Splend startup costs and special charges explained
:format(webp))
Ready to get started with Splends' Car Subscription? We’re excited for you to join our community and drive one of the best Uber cars from our fleet. We know there’s a lot to consider when you get started with Splend's Flexi or Flexi own plans so we’ve put together this easy-to-follow guide. Before we delve into the smaller details, here’s what your early payments look like in comparison with a normal week’s invoice:
| Regular charges | Special charges (from the previous week) | |
| First week | Setup fee | Collection day fee*, First upfront weekly fee** |
| Normal week | Weekly fee (for the upcoming week) | Excess mileage (if applicable), PCN notices + admin fee (if applicable), Damage and Loss Waiver (Insurance excess) or car damage costs (if applicable) |
* For the days left of the first week, including the day you pick up the car
**For the following week
Startup costs
These are the early payments (due in the first week of your subscription agreement) that you need to be familiar with:
1. Setup fee
Unlike most other car providers, we don’t ask for a down payment or other large upfront bond. The only upfront fee you have to pay before joining Splend is the setup fee. The setup fee is a one-off nonrefundable fee allowing instant driver activation. The setup fee varies depending on the plan you subscribe to — £299 for Flexi plan, and £499 for Flexi own. If you end your subscription for any reason, and then want to get a new car you will have to pay the setup fee again.
2. Collection day fee
When picking up your car the first time, you’ll pay a day rate for each day until the end of the week. Our weekly plan runs from Monday to Sunday with payment taken overnight on Wednesday for the following week. If you collect your car on a Friday, we’ll charge you the weekly subscription for Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the current week.
3. First upfront weekly fee
At Splend we don't do credit checks like finance companies do. However, we can only do this by collecting your payments one week in advance. You’re basically paying next week’s subscription fee each time we charge your credit or debit card. Therefore, when collecting your car for the first time, we also charge you your first full week’s fee, in addition to the setup fee and the collection day fee.
Important: After your first week, we’ll charge your nominated card overnight on a Wednesday, regardless of which day you signed up or picked up your car.
Special charges
There are some other occasional costs that may add to your invoice, on top of your normal weekly fee.
Excess mileage
Your vehicle comes with 1000 included miles per week. If you drive more miles than your plan includes, those extra miles will be charged at 20p per mile. For example, if you drive 1,050 miles, we’ll charge £10. We add any excess mileage charges to your weekly invoice. The good news is that if you are on a Splend Flexi Own plan your excess mileage directly goes towards paying down your car sooner. You can reduce your term in this way by a maximum of 52 weeks.
Did you know? On Splend's Flexi own plan, an excess mileage contributes to you owning your car sooner.
PCN notices
As Splend is the registered keeper of your car, we have to transfer any PCNs you might receive into your name. We charge a £15 administration fee for each traffic offence.
Damage and Loss Waiver (Insurance excess)
If you have an accident, you’ll need to pay the damage an loss waiver (insurance excess). Find out more under Insurance information in our FAQ.
Car damage outside fair wear and tear
Any damage outside what’s included in the fair wear and tear guide will be charged to you.
Case study - Startup cost example
Let’s walk through the startup costs in an example. Say, you sign up to the 4-years term Flexi own plan on Thursday, and pick up your £229/week Toyota bZ4X Motion on a 5 year term on Friday. 1. Setup fee We’ll charge you the £299 setup fee on Thursday, and book you in to pick up your car on Friday. 2. Collection day fee Since you pick up the car on Friday, that’s when you’ll pay the collection day fee. We'll charge you for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, which totals £98.14
3. First upfront weekly fee Since we collect the payments one week in advance, we’ll also charge you your first normal £229 weekly subscription fee for week two as part of your first invoice.
About Splend
Splend makes car ownership easier, more affordable and more accessible for PCO drivers by building everything they need to earn more, pay less and stress less into one affordable weekly payment. It’s smooth driving, with no surprises and the lowest total ownership cost you’ll find – which is how car ownership for PCO drivers should be. For more information about Splend, browse our available vehicles here, make an appointment at one of our London Hubs or call us on 0333 016 4331.