HPI Check Alternative: A Cheaper Way to Check a Car's History

If you have shopped for a used car in the UK, you have probably been told to "run an HPI check" before you buy. It is good advice. What most people don't realise is that "HPI check" is a brand name, not the only product, and there are cheaper ways to get the same information.

Here is what a history check actually covers, what it should cost, and how to check a car's history without overpaying.

What an "HPI check" actually is

HPI is a company that has been selling vehicle history data since the 1930s. Its name became so common that people now use "HPI check" to mean any vehicle history check, the same way people say "Hoover" instead of "vacuum cleaner".

What you are really asking for is a vehicle provenance check: a background report on the car built from finance records, insurance write-off databases, the police stolen register, and DVLA records. Several providers sell this data, and the underlying records largely come from the same places (Experian being one of the largest).

None of this is a knock on HPI. It is a trusted check that does its job well. The point is simply that you are buying the underlying data, not the brand name, and you can get that same data, plus a read on the price, for less.

What every history check should include

Whichever provider you use, a proper car history check should tell you:

Outstanding finance - whether the car is still on a finance agreement. This is the single most important check.
Insurance write-off records - whether it has been written off, and the category (Cat A, B, S or N).
Stolen marker - whether it is recorded as stolen on the Police National Computer.
Scrapped, imported or exported - whether the vehicle has been recorded in any of these states.
Plate and keeper history - previous registration marks and the number of former keepers.
Mileage history - readings over time so you can spot clocking.

The finance check matters most If a car still has outstanding finance, the finance company legally still owns part of it. They can repossess it from you even after you have paid the seller in full, and you may have no way to get your money back. Never skip this check on a private sale.

What a history check normally costs

Bought on their own, traditional one-off vehicle history checks typically cost somewhere in the region of £15 to £20 each. Multi-check bundles bring the per-check price down, but only if you are buying several, which most private buyers are not.

That price gets you the provenance data and nothing more. It tells you the car's background, but it does not tell you whether the car is a good buy at the price being asked.

The one thing a standard history check leaves out

A history check answers "is this car hiding something?" It does not answer "is this a fair price?"

Those are two different questions, and you need both before you part with your money. A car can have a perfectly clean history and still be £2,000 overpriced, or have an MOT due next week that will cost you £800 in advisories. A clean provenance report will not warn you about any of that.

A cheaper way to check a car's history

CarMate's History Check uses Experian provenance data for the finance, write-off, stolen and scrapped checks, and adds the full DVSA MOT mileage history so clocking is flagged automatically. A History Check is 2 credits (£11.98 as a one-off, less per check in a multipack), which works out cheaper than most standalone history checks.

Like any proper history check, CarMate's is backed by a data guarantee (from £10,000), so if a recorded marker is ever missed, you are covered up to its limit. For most used cars that cover is more than enough, since it only needs to match what the car is worth.

The difference is what comes with it. Because CarMate is built for buyers, it can also look at the listing itself: whether the asking price is fair against the market, and whether there are scam or red-flag signals in the advert. So instead of just a background report, you get a verdict on the whole purchase.

The bottom line You don't need a branded HPI check specifically. You need the underlying provenance data (finance, write-off, stolen, mileage), backed by a proper data guarantee, and ideally a read on whether the price is right. Get all of that in one place and you have covered what actually matters before you buy.

Before you buy: a quick checklist

Run a history check for finance, write-off and stolen markers
Check the full MOT history for mileage drops and recurring faults
Confirm the price is fair against comparable cars on the market
View the car in person and ideally get an independent inspection for anything expensive

For more on catching mileage fraud specifically, see our guide on how to spot a clocked car using MOT history.