels.
- Paintwork Scratch Repair Car scratch removal process using colour-matching chromatography and SMART repair technique to remove scratches and blend repairs into surrounding areas.
- Minor Dent Repair
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 70% savings compared to traditional body shop repairs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use ChipsAway
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
ChipsAway technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
ChipsAway partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- SupagardcoreSupagard is the UK's market leading car paint protection company, established for over 25 years. Many ChipsAway Car Care Centres are trained and certified to apply Supagard paint protection products. Supagard is offered as an additional service alongside repairs.
- Franchise Brands plccoreChipsAway is part of the Franchise Brands plc Group, providing access to resources, support infrastructure, and shared expertise across multiple franchise brands.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
ChipsAway competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Revive! UK: UK's largest dedicated SMART repair company, offering mobile minor paintwork, dent, bumper, and alloy wheel repairs to consumers and fleets. Direct head-to-head competitor to ChipsAway in the same SMART repair niche with similar mobile service model.
- National SMART Repair: UK-based mobile SMART repair provider offering paintwork, dent, bumper, and alloy wheel repairs at customer locations. Closely comparable service offering and delivery model to ChipsAway's mobile specialist network.
- AutoRestore: UK mobile vehicle bodywork repair specialist serving consumers, fleets, and insurance customers. Operates in the same SMART repair category as ChipsAway with comparable mobile delivery and minor-damage service scope.
Broad incumbents
- Fix Auto UK: UK franchise network of full-service body shops focused on collision and insurance-driven repairs. Comparable as a franchised auto body repair brand in the UK, though focused on larger collision work rather than minor SMART repairs.
- Driven Brands: US-listed multi-brand franchisor of automotive services including MAACO (paint and bodywork) and CARSTAR (collision repair). Comparable as a large, diversified auto-services franchise group at a much larger scale than ChipsAway's single-brand franchise system.
Emerging players
- Dent Doctor: UK paintless dent removal (PDR) specialist focused on minor dent repairs without respray. Comparable as a sub-segment specialist within the broader minor body repair space ChipsAway serves, though narrower in capability.
- BumperFix: UK specialist offering mobile and workshop-based bumper scuff and crack repairs. Directly overlaps with ChipsAway's bumper scuff repair service line, though typically smaller scale and less nationally distributed.
Others
- Belron (autoglass): Global leader in vehicle glass repair and replacement (incl. Carglass, Autoglass brands). Operates a similar mobile, on-demand vehicle repair franchise model to ChipsAway but in a different repair category (glass vs bodywork).
- Supagard: UK market-leading paint protection product company and existing ChipsAway partner. Thematically adjacent in automotive aftermarket care; relevant as a product supplier and add-on service that ChipsAway centres apply, rather than a direct competitor.
- Franchise Brands plc: LSE-listed parent company of ChipsAway and other franchise brands. Comparable as a diversified franchise group operator; relevant for understanding group-level support, capital allocation, and strategic context rather than as a product competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
ChipsAway social profiles
Digital presenceChipsAway compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
ChipsAway financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ChipsAway leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
ChipsAway funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ChipsAway 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 ChipsAway
What does ChipsAway do?
ChipsAway provides minor car body repair services using SMART (Small to Medium Area Repair Technology), including paintwork scratch repair, bumper scuff repair, minor dent removal, and alloy wheel refurbishment. Services are delivered through a network of over 200 mobile specialists and approximately 40 Car Care Centre workshops across the UK. The company also sells franchise opportunities to aspiring entrepreneurs.
Is ChipsAway a public or private company?
ChipsAway is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was ChipsAway founded?
ChipsAway was founded in 1994. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ChipsAway based?
ChipsAway is headquartered in Kidderminster, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does ChipsAway make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Franchise Fees and Licensing is the primary driver. The others are repair Services Revenue.
Who are ChipsAway's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Revive! UK, National SMART Repair and AutoRestore. Broad incumbents are Fix Auto UK and Driven Brands. Emerging players are Dent Doctor and BumperFix. Others are Belron (autoglass), Supagard and Franchise Brands plc.
Does ChipsAway have an API?
No public API is recorded for ChipsAway.
What industry is ChipsAway in?
ChipsAway's product category is Automotive Body Repair Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAKAEAA, Auto Body Collision Repair (Cars & Light Trucks), with a secondary code of TLAKAEAG, Bumper, Panel & Plastic Repair (Composite/Trim). Its NAICS code is 811121.