Before you start
To place your advert you will need:
- To register with us
- The full UK postcode of the vehicle
- The registration number of the vehicle to be advertised
- The vehicle details - make, model, variant
- The advert text to describe your vehicle
- Up to 9 photos of the vehicle to be advertised (in a JPEG format) - if you don't have any don't worry, if you advertise in our magazines, we can arrange for a photo agent to take them for you for free (see below).
To register with us
In order to place any advert online you need to have registered with us. This is to ensure we have a valid email address with which to communicate with you and allows us to track your advert. You will also receive a range of registered user benefits.
- To register, click here
- Already registered? To log on, click here
Decide on where you want to advertise
- All adverts placed online will appear on the Auto Trader website. We also offer advertising opportunities in our regional and national magazines.
- If you wish to advertise in a regional magazine but are not sure which region, our postcode search facility allows you to find the most appropriate magazines for your area
- For more information about the advertising options click here.
Registration Number
In order to place an advert you need to enter the registration number of the advertised vehicle. This allows us to:
- Automatically find the correct make and model of the vehicle so it can be searched via the website
- Help you choose which variant of the model you are selling, so that potential buyers know what features and extras are on the vehicle
- Identify the standard features of the vehicle in order to pre-populate the advert text for you
- If your registration plate cannot be found (e.g. if it is a private number plate or cherished transfer) we may not be able to automatically identify the car. In this case you will be able to choose the correct make and manually.
Tips for describing your vehicle
- Remember that if you choose a magazine package you can enter different vehicle descriptions for the web and magazine versions of your advert. As you have more space to describe your vehicle on the website you can include more detail.
- When you're happy with your advert, check the confirmation box for each version
- It is your responsibility to ensure the advert text is accurate
- More information on how to write a good advert:
Private - Cars, Bikes, Vans, Caravans
Trade -Cars, Bikes, Vans, Trucks, Plant
Photos
You can upload photographs of your vehicle to accompany your advert. Buyers are often far more comfortable about making a purchase if they can see what they are buying.
- You can include up to nine different images in your advert. These appear as ‘thumbnail’ pictures next to your advert which a potential buyer can click on to enlarge, allowing them to see your vehicle in greater detail.
- The number of images you can have in a magazine advert is limited by the type of magazine advert you have purchased. However, you can still have up to nine images on the website advert.
Image specifications
- Photographs must be supplied in JPEG format (JPG, JPEG) - this is the default for most digital cameras
- Photographs must be a minimum resolution of 640x480 pixels - again, for most digital cameras, this is the minimum resolution they provide
- We will automatically resize the images you supply for the website
- Remember, if the images are very large, they may take a long time to upload to our site depending on your internet connection speed
- For more information on taking photos of your vehicle for use in an advert see our photo guide
Online payment methods
In order to pay for your advert online, you'll need a valid credit/debit card or a BT Click & Buy account.
We accept the following credit/debit cards:
- Visa (including Delta and Electron)
- MasterCard
- Maestro (Switch)
For your security, we will require the card verification code (CVC2/CVV) and if relevant, your “Verified by Visa” / “MasterCard Secure Code” password.
BT Click & Buy is an account that allows you to pay by credit/debit card, direct debit or via your BT phone bill. Setting up an account requires you to enter you payment details only once and all subsequent payments made using your account only require the entry of your account details and password.
More information on purchasing online
close