Terms and Conditions

Autotrader Packages

Last Updated: 7th July 2025

Autotrader Packages are provided subject to the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions which are incorporated into the Rules by reference.

Terms defined in the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions shall have the same meaning in these Rules provided that, should a term be defined in both the Main Advertising Terms & Conditions and these Rules, the meaning of the term defined in these Rules shall have precedence in relation to the Rules.

  1. Definitions

    1. “Bonus Adverts” in relation to Independent Dealers only, refers to free Adverts available in addition to the contracted Advert amount. The amount of such free Adverts varies dependent on the quantity of contracted Adverts taken.
    2. “Contracted Stock Level” means the number of Adverts the Dealer (or, as applicable, Dealer’s group) has contracted for under their Advertising Agreement, not including any Bargain Allowance, Bonus Adverts, Tactical Stock Adverts or any other offer stock;
    3. “Economy Stock Adverts” means additional Adverts that can be added to a Package at any time (up to the applicable cap), which are available to Independent Dealers only (excluding Dealers in Northern Ireland), for stock priced between £2,500 - £7,000 (inclusive of VAT, where VAT is applicable) (“Economy Stock”). The amount of additional Economy Stock Adverts is capped at 50% of the relevant Dealer’s Contracted Stock Level. Economy Stock Adverts are not subject to the usual 30 days’ downgrade notice.
    4. “Flex Adverts” in relation to Franchise Dealers only, refers to free Adverts available in addition to the contracted Advert amount. The amount of such free Adverts varies dependent on the Dealer’s Contract Stock Level.
    5. “DID” means “Dealer Identification” and refers to a unique identification number provided to individual Dealers.
    6. “Package” or “Package Level” refers to the relevant level of service obtained from Autotrader, such levels of service to be determined from time to time by Autotrader at its discretion, and shall be published at https://www.autotrader.co.uk/partners/retailer/packages
    7. “Price Band” means the range of costs applicable to the Dealer’s chosen Package.
      8. “Dealers” refers to our Trade customers and can mean the person, firm or company who is purchasing Autotrader Packages from Autotrader. Other definitions include:
      1. “Franchise Dealer” refers to a Dealer who holds an automotive franchise contract;
      2. “Group” refers to multiple franchises commonly held by a single legal entity (group structure) where the contract is held at group level; and
      3. “Independent Dealer” refers to a Dealer with no links to an automotive franchise contract.
    9. "Tactical Stock Adverts” refers to Adverts that can be added to a Package at any time. These Adverts are not subject to 30 days’ downgrade notice.

  2. Business Rules

    1. At the point of sign up a Dealer’s forecourt stock must be greater than or equal to the contracted stock.
    2. The Price Band that a Group is booked onto is based on the sum of the individual DID stock level rounded up to the nearest Price Band. This does not include any additional stock allocated within Flex Adverts or Bonus Adverts.
    3. A Dealer can choose any Package regardless of its stock volume and can move up a Package at any time on request.
    4. Dealers can also purchase additional stand-alone products on request. Please contact your Account Manager to discuss the options.

  3. Stock Level Changes

    1. Minimum stock level for any Dealer is 5 cars.
    2. If a Dealer’s stock level increases, the Dealer has the flexibility to utilise our Tactical Stock Adverts. Tactical Stock Adverts have been designed to help Dealer facilitate additional Adverts if they exceed their current Contract Stock Levels. In such circumstances, the Dealer is required to contact the Account Support Team or their Account Manager, who will advise accordingly at the time of the request.
    3. Independent Dealers, excluding Northern Ireland, can utilise Economy Stock Adverts for Economy Stock, up to the relevant cap, by contacting the Account Support Team or their Account Manager.
      4. A Dealer will need to contact the Account Support Team or their Account Manager to request a downgrade of their Contracted Stock Level and/or to remove Tactical Stock Adverts and/or Economy Stock Adverts:
      1. Group requests also need to be made via their Account Manager;
      2. Any downgrades to the Contracted Stock Level requires 30 days’ notice as per the Main Advertising Terms & Conditions; and
      3. Requests to remove Tactical Stock Adverts and/or Economy Stock Adverts are not subject to the usual 30 day notice requirement, but it may take 24 hours to action the request.
    5. If the Dealer is participating in a Stock Offer, the price of this stock will increase in line with Autotrader’s annual rate review from the 1st April.

  4. Flex Adverts

      1. Franchise
      1. For Franchise Dealers (Group or Single Site), Flex Adverts will be available for advertising throughout the duration of the Advertising Agreement; this will be applied across all sites.
      2. ‘The Contracted Stock Level’ is baselined on the 1st March each year. Tactical increases should not be included in this calculation.
      3. Tactical increases are classed as anything lasting 2 months or under.
      4. Autotrader reserves the right to withhold the use of Flex Adverts, at its sole discretion at any time.
      2. For Independent Dealers, Bonus Adverts will be accepted for advertising throughout the duration of the Advertising Agreement. Autotrader reserves the right to make exceptions to above conditions at the discretion of the management team, which will be confirmed in writing.

  5. Benefits

    1. Product volume discounts for Groups are calculated based on the total stock for the Group.
    2. New sites that become part of a Group will benefit from any existing Group volume discounts & Flex Advert arrangements.
    3. Similarly, if a DID is no longer part of a Group, the product volume discount will be recalculated to factor this change.

  6. Cancellation and Downgrades

    1. As outlined in the Main Advertising Terms and Conditions, unless expressly stated otherwise in the Business Rules for a particular Product, a minimum of 30 days’ written notice is required for cancellation or downgrade in Package Levels that results in a reduction in fees made payable by the Dealer.
      2. For Groups or Franchise Dealers:
      1. Packages can be downgraded or cancelled if the overall Group or Franchise Dealer’s spend is not impacted. If a downgrade or cancellation impacts the Group or Franchise Dealer’s spend, then spend would have to be increased at other sites to maintain the overall Group spend;
      2. Package downgrade for a Group or Franchise Dealer can be agreed at site level but requires Group approval and is subject to 30 days’ notice. The Group rate will be reviewed and re-calibrated by the Account Manager;
      3. Stock downgrade for the Group or Franchise Dealer can only be agreed at Group level by the Account Manager. The rate will be adjusted as necessary subject to 30 days’ notice;
      4. Site cancellation for the Group or Franchise Dealer can be agreed at site level subject to 30 days’ notice;
      5. Site cancellation for the Group or Franchise Dealer will result in a recalculation for the product volume discount to factor this change.
      6. Group or Franchise Full Cancellation can only be agreed at Group level by the Account Manager, subject to 30 days’ notice.
    3. Notwithstanding any other provision of these Rules, Dealers shall not be permitted to downgrade to the Bargain Standard Package Level. The Bargain Standard Package is only available to Dealers who have not subscribed to a Package in the 3 months prior to the point of the Dealer subscribing to the Bargain Standard Package.