Reviewed by
Billy Lang, Director
FCA Registration No: 835008
The situation
Owner-driver courier work — Amazon Flex, Evri, DPD, Royal Mail subcontracts, multi-drop B2C delivery — has two specific friction points with standard leasing: mileage caps that don't match real working days, and lenders who won't accept self-employed income.
We work around both. Mileage allowances built for the work, not the brochure. Self-employed evidence accepted rather than requiring PAYE. Soft credit check at the eligibility stage.
Recommended setup for courier work
Build the lease around the job, not the brochure
- Mileage allowance: scale to your actual working pattern. Multi-drop city work = lower; long-distance subcontract = much higher.
- Suitable models: medium or large panel van depending on volume profile. Caddy / Combo for last-mile city, Transit / Vivaro for higher-volume work.
- Term length: shorter Flexi terms (6-18 months) to start; extend once the income is proven.
- Business use: courier-class business-use insurance is required. Non-negotiable.
- Soft credit check via Creditsafe at quote stage — does not normally affect your credit score the same way as a full lending application.
All decisions are subject to status. We do not offer guaranteed approval.
Suitable vehicles
Common courier-suitable vans we work with. Specific stock and model availability changes — we will quote against what is available when you ask.
Placeholder — awaiting real case study
Top 5 in-stock courier-suitable van models
Specific models suited to courier and last-mile work, drawn from current First Flexi inventory. Likely to include Ford Transit / Transit Custom, Vauxhall Vivaro / Combo, VW Caddy / Transporter, Renault Trafic — but client to confirm the in-stock list this rolls into.
In the meantime, browse the full van leasing range to see what's currently available.
Self-employed courier income evidence
Most couriers are self-employed. Most leasing companies make that hard. We accept the evidence couriers actually have:
See leasing for the self-employed for the full evidence guide. If you've been self-employed under a year, the under-12-months page covers what we accept in lieu of a full year of accounts.
The process, end to end
- 1
Quote & soft check
Online or by phone. Tell us the work pattern (Flex, Evri, multi-drop, long-distance) and we build the quote around it.
- 2
Mileage & vehicle
We map mileage to your actual working pattern, suggest models that fit, and quote both monthly and total cost.
- 3
Honest indication
Yes, no, or yes-but. If we cannot help, we tell you why.
- 4
Insurance check
You confirm courier-class business-use insurance is in place before delivery.
- 5
Hard search & sign
Only at full agreement, with your knowledge.
The mileage-overrun question, head-on
Mileage overrun is the single biggest objection couriers have to leasing — and rightly so. A standard 8,000-mile contract hire deal exceeded by 12,000 miles a year over 36 months can result in a four-figure end-of-contract bill.
The fix is to set the mileage allowance correctly at the start, not to try to recover it at the end. Estimate honestly. If your work pattern means 25,000 miles a year, lease 25,000 miles — even though the monthly is higher. Total cost over the term will be lower than leasing 12,000 miles and paying overrun.
For a step-by-step on estimating annual mileage and a worked excess-charge example, see our mileage-allowance guide.
A real example
Placeholder — awaiting real case study
Anonymised approval — high-mileage courier
Short paragraph describing one real courier customer (no name) — their work pattern, what we accepted as income evidence, the mileage allowance we agreed, and the vehicle / term they ended up with. Client to supply.
Frequently asked questions
What's the highest mileage allowance I can get?
High mileage allowances are available, structured to match real courier work — not capped at the 8,000-12,000 miles standard contract hire deals offer. We will tell you the practical ceiling for your specific vehicle and term, rather than quoting the lowest bracket as the headline.
Can I lease as an owner-driver for Amazon Flex / Evri / DPD?
Yes. Owner-driver couriers working for Amazon Flex, Evri, DPD, Royal Mail, Yodel and similar are a substantial part of the customer base. We accept self-employed evidence (SA302s, bank statements, contracts) rather than requiring PAYE payslips.
Do I need business-use insurance?
Yes — and this is non-negotiable. Courier work needs courier-class business-use insurance, not standard social-and-domestic cover. We will not lease to a courier who plans to use a personal-use insurance policy. Confirm cover before you commit.
Can I lease if I'm self-employed less than 12 months?
Yes. We have a dedicated path for under-12-months self-employed applicants. See our page on self-employed under 12 months for what we accept in lieu of a full year of accounts.
What happens if I exceed my mileage?
You pay an excess-mileage charge per mile over the agreed allowance, calculated at end of contract. The figure varies by vehicle. The honest advice: lease an extra 5,000 miles you might not use rather than risk a per-mile bill at the end. Better to overspec mileage than underspec.
Can I switch to a longer-term lease later?
Yes. Many couriers start on a 6-12 month Flexi Lease to test the work, then move to a longer 24-36 month term once the income is established. Speak to us before the end of the first term so we can plan the transition.
Courier-class business-use insurance is required.
Standard social-and-domestic cover does not cover courier work and may invalidate the lease. All applications subject to status. First Flexi Lease is a trading name of Oak First Investments Ltd. FCA Registration No: 835008. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
Quote built around real courier work
Tell us your work pattern. We will quote around the mileage you actually do — not the bracket the brochure starts at.
