Carvana Auto Finance ReviewCustomers today are huge fans of one-stop-shops, where they can finish all they want in a single venue. Carvana is a company that offers just that. It's an online auto dealer that offers not only an array of used vehicles but also in-house financing. Show
If you're considering getting an auto loan from Carvana, start by completing a prequalification process. It is short and won't affect your credit scores. All
you need to do is fill out a form, and you'll see the estimated financing terms. Prequalification lasts for 45 days. After you fill out the form, you have a month and a half to browse through cars and find one that meets your needs. All credit types are welcome at Carvana. There isn't a minimum credit score requirement, although you need to meet their age and income minimums. Also, their maximum loan term is 72 months. There's
also an option of selling or trading in your car. There's a form to fill with the information about your vehicle, and the site will give you an estimate. If they accept your car, you may trade it for any of the models mentioned above. APR 3.90%-27.90% Minimum requirements Min Income $10,000 / year Soft Credit Check Availability 48 States Late Fees Yes You can apply for a loan ranging from $1,000 and up to $1,000. Remember that this company doesn't offer a lot of flexibility. It will only provide loans from its inventory of used cars. If you're looking for more flexibility, consider going elsewhere. The
company boasts an inventory of over 10,000 vehicles. All you need to do is select one, choose financing terms, and fill out the paperwork - everything on a single website. he used vehicles sold by Carvana tend to be with low mileage. They also get inspected and come to the market with a history report. All cars are in a decent state, but you can't negotiate the prices. Carvana's selection of cars is broad, all the models being under five years old. You may buy: Fill out the form on their site to check if you qualify or not. It's simple and won't take long. There are also several restrictions when it comes to buying at this company. First of all, they don't allow co-buyers. If you have a bankruptcy at the moment of an annual income of under $10.000, you can't qualify. You will need to prove residency in the country, earn at least $10,000 a year, be at least 18 years old, and have no existing bankruptcy. You'll need to provide a few documents, including employment and income, as well as identification. Pros and ConsPros
Cons
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LoadingSomething is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The process of buying a car — new or used — can be incredibly stressful. Traditionally, this process included haggling over the price of the vehicle with a salesman while also negotiating the value of a trade-in and the amount of a down payment. It's an ordeal that routinely takes several hours (or days) to complete, leaving shoppers mentally and physically exhausted. Fortunately, the auto industry has dramatically changed its practices in recent years, creating an environment that's much more consumer-friendly. Many modern dealerships aim to be more transparent about their pricing and are more accommodating to consumers in general. This low-pressure approach has made the car buying experience less intimidating, particularly for first-time buyers. Carvana's been one of the companies at the forefront of this revolution. Its straightforward, haggle-free approach to auto sales, along with its trademark car vending machines, has earned it a loyal following. Using its website and app (available on iOS and Android), Carvana leveraged its technology to sell more than 244,000 vehicles in 2020 alone. Many of those sales are from customers looking for an easy way to buy a car, which includes getting financing. As a one-stop-shop for used car sales, the company offers buyers several ways of paying for their vehicle, including bringing their own financing or obtaining it directly through Carvana. Here's how the financing process works with Carvana.How to finance a vehicle through CarvanaCarvanaCarvana provides customers the option of financing their vehicle purchase via the company itself, and the Carvana website gives buyers the ability to get pre-approved for a loan before they even begin shopping for a new car. In addition to knowing whether or not they've been approved for a line of credit, it has the added advantage of letting them know how big that line of credit actually is and what the terms of the loan actually are. Carvana advertises that its online auto loan application takes just two minutes to complete. This process is indeed fast and simple, and it often returns results at a surprisingly rapid pace. The application requires the person applying to provide their first and last name, home address, date of birth, current employment status, and annual income. With those bits of data in hand, a soft credit check is conducted and the amount of the loan the buyer is pre-qualified is soon provided. The quote is good for 45 days, giving the customer plenty of time to shop around for whatever vehicle meets their needs and budget. Carvana's website also provides an auto loan calculator that's designed to give buyers an idea of the kind of loan and terms they might qualify for. The tool requires the price of the vehicle a buyer is looking at, their credit score range, the length of the loan term they want, and an estimated down payment before producing an estimate of how much they'll pay each month. The calculator can also show how much a buyer may be able to afford based on their desired monthly payments. Good credit, bad credit, or no creditCarvanaOne of the advantages of financing directly with Carvana is that the company doesn't require applicants to have a minimum credit score. This means that people with poor credit history — or no credit history at all — are still eligible. The only stipulations are that buyers must be over the age of 18, make at least $4,000 per year, and not have any bankruptcies as part of their credit history. If they're able to meet those requirements, Carvana may likely be able to approve them for a loan of some kind. The actual terms of the loan are determined by several variables, including the applicant's credit history, current annual income, and work status. Those terms are completely non-negotiable but are somewhat dictated by the choice of vehicle they want to purchase. For instance, a higher-priced vehicle requires both a larger down payment and monthly payment. Customers can reduce their payment terms by purchasing a lower-priced vehicle instead. Loan amounts, interest, and down paymentsCarvanaIn addition to not requiring a minimum credit score for applying, Carvana financing also offers applicants a wide range of interest rates and loan amounts. The APR (annual percentage rate) of the loan is generally somewhere between 3.9% and 27.9%, with better credit scores helping bring the APR toward the lower end. The amount of money available as part of the loan also varies, with good credit scores providing more cash for purchasing a vehicle. Applicants can expect to be offered somewhere between $1,000 and $85,000 depending on their income level and credit history. It's important to note that Carvana requires a down payment on all of its vehicles. The minimum level of that down payment depends entirely on the price of the vehicle being purchased, and it's also nonnegotiable. However, it can be reduced or offset with the trade-in of another car. BYOF - Bring your own financingVehicles are displayed at a Carvana dealership in Austin Thomson ReutersWhen purchasing a vehicle from Carvana, customers aren't required to use the company's homegrown financing, and can instead choose to apply for a loan from their personal bank or credit union. This could allow for more favorable terms for the customer who already has an existing relationship with their financial institution of choice, but it's entirely dependent on the bank and its terms. Carvana works directly with most banks and credit unions across the U.S., with a few notable selections. At the time of this writing, the company indicates that it does not work with the following institutions:
Is Carvana financing right for you?CarvanaThe option to finance directly with Carvana is convenient when purchasing a vehicle from the company. But determining if it's the right choice for you depends on a number of factors. First, if you have good credit and can potentially get better terms from another lender, then financing elsewhere might be a better idea. This is especially true if you can get an APR below 3.9%, which is Carvana's minimum. However, if your credit score and history are either non-existent or low, the company provides options to finance with it anyway. Other lenders may require a minimum credit score, which may lock out some buyers. Carvana provides a line of credit for just about anyone, making it an attractive proposition for those looking to improve or rebuild their credit score. Either way, Carvana's soft credit check — which doesn't have an impact on your credit score — makes it at least worth checking out, regardless of your credit or financial standing. If you're not satisfied with the terms provided, you can always seek financing elsewhere.
Kraig Becker Freelance Writer Kraig Becker is a freelance writer, journalist, and consultant who covers mountaineering expeditions, polar exploration, adventure travel, and other outdoor pursuits. He is the editor of The Adventure Blog, the founder of The Adventure Podcast, and has contributed to online and print outlets such as National Geographic, Popular Mechanics, Gear Junkie, Digital Trends, OutdoorX4 Magazine, TripSavvy, and others. He is the co-author of the book Reaching Beyond Boundaries and currently has three other books in development. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here. Read more Read less Sign up for Insider Reviews' weekly newsletter for more buying advice and great deals. You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here. Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at . More... Does Carvana have hard inquiries?After you find the Carvana car you want to buy and schedule your delivery or pickup, Carvana will check your credit, which generates a hard credit inquiry and could impact your credit scores. Only then will you know whether you're approved for a loan and the terms you're approved for, too.
Is Carvana strict on credit?Does Carvana approve bad credit? We do! Carvana offers financing to customers with all types of credit, and we never change our competitive, no-haggle prices or add fees based on a customer's credit.
Is Carvana a soft inquiry?No. When you pre-qualify with Carvana, you see real, personalized terms without affecting your credit score. Though your terms will not change, we do complete a formal credit inquiry when you schedule your delivery or pickup.
Does Carvana deny anyone?Car loan pre-approval isn't a guarantee. You may have been denied due to a change in your credit or even a simple clerical error or typo. So, here's what you should do: Contact Carvana, and ask why you were denied.
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