Number plates are unique (there is only one of each) so once you are happy with your selection, use our simple and secure checkout process or buy over the telephone at no extra cost. We offer a comprehensive range of services and payment choices, ensuring that the whole process is completed as smoothly as possible. If you wish to apply for finance you can do this online.

Buying GuidePurchase options explained

EA51 PZYR3 LAX

New registration marks—choosing your transfer option

Do-It-Yourself Transfer Assignment

If you're confident and have the time then choose our Do-It-Yourself option.

You will receive your DVLA V750 registration mark certificate valid for 10 years with full self-assignment instructions. Our first class telephone and e-mail support is naturally included.

Select this option if you have a Leased or Motability vehicle. In most cases the company you are getting the vehicle from will require the V750 Certificate of Entitlement to include their name on it in order to complete the transfer. If you have this information you can add this during checkout or you can provide it at a later date and we can update your certificate, free of charge.

To find out what information we require from you during checkout and what happens once you’ve placed your order, take a look at these areas:

Done-for-You (DFY) Get your transfer assignment right first time!

For a small fee, our experienced team will save you the trouble of any complicated paperwork or phone calls, with the government or your car dealer. It is estimated that up to one third of transfer applications are delayed due to avoidable errors.

Select this service for exclusive access to our easy-to-use Assignment Portal where you can securely submit your vehicle details online, for rapid transfer. Our purchase confirmation letter allows access to this service.

Our DFY service gives you…
✓ Peace of mind- our team of experts is at your disposal to ensure your documentation is correctly completed and submitted... first time.
✓ Personalised assistance: we’ll hand-deliver your documents to DVLA headquarters here in Swansea or work directly with your dealer (see below), if you have a new vehicle coming and time allows.
✓ Time-saving expertise: Avoid the errors that commonly cause delays and if required use our know-how to move your existing registration onto a certificate, onto another vehicle, or to list it for sale. The usual Govt. fees apply, but we make no extra charges for this comprehensive service.

Being located in Swansea, we are the only firm who can offer this complete hassle-free service. Processing times are dependent on DVLA workloads, but normally finished within 10 days from the date we receive your documents.

*If you're buying a new vehicle, we can work with your dealer to assign your new private number plate. We require a minimum of 10 days prior to your collection date. Timescales do vary depending on whether the car is brand new and unregistered, or pre-owned.

Whilst most vehicle dealers are more than happy to work with us, we suggest that you check with them first out of courtesy. If the dealer is already too busy then we can complete the transfer for you with the DVLA, once you have taken possession of the vehicle.

Thank you for making my experience a stress free and easy process when purchasing my personal plate from you and transferring my own plate to my son’s car. Your staff have been very friendly and helpful throughout the process and I will certainly recommend anyone to have confidence in buying their plates through yourselves.

Julie

Our Extra Touches

New vehicle ordered?
Given a minimum of 10 days, we’ll work with your dealership to do the transfer for you—your registration will be assigned to the vehicle before collection.

You will be asked to provide their details whilst placing your order. Timescales do vary depending on whether the vehicle is brand new and unregistered, or pre-owned.

Whilst most dealers are more than happy to work with us, we suggest that you check with them first, out of courtesy. If the dealer is already too busy then we can complete the transfer for you with the DVLA, once you have taken possession of the vehicle.

To find out more about our Done-for-You service, take a look at these areas:

Later Transfer Service

L4 TERD3 LAY

You've found a great looking number plate but you don't want to transfer it to a vehicle straight away? Perhaps it's the perfect plate for your baby's name? Or are you looking to buy it as a future gift?............... Then don't worry!

If you've found a registration that you'd like to purchase, but you aren't ready to transfer it straight away, we can help you to arrange a later transfer assignment. We can issue most registration marks onto ready to use 10-year certificates and which can be renewed for free after that. You don't even need to own a vehicle to buy any registration you fancy!

To find out more about transferring a registration mark at a later date, check out these areas:

New registration marks—choosing your extras

4d standout plates

Click here to read more...

A New Set of Number Plates

You’ll need number plates to match your new registration mark so why not order them now? Premium quality number plates delivered to your door- saving you time and money. We have all popular sizes and options including vehicle-specific rear plates and national flag emblems. Our top quality number plates are 100% legal and at least £10 cheaper per pair (incl. delivery and fixers) than most high street retailers, so you can order with confidence.

Thank you for a speedy efficient service procuring my personalised number plate. The whole process took about 2 weeks. I will have no hesitation in recommending you to others. I paid the extra for the Done-For-You Transfer and the number plates and it was well worth it. Number plates are excellent quality. Very pleased!

Linda

Number Plate Fixing Pads and Instructions, Included

Our number plates come with everything you need to be fitted directly to your vehicle. We include Professional-Grade 6mm fixing pads and alco wipes that can be used to attach your new number plates quickly and easily.

What do I do with my old number plates? Leave them on your vehicle and use our pads to stick your new plates over them! Perfectly legal and saves even more trouble when you sell the vehicle, as you only need to remove your private top plates!

Minimum Identification Requirement

Every number plate supplier, by law must see and record proof of identity and address, but as you’ve ordered your registration mark through us, its easier! You don’t need to show us any extra proofs that other suppliers must see. (See 'Other Proofs' below*)

Acceptable forms of identification we can accept are:

  • Driving licence
  • Passport
  • National identity card
  • Bank or building society debit or credit card statement
  • Utility bill (water, gas, or electricity)
  • Council tax bill
  • Landline telephone bill
  • Police warrant card
  • Armed forces identity card

These will be returned to you once your number plates have been dispatched.

*Fedex Tracked delivery: Only for mainland UK. Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands wil be delivered by Royal Mail first class delivery

*Other proofs: Buying your plates somewhere else?
By law, you must also show one of the following to the retailer:

  • vehicle registration certificate (V5C or V5CNI)
  • certificate of entitlement (V750 or V750NI) to the number
  • retention document (V778) - not applicable in Northern Ireland
  • a renewal reminder for vehicle tax or SORN (V11 or V11NI)
  • temporary registration certificate (V379 or V379NI)
  • a number plate authorisation certificate (V948) with an official stamp from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) or DVSA
  • a letter of authorisation from a fleet operator (including lease or hire company) quoting the document reference number from the registration certificate

Click on an image to see it full size
White plate front view.
Full set of plates front view.
Yellow plate front view.
expand

4D - Standout Number Plates

Q. What are 4D Standout number plates?

4D Standout plates are number plates which go through an additional hand-build process to have black, laser-cut, acrylic digits professionally bonded to them. These digits rise, or standout, from the plate for a more attractive and personalised look.

Q. Are 4D Standout plates legal?

Yes, 4D Standout plates are perfectly legal. The DVLA allows the new aesthetic design so long as the font remains Charles Wright and the spacing between characters is not altered in any way.

Q. What makes 4D Standout number plates so special?

The raised laser-cut digits are high gloss black, sharply cut, and professionally bonded, designed to take the appearance of your vehicle to the ‘next-level’, so to speak.

Q. What happens if a raised digit becomes damaged, will my plates still be legal?

Yes. Because these laser-cut digits are professionally bonded on top of an already fully legal number plate, if they are damaged in any way then it remains possible to read the number plate underneath and comply with the law.

Q. What happens if a raised digit becomes damaged, will my plates be guaranteed?

Absolutely, yes. All our number plates are guaranteed for 3 years, provided you don’t drill through the 4D digits at any time or have an unfortunate accident with them.

Q. How do the 4D gel plates compare?

We found that the gel plates did not fare as well regarding durability, particularly when it came to thermal testing; fluctuations in temperature can lead to deterioration resulting in the digits peeling from the plate. There is no such issue with the 4D Standout acrylic digits.

Gift Service

Every day we help our customers find a truly personalised gift for their loved ones. You really can't get more personal than buying them their own number plates, with their initials or name.

So that you can keep the surprise until the anniversary, birthday or wedding day when you hand over their private plates, we have a completely free, surprise gift service. If your 'special someone' lives at your address, then you can let us know and our mail will be sent in plain envelopes (or even to your place of work or a neighbour or friend if need be).

To find out more, take a look at our Buying as a gift information.

Gift Certificate

Buying a last minute gift or want to make it more special? We have the perfect idea!

Our Gift Certificate is the solution—complete in a presentation folder adorned with ribbon, this professional certificate shows your loved one that they are the lucky recipient of a truly personal gift. See a gift certificate.

I used Plates4less to purchase a personalised plate for my wife as a surprise for Christmas. I asked Plates4Less to handle everything for me and I couldn't be more happier with the service I received. I was regularly updated via email and the service went so smooth and quick I couldn't believe it. From purchasing the plate to receiving the plates and new V5 took 10 days in total in the middle of December. Highly recommend this company.

Rob M

Delivered by Royal Mail Special Delivery, you are guaranteed to receive this the next weekday (excluding Bank Holidays) as long as your order is processed by 2pm. If you are ordering on a Friday, we can also arrange delivery on the Saturday—speak to our friendly sales team for more information.

To find out more about our Gift Service and Gift Certificate, see the Buying as a gift area. For information about delaying the transfer to avoid spoiling the surprise, read about Later transfers — new registration marks.

Pre-owned registration marks—choosing your transfer option

Transferred to your vehicle now

You must supply us with vehicle documents within 3 weeks of placing your order. We will aim to complete your transfer as quickly and accurately as possible, by processing all documents here in our office, then personally delivering them to the DVLA. Being located in Swansea, we are the only company who can offer this trouble-free service. Transfers are normally completed within 4 to 6 weeks from the date we receive your documents.

To find out what information we require from you and what happens once you've placed your order, take a look at these areas:

Transferred to your vehicle when you’re ready

You've found a registration to buy but aren’t quite ready to transfer it to your vehicle? No problem! If the registration mark is presently assigned to a vehicle, we can retain it onto a 10-year government certificate for you. If you wish, you can then renew the certificate every 10 years until you are ready to use it and once it has been finally assigned to your vehicle, there are no on-going costs.

To safely transfer the sole rights of this registration mark over to you, we will first need to assign it to a vehicle and then retain it onto a 10-year Government certificate in your name. We can offer a suitable 'donor' vehicle for this purpose, or we can transfer your new registration mark to the vehicle of your trusted friend or relative and then retain it onto a certificate in your name. If would like to use our donor vehicle service for the first transfer, please see the additional price breakdown below:

PRICE BREAKDOWN FOR THIS SERVICE
Donor vehicle£83.33
Administration fee£22.92
VAT£21.25
Standard Government Retention Fee£80.00

The registration mark will then be held on a 10-year government certificate, which again can be renewed until you are ready to use it. What a fabulous idea for a seventeenth birthday present!

To find out more about this service, visit our Later transfers — pre-owned registration marks area.

To find out what information we require from you and what happens once you’ve placed your order, take a look at these areas:

Pre-owned registration marks—Our extra touches

4d standout plates

Click here to read more...

A New Set of Number Plates

You’ll need number plates to match your new registration mark so why not order them now? Premium quality number plates delivered to your door- saving you time and money. We have all popular sizes and options including vehicle-specific rear plates and national flag emblems. Our top quality number plates are 100% legal and at least £10 cheaper per pair (incl. delivery and fixers) than most high street retailers, so you can order with confidence.

Thank you for a speedy efficient service procuring my personalised number plate. The whole process took about 2 weeks. I will have no hesitation in recommending you to others. I paid the extra for the Done-For-You Transfer and the number plates and it was well worth it. Number plates are excellent quality. Very pleased!

Linda

Number Plate Fixing Pads and Instructions, Included

Our number plates come with everything you need to be fitted directly to your vehicle. We include Professional-Grade 6mm fixing pads and alco wipes that can be used to attach your new number plates quickly and easily.

What do I do with my old number plates? Leave them on your vehicle and use our pads to stick your new plates over them! Perfectly legal and saves even more trouble when you sell the vehicle, as you only need to remove your private top plates!

Minimum Identification Requirement

Every number plate supplier, by law must see and record proof of identity and address, but as you’ve ordered your registration mark through us, its easier! You don’t need to show us any extra proofs that other suppliers must see. (See 'Other Proofs' below*)

Acceptable forms of identification we can accept are:

  • Driving licence
  • Passport
  • National identity card
  • Bank or building society debit or credit card statement
  • Utility bill (water, gas, or electricity)
  • Council tax bill
  • Landline telephone bill
  • Police warrant card
  • Armed forces identity card

These will be returned to you once your number plates have been dispatched.

*Fedex Tracked delivery: Only for mainland UK. Northern Ireland and Scottish Highlands wil be delivered by Royal Mail first class delivery

*Other proofs: Buying your plates somewhere else?
By law, you must also show one of the following to the retailer:

  • vehicle registration certificate (V5C or V5CNI)
  • certificate of entitlement (V750 or V750NI) to the number
  • retention document (V778) - not applicable in Northern Ireland
  • a renewal reminder for vehicle tax or SORN (V11 or V11NI)
  • temporary registration certificate (V379 or V379NI)
  • a number plate authorisation certificate (V948) with an official stamp from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) or DVSA
  • a letter of authorisation from a fleet operator (including lease or hire company) quoting the document reference number from the registration certificate

Click on an image to see it full size
White plate front view.
Full set of plates front view.
Yellow plate front view.
expand

4D - Standout Number Plates

Q. What are 4D Standout number plates?

4D Standout plates are number plates which go through an additional hand-build process to have black, laser-cut, acrylic digits professionally bonded to them. These digits rise, or standout, from the plate for a more attractive and personalised look.

Q. Are 4D Standout plates legal?

Yes, 4D Standout plates are perfectly legal. The DVLA allows the new aesthetic design so long as the font remains Charles Wright and the spacing between characters is not altered in any way.

Q. What makes 4D Standout number plates so special?

The raised laser-cut digits are high gloss black, sharply cut, and professionally bonded, designed to take the appearance of your vehicle to the ‘next-level’, so to speak.

Q. What happens if a raised digit becomes damaged, will my plates still be legal?

Yes. Because these laser-cut digits are professionally bonded on top of an already fully legal number plate, if they are damaged in any way then it remains possible to read the number plate underneath and comply with the law.

Q. What happens if a raised digit becomes damaged, will my plates be guaranteed?

Absolutely, yes. All our number plates are guaranteed for 3 years, provided you don’t drill through the 4D digits at any time or have an unfortunate accident with them.

Q. How do the 4D gel plates compare?

We found that the gel plates did not fare as well regarding durability, particularly when it came to thermal testing; fluctuations in temperature can lead to deterioration resulting in the digits peeling from the plate. There is no such issue with the 4D Standout acrylic digits.

Gift Service

If you are buying the registration mark as a gift, so that you can keep the surprise until the anniversary, birthday or wedding day when you hand over their private plates, we have a completely free surprise gift service. If that 'special someone' lives at your address and you want their private number plate to be a surprise, then you can let us know and all of our mail will be sent in plain envelopes (or even to your place of work or a neighbour or friend if need be).

To find out more, take a look at our Buying as a gift information.

Buying GuideBuying as a gift

Buying a registration as a gift? Don’t worry—we know how to keep a secret! We offer a number of services designed to help you surprise that special person but here’s a very important tip:

Once the transfer assignment is submitted to the DVLA the changed documents will go directly back to the keeper of the vehicle and that person will instantly know what’s going on. If this person is supposed to be the surprise recipient of this special gift then we advise delaying the transfer assignment until just after their special day.

The services that we can offer vary depending on whether you are buying a new previously un-issued registration mark, or a pre-owned registration mark, our website tells you which it is. To find out more about these types of registration marks, please visit the Plate Status area.

Linda, Buying as a birthday present

Plates4Less kept everything a secret until Jackie's birthday—she was really surprised and delighted!

Linda, Wakefield

New registration marks—choosing your transfer option

Do-It-Yourself Transfer Assignment

We'll send you the official government certificate bearing the new registration mark and when you are ready to complete the transfer assignment, you can either handle this yourself or let the person you are buying for take care of it. The personal registration will be held on an extendable10-year certificate. Once the registration mark is assigned to a vehicle there are no on-going fees.

For more information about this service, check out these areas:

Done-for-You Transfer Assignment—transfer immediately

If the vehicle documents are all in place then the transfer can be completed straight away and all vehicle documents will be exchanged for new ones that show the new registration mark with 2 to 3 weeks. Alternatively, if you would like the transfer completed for a special date, let us know and we will aim to complete the transfer as close to that date as possible.

For more information about this service, check out these areas

Done-for-You Transfer Assignment—transfer later

Please note that if the recipient of the surprise is also the registered keeper of the vehicle (on the V5C Vehicle Registration Document), then we advise you to delay the assignment of the mark to their vehicle until after you have told them of this gift. This is because once the assignment or transfer of the new registration mark has been completed, the updated documents will be sent directly back to them from DVLA and they will know what is going on. If you are unable to get hold of their documents without giving the surprise away, then simply choose to complete the transfer at a later date

Thank you for making my experience a stress free and easy process when purchasing my personal plate from you and transferring my own plate to my son's car. Your staff have been very friendly and helpful throughout the process and I will certainly recommend anyone to have confidence in buying their plates through yourselves.

Julie

You can find out more about opting for a later transfer in these areas:

New registration marks—our extra touches

A New Set of Number Plates

We can send these out by First Class post before the transfer assignment is completed so that you have something to give to the recipient on their special day. If you have left it until the last minute, it may still be possible to get the number plates out on time — just contact our friendly sales team to discuss your options.

Gift certificate

You could also give them a personalised Gift Certificate, complete in a presentation folder and sent to you the same day that your order is processed. We use Royal Mail's Special Delivery service—guaranteed by 1pm the next weekday (excluding bank holidays) as long as your order is processed before 2pm! See a gift certificate (opens in new window).

Plain envelopes

If required, we can send all of our mail in plain envelopes so that we can carry out the number plate transfer without that someone special finding out. There will be no mention of number plates or registration marks on the envelopes.

Please note that we do need to put our return address on all mail for safe delivery. This will simply say: VRM SWANSEA, PO Box 465, Swansea, SA1 8YN.

To find out more about these options, visit our Placing an order area.

Pre-owned registration marks—choosing your transfer option

Transfer to a registered vehicle now

If the vehicle documents are all in place then the transfer can be completed straight away and all vehicle documents will be exchanged for new ones that show the personal registration mark within 4 to 6 weeks.

For more information about this service, check out these areas:

Done-for-You Transfer Assignment—transfer later

Please note that if the recipient of the surprise is also the registered keeper of the vehicle (on the V5C Vehicle Registration Document), then we advise you to delay the assignment of the mark to their vehicle until after you have told them of this gift. This is because once the assignment or transfer of the new registration mark has been completed, the updated documents will be sent directly back to them from the DVLA and they will know what is going on. If you are unable to get hold of their documents without giving the surprise away, then simply choose to complete the transfer at a later date. This way you can give the registration as a gift and then let the recipient finish off the transfer himself or herself.

I used Plates4Less to purchase a personalised plate for my wife as a surprise for Christmas. I asked Plates4Less to handle everything for me and I couldn't be happier with the service I received. I was regularly updated via email and the service went so smooth and quick I couldn't believe it.

Rob M

You can find out more about opting for a later transfer in these areas:

Pre-owned registration marks—choosing your extras

A New Set of Number Plates

We can only send these out by First Class post upon receipt of proof of identification from the purchaser and notification from the DVLA of the successful completion of your transfer.

Gift certificate

We can also offer a personalised Gift Certificate, complete in a presentation folder, which is sent to you once the transfer has been completed. We use Royal Mail's Special Delivery service—guaranteed by 1pm the next week day (excluding bank holidays)! See a gift certificate (opens in new window).

Plain envelopes

If requested, we can send our mail in plain envelopes to help prevent that someone special finding out. There will be no mention of 'number plates' or 'registration marks' on the envelopes.

Please note that we do need to put our return address on all mail for safe delivery. This will simply say: VRM SWANSEA, PO Box 465, Swansea, SA1 8YN.

To find out more about these options, visit our Placing an order area.

Buying GuidePlacing an order

Ready to order but not sure what information you'll need? This guide will explain what information we require from you during the ordering process.

Important information

You will need to ensure that the registration mark that you have chosen can be legally transfer-assigned to your intended vehicle. If you are not sure, you can use our Transfer rules checker tool. If you have opted for our Done-For-You service, we will ask you for the vehicle’s current registration mark or its age.

You can specify who is to be the vehicle's Registered Keeper when the mark is assigned. We do not need the registered keeper's address. This may be the name of a person, a business, or an organisation such as a car leasing firm or a Motability company. If you do not have this, you can supply it later.

Correspondence details

We will need to take some information from you as the purchaser including your contact details and correspondence address. The correspondence address is the address to which we will send all documentation. Number plates and Gift Certificates can be sent to alternative addresses. Please note that if you have chosen to pay by finance, by law, everything must be sent to the address that you use to apply for the finance.

Number plates

If you are ordering a new set of number plates, you will need to know which size and shape you will need. Most vehicles have standard oblong plates, front and rear. If you are unsure or if the shape is difficult to describe, you can supply us with the measurements and a photograph after you have placed your order.

We are registered with the DVLA and we only supply road-legal number plates.

We cannot alter the spacing or style of your registration mark. If you do this then you risk confiscation of your registration mark by the DVLA without any compensation and the possibility of a substantial fine, for breaking the law.

You can read more about the legal requirements for number plates by looking at our DVLA processes and regulations area.

Buying GuidePlate status

As you are browsing the number plates we have for sale, you will notice that the registrations are listed with different descriptions such as 'New—Available now' or 'Pre-owned—Check it now'. This guide will help you to understand the difference between the different types of registration mark.

New—Available now

JU57 NEW

You will be the first person to own the exclusive rights to use these registration marks. You can purchase these registration marks online immediately with a choice of transfer options. You will find a wide range of prefix and current style registration marks that are available to buy and transfer straight away.

Q: What am I buying?

A: You are buying the sole rights to display a "Government owned and controlled" vehicle registration mark. The government always remains the ultimate 'owner' of every vehicle registration mark but allows the rights to display the mark to be legally bought and sold. You (or any other person you choose) will be nominated as the sole user of the registration mark and once its assigned to your designated vehicle you will have full control over its future sale and transfer.

Tom, first-rate customer care

Speedy service and first-rate customer care, thanks.

Tom, Sheffield

To find out more about the transfer types and timescales, take a look at the Placing an order and Purchase options explained areas.

Pre-owned—Available now

CH63 KED

These registrations are already in private ownership. You can buy these straight away online. Some are held on certificates and some are being used on vehicles. The circumstances of each registration (on vehicle or certificate) decide the timescale and the transfer options that are available. In most cases, the best option for you is to let us to complete the transfer for you, to ensure that the transaction is secure and goes as smoothly as possible.

To search for a pre-owned plate, take a look at these areas (these links open in new window):

Pre-owned—Check it now

P230 WND

These registrations are already privately owned and we are acting for the seller as their agent. If you enquire into one of these registrations, we will contact the seller to confirm availability and other up to date details. Some are held on certificates and some are being used on vehicles meaning that the transfer timescales and available options are dependent on each individual registration mark. In most cases, the best option for you is to let us to complete the transfer for you, to ensure that the transaction is secure and goes as smoothly as possible.

Brett, Highly recommended

Highly recommended...best price, great service.

Brett, Belfast

New release - How to buy

RE13 ASE

These registration marks are twice yearly new-series government releases. They have never existed before and are releases of the next registration mark sequence. They become valid after the new car registration periods begin (scheduled for the 1st March and 1st September each year). The public are invited to purchase the rights to these registration marks approximately 3 months in advance (usually in June and December each year). Anyone can order these registrations but they can only be transfer-assigned to brand new vehicles due to be registered, after the following new registration period dates.

Once the release date has been confirmed such registrations will be listed on our website as ‘New release-How to buy’ together with prices. You may then place your offer to acquire a registration mark through our site or over the telephone in the normal way. On the release date, your offer will be made to the Secretary of State for Transport for consideration, on a first come, first served basis.

To find out more about these registration marks, take a look at the new releases area.

Under Offer

Registrations 'Under Offer' already have a sale proceeding on them. However you can still make an enquiry and we will hold your details on file, to contact you if the sale does not reach completion.

Buying GuideWays to Pay

EA51 PAYM2 NEYOPT ION

We accept a wide range of popular ways to pay, making buying a private plate even easier!

payment methods

Pay in full

You can pay online using a credit or debit card. No Credit or Debit card fees.

We understand that you may have reservations about entering your payment details over the Internet. Once you have placed your order online, you can call our offices to make payment by credit or debit card. Our office hours are 8.30am - 6.00pm Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. 8.30am - 8.00pm Tuesdays and Thursdays. 9.00am - 5.00pm Saturdays and Sundays. (Closed Bank Holidays)

Alternatively, using our bank details you can transfer your payment directly to us. This can take up to three business days to arrive in our account or just a few hours if you choose your bank's fast-pay service. You can also make a cash deposit at any UK branch of Barclays Bank which we should receive the same day.

You can find out more about how we handle your personal information in these areas (these links open in new window):

Number Plates Finance.

Spread the cost using our pay-monthly schemes

Finance is provided by etika, which offers a suite of finance products that can help spread the cost of your purchase. Finance is only available to UK residents over 18, subject to terms and conditions.

etika (a trading name of etika Finance UK Ltd) is a company registered in England and Wales 07440512 and authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, registration number: 697658. Company address: WeWork, No.1 Spinningfields, Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3JE. Copyright © 2020 etika. All rights reserved.

To be eligible for finance, you must:

  • Be 18 years old or over
  • Be in regular full or part time employment (minimum 16 hours per week, unless you are retired or a house-person with a spouse in full time employment).
  • Be a permanent UK resident and able to supply a UK address history for the last 3 years.
  • Have a UK bank account capable of accepting Direct Debits.
  • Have no adverse credit history (no CCJ's, IVA's or bankruptcies).

Other stipulations are that:

  • The goods must be delivered to your home address.
  • The deposit must be paid using a credit or debit card.

You will need to complete your finance application online as you will be asked for some sensitive information. Our finance partner will require personal details like your name, address, phone numbers and income. Plus, your bank account and credit or debit card details. They need this information to be sure who's applying in order for the finance company to perform a credit check. To give yourself the best chance of approval, you should always ensure the information you give us is accurate and honest.

The online application form typically takes less than 3 minutes to complete. Your application is then instantly sent to the finance company and they will typically respond with their decision in around 10 seconds. Some applications may take longer to process. If for any reason they can't give you an instant decision we'll send you an email the moment the finance company makes a decision.

Please note that for security measures proof of ID may be required after your application has been approved and your deposit has been paid. This step is to verify your transaction and a check will be done on any ID provided. If your ID fails the check or you are unable to provide a valid proof of ID, we will be in contact with you. Should you need to provide ID you will be notified via email from the finance provider.

A credit check forms part of the automated decision making process and is part of a responsible lending policy.

When your credit application is accepted you will be required to pay a deposit online, using a credit or debit card. The amount of the deposit is shown in the credit summary (displayed on the top left hand side of the screen throughout the credit application) and on the credit agreement itself. Your monthly repayments are collected by Direct Debit.

You have the right to repay all or part of the credit early, at any time.

Buying GuideBuyer Beware - Tricks of the Personalised Number Plate Trade Exposed

As a trusted supplier of personalised registration marks with over 20 years of experience, we have built our reputation with consistently high quality customer service.

We are currently rated 5* Excellent on TrustPilot, with 96% of our customers affirming excellent service. You can visit our TrustPilot page to see our customer reviews:

uk.trustpilot.com/review/www.plates4less.co.uk

Plates4less excellent rated on trustpilot

Unfortunately, some companies are not as honest as we strive to be. Extensive market research has uncovered some nasty surprises, which honest clients have fallen victim to whilst buying or selling personalised registration marks.

Supply problems with deliberately slow refunds of your money … More (click to reveal)

Some companies will happily take your money before checking to see if a registration mark is available. This leads to disappointment and when refunds are offered it can take quite a long while for your money to be returned, meaning you may be unable to purchase an alternative from elsewhere in the meantime. Some agents basically lock you into their slow refund procedure and prevent you from buying elsewhere, hoping you will give-in and buy something else from them instead.

Our promise: At Plates 4 Less, we always check to make sure a pre-owned registration mark is available before we take any payment and we request proof from the seller, to avoid any disappointment. If we have to make a refund because a seller has let us down then that refund is made immediately. Our list of available registrations is updated several times throughout each and every day, to ensure the most accurate information possible is available to our customers.

Suitability problems preventing transfer and use of your new registration … More (click to reveal)

Many registrations include an ‘age identifier’ and there are strict government transfer rules regarding their suitability for certain vehicles, i.e. you cannot make a vehicle appear newer than it is by transferring a younger registration mark to it. You also cannot put a private plate on a tractor or a Q plated kit car for example.

Some companies are not interested in telling you about these rules. They are only interested in selling you whatever you ask for, whatever the consequences- there is no legal obligation for them to tell you, so they simply don’t bother.

Our promise: At Plates 4 Less we have many safeguards in place to ensure the registration you choose is right for you. Our website includes a special ‘age-checking tool’ to help you see which registrations are suitable and when you have selected a registration you like, our online pages immediately inform you which vehicles are allowed to carry the mark. Our sales team will also always advise you of these rules should you be placing an order by telephone, as we only want our customers to be fully informed and confident that they have made the right choice.

Confusing Prices, is the price you see the price that you pay? … More (click to reveal)

A personalised UK registration mark can only be purchased by paying for the following 3 components at the time of purchase:-

  1. The cost of the ‘Rights to display’ the private registration mark (Usually the most expensive part of the purchase).
  2. The government transfer fee (also known as ‘assignment fee’ and presently £80).
  3. Value added tax.

Our promise: We will always provide a full breakdown of costs and as soon as you have made a search and see the results, we give you the choice to see either the starting prices (as per our competitors), or the prices including all compulsory government fees, so you can save time and stay within your budget.

Some agents take advantage of the buyers’ lack of knowledge or understanding of the Government’s processes and the law, to make more money. They use a variety of ruses or tactics such as:

A. Very low starting prices hiding compulsory extras and hidden delivery charges … More (click to reveal)

Some companies force you to buy add–ons such as a pair of plastic (acrylic) number plates when all you want is the rights to a private registration mark. This increases the very low starting price and you wont find this out until you reach the checkout, where you will also find out about their additional delivery charges!

Our promise: At Plates 4 Less our acrylic number plates are an optional extra (unless you choose to pay by finance, when they are included so that you reach our finance threshold amount.) We won’t charge extra for delivery, unless you specifically ask us to use the Royal Mail Special Delivery service.

B. Unnecessary fees, before and after you buy! … More (click to reveal)

1. Non-refundable ‘Finance application or administration fees’ … More (click to reveal)

Some companies will offer finance to help you afford a registration mark, but will charge you a fee simply for applying. In most cases this fee is non-refundable if your application is turned down and can cost you up to a whopping £60, for nothing!

Our promise: We do not charge for finance applications at Plates 4 Less, regardless of the result. These fees are completely unnecessary and a nice little earner for the firms who do charge them as everyone pays them and no one gets them back!

2. Replacement fees for Government certificates … More (click to reveal)

Some dealers may charge you to replace a lost certificate or to order a new one that reflects a change of nominee name. Fees are typically around £25 a time.

Our promise: If you lose your Government certificate we can normally order you a replacement at no cost. Similarly, we will change a named ‘nominee’ on such a certificate for no charge.

3. Costly after sales support … More (click to reveal)

Some firms offer little or no after-sales support, which can often lead to confusion when it comes to transferring your new registration mark to a vehicle. Some even use premium rate telephone lines to charge you for support.

Our promise: It is important to be able to discuss the transfer process with an expert to ensure an accurate and legal transfer, especially as errors can be costly and time consuming. At Plates 4 Less we are always happy to help our customers, and our completely free of charge after-sales support is available Monday to Friday, 08.30-18.00, with contact request options available 24/7. We also have a comprehensive Frequently Asked Questions section on our website.

C. False advertising by deliberate misrepresentation of a number plate … More (click to reveal)

You will often see tempting pictures showing number plates with incorrect spacing, wrong typeface, or screw caps in certain positions, to make the registration mark spell a word or name and thus seem more attractive. The law says you must always display legally correct number plates on your vehicle if it is used on the public highway and failure to do so means you risk a £1000 fine and confiscation of your cherished registration mark.

Our promise: The images we use to illustrate registration marks for sale will always display legally spaced and legally represented registration marks, appropriate for use on the United Kingdom highways. Certain browsers may sometimes alter the appearance of our images but we will never deliberately make registration marks more attractive to buyers by miss spacing or misrepresentation.

D. Giving you less money and control, when you sell your registration … More (click to reveal)

Beware of companies who give you a low valuation and don’t disclose how much they add to that figure for themselves. Obviously vat and transfer fees must be accounted for, but be wary of those who make a low valuation, only to then advertise your registration for a much higher asking price. Bear in mind that registrations with higher asking prices usually take longer to sell. Be sure to find out how much a company will add to your asking price in profit or commission so you can ensure the total price is competitive and you get as much from your sale as possible.

Our promise: At Plates 4 Less, you control your asking price and you can always see the final price of your registration as advertised on our site (with vat and transfer fees) before you publish it for sale with us. We don’t take any commission from your agreed selling figure. The buyer pays our sales administration fees, which we keep as low as possible to encourage sales. We won’t bother you with unreasonable offers from buyers and we always ensure the buyer is serious about making a purchase before we contact you.

Buying GuideFrequently Asked Questions

If I include plastic plates in my order — what identification do I need to send to you?

It is a legal requirement that we see some proof of identification from the purchaser (i.e. the person who places the order, even if it is for someone else) prior to the release of the number plates. This proof of identity needs to be in the form of a utility bill or bank statement. I.D. will be returned to you once we have recorded that we have seen it.

Some examples of acceptable I.D.:

  • Water/electricity/gas bill
  • Landline (not mobile) telephone bill
  • Bank statement
  • Council tax bill

Do I have to transfer the registration mark straight away?

Transfers can be completed whenever you are ready whether that is immediately or at a later date; the registration can be held on certificate indefinitely. There may be additional costs to delay your transfer, please read the information displayed when you view the registration mark or call 01792 477 316 for more information.

Can I order over the telephone?

You can buy online or over the telephone with an advisor at no extra cost!

What happens if I change my mind?

What happens after I place an order?

Firstly you should receive an e-mail confirmation of your order sent to the e-mail address you have given us. Once your payment has been cleared by our bank you will receive a second e-mail with further details. If you do not receive these then please check that the e-mail address you have given us is correct and active. Then check that your mailbox is not over-full so that our mail can be received there. If this fails to resolve the problem then please contact us with an alternative e-mail address.

We will also be sending your confirmation of purchase documents (by first class post), and depending on which service level you have requested (together with the method of payment you have chosen) a request for certain transfer documents to be completed and returned to us in the reply envelope provided.

What happens to my old registration mark?

Your existing registration mark will be removed from your vehicle and held by the DVLA. If you have the space, then put your old number plates into storage because you may be able to re-instate your old registration to your vehicle when you come to change it, although there are no guarantees (you may just get a registration mark which relates to the age of your vehicle).