What are finance options and how do they work?

Buying a bike or kitting yourself out for an epic adventure can be a big purchase. We offer a number of payment and finance options to help spread the cost and help you Go Nice places, Do Good Things sooner.

We offer finance options through Klarna and V12 Retail Finance which let you choose to repay in monthly instalments up to 36 months (14.9% APR) on eligible purchases.

You can also choose to pay using a government Cycle to Work Scheme. Your employer buys the bike and equipment and then leases it to you through an interest-free salary sacrifice scheme.

Read on for details of each finance option.

How V12 Retail Finance works

The application process is quick and easy with an instant decision.

  • Add what you want to buy to your basket. It can be bikes, tents or any combination products over £555.57.
  • Checkout using 'V12 Retail Finance'
  • Complete the online application for an instant approval
  • Wait for your order to arrive!

Apply online, come to our stores or give us a call on 01773 417007 for finance. Our customer support heroes will take your order and talk you through the quick and easy application process.

What type of items can I buy with V12 Retail Finance?

V12 finance offers a minimum loan value of £500.01. This means your order value must be at least £555.57 with a minimum 10% deposit of £55.56. V12 finance is valid on any qualifying Alpkit or Sonder product, including all bikes.

You'll see the V12 finance option on eligible products and baskets.

What length of repayment is available?

You can select either 24 or 36 months repayment time with V12 finance. See below for rates:

  • 24 months at 14.9% APR
  • 36 months at 14.9% APR
Are you eligible?
  • You must be at least 18 years of age.
  • You or your partner must be in permanent paid employment, self-employed, retired and receiving a pension, working student in part-time work or in receipt of disability benefit.
  • You must have been a resident in the UK for at least 3 years.
  • You must have a debit or credit card in your name which is registered to your address in order to pay the deposit.
  • You must have a bank or building society current account available (you'll need this to set up the direct debit instruction).
  • Please note that discount/voucher codes cannot be applied to items purchased with the finance option.
  • Subject to T&Cs
How much can I borrow?

The maximum lending amount in addition to the upfront deposit is £15,000.

Is a deposit required?

Yes. The minimum deposit for V12 finance orders is 10%, with a maximum of 50%. This will be taken at the checkout for online and in-store orders.

How are my monthly payments made?

Your monthly repayments will be taken via direct debit from your chosen bank account.

Can I pay off my loan early?

Yes, you can make additional payments at any time, directly through your V12 Self-Service Portal account.

Additional payments will reflect differently depending on your account type. You can choose for the lump sum payment to reduce the remaining term of your agreement by keeping your monthly payment amount the same or keep your remaining term the same and reduce your monthly payment amount.

Standard information and regulatory status of V12 finance

Alpkit Ltd, Units 12-14 Oak House, Engine Lane, Newthorpe, Nottinghamshire, NG16 3QU is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 750022) and acts as a credit intermediary and not a lender, offering credit products provided by a limited number of finance providers, including V12 Retail Finance Limited.

Finance is only available to permanent UK residents aged 18+, subject to status, T&Cs and late fees apply.

Klarna payment options available on all orders over £30

We offer:

  • 'Pay in 30 days' - delay your payment by 30 days with no interest; or
  • 'Pay in 3' - 3 monthly instalments with no interest
How to apply

The application process is quick and easy with an instant decision.

  • Add what you want to buy to your basket. It can be bikes, tents or any combination of products.
  • Checkout with Klarna as the payment option
  • Complete the online application for an instant approval
  • Wait for your order to arrive!

Apply online, come to our stores or give us a call on 01773 417007 for finance. Our customer support heroes will take your order and talk you through the quick and easy application process.

What type of items can I buy with Klarna?

You can buy any item on our website up to maximum value of £10,000. This means that all of our Sonder bikes qualify for finance and individual purchases such as tents and sleeping bags are also be eligible.

Are you eligible?

Klarna will conduct the necessary credit checks and references in order to confirm your eligibility for the credit application:

  • You must have a good credit history with no history of late repayments or payment issues.
  • You must be at least 18 years of age.
  • You must be a permanent UK resident with at least 3 years of continual address history.
  • You must be in full-time employment, unless you are retired or a house-person with a spouse in full-time employment.
  • You must have a UK bank account capable of accepting direct debits.
  • The goods must be delivered to your home address.
  • Please note that discount/voucher codes cannot be applied to items purchased with the finance option.
  • Subject to T&Cs
What length of repayment is available?

Repayment length varies depending on the finance plan selected. We offer the following finance options on all orders:

  • Pay in 30 days' - delay your payment by 30 days with no interest
  • 'Pay in 3' - 3 monthly instalments with no interest
Is a deposit required?

For 'Pay in 3' the first of the three monthly instalments is due at the time of purchase.

For 'Pay in 30 days' you can make a purchase and wait for it to be delivered before paying anything.

How much can I borrow?

The maximum lending amount in additional to the upfront deposit is £10,000.

Can I pay off my loan early?

Yes, please contact Klarna directly in order to make additional payments.

How are my monthly payments made?

Your monthly repayments will be taken via direct debit from your chosen bank account.

Standard information and regulatory status of Klarna

Alpkit Ltd, Units 12-14 Oak House, Engine Lane, Newthorpe, Nottinghamshire, NG16 3QU is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA FRN 750022) and acts as a credit intermediary and not a lender, offering credit products provided by a limited number of finance providers, including Klarna Bank AB (publ).

Please note that Pay in 3 instalments and Pay in 30 days agreements are not regulated by the FCA. Finance is only available to permanent UK residents aged 18+, subject to status, T&Cs and late fees apply. Klarna Terms and Conditions

Am I eligible?

Check with your employer whether they run a scheme. If they don't currently run a scheme we can provide all the lease documentation so your employer can still buy a bike through us. Cycle to Work is open to all UK resident customers.

How to Cycle to Work schemes work?

The government Cycle to Work Scheme is a very popular way of buying a new bike and associated equipment. Your employer buys the bike and equipment and then leases it to you through an interest-free salary sacrifice scheme.

This means you'll get the bike and equipment tax-free and in instalments. But remember that the bike belongs to your employer rather than to you so make sure you understand what happens to the bike at the end of the lease.

What can I buy with the scheme?

You can purchase any of our Sonder bikes and Alpkit cycling clothing and equipment through Cycle to Work.

Which Cycle to Work schemes does Alpkit/Sonder accept?

Here is the list of our Cycle To Work providers

  • Cyclescheme
  • Green Commute Initiative (GCI)
  • Cycle2Work (Halfords)
  • Cycle2Work RG (Halfords)
  • Workplace Bikes (Halfords)​
  • VIVUP (SME HCI Ltd)
  • C2W Support
  • Enjoy Benefits
  • CycleSolutions
  • CyclePlus (SalaryPlus) - T/A Sodexo MOT
  • Evans Cycles (AutoTrader / Leeds Council employees only)
  • Gemelli Employee BENEFITS

We also accept direct purchase orders from your employer. We can also provide all the necessary paperwork should your employer not run a dedicated scheme.

What equipment can I include?

You can buy a wide range of cycling equipment on Cycle to Work. HMRC’s scheme guidelines advise that a ‘common sense approach’ should be taken when considering items to include.

As a guide, any items which help make you safer, keep your bike safe, or help with your commute can be included, including:

  • Lights
  • Bags and racks
  • Cycle clothing
  • Any high-visibility items
  • Pedals
  • Saddles
  • Tyres
  • Stems, seat-posts
  • Replacement bike parts to keep your bike safe on the road, such as wheels and tools/maintenance items (e.g. pumps, puncture repair kits, multi-tools but not workstands)
My work has a £1000 limit, can I top this up with cash?

No. Talk to your employer as many are not aware that there is no longer a £1000 limit on cycle to work vouchers under HMRC guidelines. There is no way to top up a cycle to work voucher.

How do I place an order?

Already have your voucher on its way?
Purchase your bike online and select Cycle to Work as the payment option at the checkout.
Please put in the ‘notes’ field on the checkout page which cycle to work scheme you will be using.

We will then contact you to request a copy of your voucher and proof of your ID using a secure file share service.
Please be aware that in accordance with GDPR guidelines, we may request a secure copy of ID, which can be stored for up to 6 months before being archived.

Following this, we will verify the voucher and complete your payment with the scheme.
Your bike will be added to the build queue at this point.
Your bike will be despatched as soon as it is ready and shipped out. You will receive a dispatch email.

Do you need a quote for your employer?
Contact support@alpkit.com with the following information and we can send you a quote:

  • Bike and / or cycling equipment that you’d like to purchase through cycle to work
  • Which cycle to work scheme will you be using

Are there any customisations or spec changes you’d like to make?
If so, contact our Sonder Heroes us at support@alpkit.com or call us on 01773417006.

How long does the process take?

You have 28 days to provide us with your cycle-to-work voucher from the date of your order. 

If a voucher is not provided within 28 days and no contact has been provided to advise us of a delay, a final attempt to contact you will be made before we cancel your order.

What if my certificate doesn't equal the exact cost of the bike and equipment?

If your certificate value is more than the cost of the equipment, it is not possible to get a refund but you can include more accessories.

If your certificate value is less than the cost of the equipment then we will be unable to process the order using the cycle to work voucher. We would recommend speaking with your employer to see if they would be willing to offer a voucher with a higher value. There is no longer a £1000 limit on cycle to work vouchers under HMRC guidelines.

Who is the legal owner of the bike?
Do we provide quotes for bikes?

Yes, simply contact support@alpkit.com with the following information and we can send you a quote:

  • Bike and / or cycling equipment that you’d like to purchase through cycle to work
  • Which cycle to work scheme you would like to use

A quote is valid for 30 days unless the quote is a sale price, in which case the quote will be valid for 7 days. Stock is not reserved for a quote.

Can I order a bike with a higher value than the voucher and pay the remaining balance myself?

No. Cycle to work orders must be paid with the cycle to work voucher only. We would recommend speaking with your employer to see if they would be willing to offer a voucher with a higher value. There is no longer a £1000 limit on cycle to work vouchers under HMRC guidelines.

Can I change my bike once I have my Cycle to Work voucher?

Yes, however, once the build process has begun on your bike this is no longer possible.

Can I upgrade components to items not listed on the bike page?

Yes please contact us for bespoke builds.

How long does it take from building to shipping?

All bikes are built in the UK by a Sonder mechanic. Until we have your voucher, we will not schedule your bike build. The product page will indicate the current build time.

Once built, delivery depends on your location and is generally 2-5 days within the UK and up to 10 days internationally.

Can I use the voucher in person?

Yes, you can. To place an order in store you need to have your voucher with you.

Can i pay by credit/debit card and have the money refunded once we receive the voucher?

No, all Cycle to Work orders have to be paid from the start by voucher and additional payment.

I now have my voucher. When can I collect my bike?

All bikes are built to order. Once we have received and verified your voucher (or direct employer payment), your bike will enter the build queue. The product page will indicate the current build time. We will let you know when it is ready for collection or delivery.

Are any bikes excluded from the Cycle to Work scheme?

All bikes at sale prices are subject to a 10% admin fee through any Cycle to Work scheme. The admin fee does not apply on full price bikes, get in touch with the Sonder team with any questions.

What happens if I change my mind?

After signing the hire agreement you have a 14 day cooling off period if you change your mind. After that, the hire agreement with your employer is not cancellable.

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