Index
Why customers on ASNEF are more common than you might think
How to spot whether a customer might be on ASNEF
What financing options exist for ASNEF profiles
How to structure the deal to maximise the chances of approval
When it doesn't make sense to try
How to communicate it without losing the customer
Frequently asked questions
Why customers on ASNEF are more common than you might think
ASNEF is the defaulter register most consulted by financial institutions in Spain. Being on it doesn't mean a huge debt or an irreversible financial situation: in many cases it's small unpaid bills (a phone bill, an insurance payment), debts already settled that haven't been properly removed from the register, or administrative errors.
The number of people on ASNEF in Spain exceeds four million. At a dealership with average volume, it's statistically likely that several buyers a month will arrive with some kind of credit issue. If the sales process stops dead the moment the finance company rejects the application, those deals are lost without exploring alternatives.
The difference between a dealership that handles these cases well and one that doesn't comes down to two things: knowing which finance companies work with risk profiles and knowing how to structure the application to maximise the chances of approval.
To see which finance company best fits each type of difficult profile, you can read the guide on which finance company to choose according to the customer profile in a dealership.
How to spot whether a customer might be on ASNEF
You don't need to wait for the finance company to reject the application to know there may be a problem. There are signs that appear earlier and let you prepare alternatives from the start.
Signs during the sales conversation:
The customer asks directly whether they can get finance "with some problem at the bank" or whether ASNEF is checked before approval. This is almost always a direct indicator that they know they have some kind of record.
The customer is in a hurry to close and doesn't want to give much information before the test drive. This may indicate they've been to several dealerships where their financing was rejected and they don't want to waste time again.
The customer offers to pay a large deposit (more than 30-40% of the car's price). In many cases this is the strategy other lenders have suggested to them to offset the risk.
What you shouldn't do: ask "are you on ASNEF?" outright in the first stage of the conversation. It's unnecessary and creates discomfort before there's any trust. Early detection is about preparing options, not filtering customers.
What financing options exist for ASNEF profiles
General lenders (banks, Santander Consumer, BBVA Consumer) systematically reject profiles with ASNEF records. But there is a second tier of risk-specialised lenders that do work with these profiles, on different terms.
To see how to negotiate agreements with lenders and what terms are reasonable, you can check the guide on financing for used car dealerships.
Risk-specialised lenders:
Lenders such as Lendrock, Moneyman Auto, Aplazame or some regional finance companies work with risk profiles that traditional banks reject. The terms are different: higher interest rates (APR between 12% and 25% depending on the profile and the amount), shorter terms (maximum 48-60 months in many cases) and sometimes they require a minimum deposit of 20-30% of the vehicle's value.
For a dealership, having an agreement in place with at least one of these lenders lets you offer an alternative answer instead of a final rejection. The process of signing up as a dealer with these lenders is similar to that of conventional finance companies.
Financing secured on the vehicle:
Some specialised lenders offer loans using the purchased vehicle itself as collateral. The maximum amount is usually limited to 60-70% of the car's valuation, which means the buyer needs to put down the remaining 30-40% as a deposit. It's an option with more restrictions, but viable for cars under 10 years old and free of charges.
Private leasing or renting:
Private leasing and renting have different approval criteria from conventional loans, because the vehicle remains the property of the finance company during the contract. Some private renting companies work with profiles that banks reject, especially if the customer has stable, provable income. The main limitation for the dealership is that not all used car dealers have agreements with private leasing or renting companies.
In-house deferred financing:
Some dealerships directly offer instalment payment plans without going through any external lender, taking on the risk of non-payment themselves. It's the option that gives the dealership the most control but also the one that concentrates the most risk. It only makes sense for low amounts (cars under 5,000-6,000 euros), with a significant deposit and some kind of additional guarantee.
To understand how to integrate the different financing options into the sales process and maximise the percentage of financed sales, you can check the guide on how to increase sales by offering financing at your dealership.
How to structure the deal to maximise the chances of approval
The same deal can be approved or rejected depending on how the application is presented. These are the factors that carry the most weight in a risk lender's approval:
A large deposit. It's the factor with the greatest impact. A deposit of 30-40% of the car's value significantly reduces the risk for the lender and increases the chances of approval. If the customer has no deposit, the deal has very little chance of going through.
Monthly payment matched to provable income. The monthly payment shouldn't exceed 30-35% of the buyer's net monthly income. A payment of 300 euros for someone earning 900 euros net has little chance of approval, even with risk lenders.
Short term. For the same amount financed, a 36-month term is more likely to be approved than a 72-month one. The lender carries less exposure to risk over time.
Complete documentation from the outset. Risk lenders usually require more documentation than conventional ones: recent payslips or proof of income, bank statements for the last 3 months and, in some cases, proof of residence. Having all the documentation ready from the first application reduces response time and avoids rejections due to incomplete paperwork.
Stable income history. A customer on ASNEF but with 3 years at their current job and a regular payslip has better chances than one on a recent temporary contract. Identifying and communicating these positive elements of the profile improves how the application is presented.
To understand how financing affects the tax return for the deal, you can check the article on how to declare a financed car at the dealership.
When it doesn't make sense to try
Handling ASNEF customers well doesn't mean trying to close every deal regardless of the profile. There are cases where the cost in time and management exceeds the deal's potential margin.
When there's no provable income. Without proof of stable income, no risk lender is going to approve the deal. There's no point spending time looking for alternatives if the customer can't prove they're able to pay.
When the ASNEF debt is recent and large. A record from six months ago for a large amount (more than 3,000-5,000 euros) is a sign that the customer's financial situation is at a difficult point. The chances of approval are very low and the risk of non-payment with in-house financing is high.
When the customer can't put down any deposit. Without a deposit, the options shrink to highly specialised lenders with very restrictive terms. In those cases, the deal's margin can be completely absorbed by the lender's terms.
When the car's price is higher than the profile can support. A customer on ASNEF, with an income of 1,200 euros and no deposit, who wants an 18,000-euro car does not have a viable profile for any risk lender. Steering them towards a cheaper car can be the difference between closing something or not.
How to communicate it without losing the customer
How the main lender's rejection is handled determines whether the customer leaves or the conversation continues.
What doesn't work: simply telling them "the lender won't approve you" and waiting for the customer to come up with a solution. At that point the customer assumes there are no more options and leaves.
What works: presenting the main lender's rejection as an expected outcome given their situation and immediately offering the alternative. "The standard lender isn't going to approve you with your history, but there's another option that works with profiles like yours. The terms are a bit different, we need a larger deposit and the interest rate is higher, but if you want, we'll give it a try."
Communicating it this way does two things: it manages the customer's expectations (they already know the conditions will be worse) and it keeps the conversation open. A customer who knows from the start that alternative financing comes with stricter conditions is less likely to turn it down later when they see the actual numbers.
To see how to manage the whole customer service process in a way that maximises conversion, you can read the article on how to manage a dealership's leads to convert more.
More than 750 dealerships already use Dealcar to manage their daily operations
Dealcar integrates finance management into the sales flow: when the main finance company rejects an application, the team has direct access to the financing alternatives available for that profile without having to switch tools. With the history of every lead recorded, the tracking of finance applications and the outcome of each deal are documented automatically.
If you want to see how it works, you can book a free demo at dealcar.io.
Frequently asked questions
Can I check whether a customer is on ASNEF before submitting the application to the finance company?
Yes, although it requires the customer's express consent. Finance companies do it automatically during the application process. If you want to know beforehand, you need a signed authorisation from the customer to check their credit history. In practice, many dealerships don't run this prior check and wait for the finance company's result, which is faster and has implicit consent built into the application process.
How long does a record stay on ASNEF?
Up to six years from the date of non-payment, as long as the debt hasn't been paid. If the debt is paid, the creditor is required to request removal of the record within a maximum of 10 working days. In practice, many people still appear on ASNEF for debts they've already paid because the creditor didn't handle the removal. In these cases, the customer can request removal directly from ASNEF by providing proof of payment.
Do I have to tell the customer if I'm going to check ASNEF?
Yes. Spain's Data Protection Act (Ley Orgánica de Protección de Datos) requires express consent to check defaulter registers. In practice, this consent is collected during the finance application process, where the customer signs the authorisation for the finance company to carry out the necessary checks.
What happens if I sell a car with in-house financing to a customer who then doesn't pay?
In that case you're in the same position as any creditor: you can claim the debt through the courts, register the debtor on ASNEF (if you have a signed contract and the debt exceeds 50 euros) and, as a last resort, request seizure of the vehicle if the contract includes retention of title. Retention of title in the in-house finance contract is the most important protection: without it, the car belongs to the buyer from delivery and getting it back requires a longer court process.
