The four places dealers get trade prices
Most dealers use more than one of these, because each answers a different question: what a guide says a car is worth, what it will sell for today, and what the trade is paying.
- Trade price guides: published values for clean, average and below-average cars, usually updated monthly and sold on contract.
- Marketplace valuation tools: values worked out from one marketplace’s own adverts, usually included with an advertising package.
- Live-market pricing tools: values worked out from cars for sale and recently sold across many dealers. DealerPricing uses 680,000+ listings from 11,000+ UK dealers, refreshed hourly.
- Auction results and their own sales: what similar cars made at trade auctions, and what the dealer’s own stock sold for.
Why free valuation sites do not give dealer prices
Free online valuations are built for private buyers and sellers. They give a single estimate, often to start a sale or a part-exchange enquiry, and they do not show the cars behind the number, the trade bands or how quickly the car sells.
A dealer needs to know three things before buying a car: what the trade is paying for one in this condition, what it will retail for once prepared, and how many days identical cars take to sell. That is what trade pricing tools are for.
Trade price, retail price and part-exchange price
These are the dealer prices people mean when they ask for the trade price of a car.
- Trade price: what a dealer would pay for the car to put into stock, by condition (poor, average, clean).
- Retail price: what the car sells for to a private buyer once prepared, on a forecourt or a dealer website.
- Part-exchange price: what a dealer allows for a customer’s car against the one they are buying, usually close to trade for its condition.
- Auction value: what the car is likely to make at a trade auction, before buyer’s fees.
How DealerPricing gives dealer prices for any registration
Enter the registration and mileage on the dashboard, on a computer or a phone. In one screen you get:
- Trade poor, average and clean values, a retail value, a part-exchange figure and an auction figure
- Every comparable car for sale at UK dealers, with price, mileage, days listed and distance
- Sold prices for identical cars from the last 90 days
- Days to sell, active supply and a market rating out of 10
- A full history check for finance, write-off and stolen records at £2.50
- Free MOT history, tax status and safety recall status
Which source suits which dealer
The right mix depends on how many cars you buy and who you deal with.
- Part-time and new traders: a live-market tool covers buying, pricing and history checks in one place. Basic 100 is £70 a month for 100 searches.
- Independent dealers: live-market pricing for buying and repricing, alongside any guide you need for finance or auction paperwork.
- Franchise dealers and groups: a second opinion on every appraisal and auction purchase, with team seats at £20 a month per user and an API for your systems.
What dealer prices cost
DealerPricing plans are Basic 100 £70 a month for 100 searches, Pro 100 £99 for 100, Pro 200 £195 for 200. The first month is half price, there is no contract and no VAT is added. Searching the same registration again in the same billing month is free.
Pro plans add manufacturer service history, up to 11 valuation types, standard specification and factory options, My Stock and access from AI assistants.