Once you’ve won the auction, and the seller has assigned the vehicle to you, you have one business day to complete the vehicle purchase online. After receiving the payment invitation, you pay for the vehicle via bank transfer within two business days. It’s possible to make payments for several cars in one transfer.

Please always include the reference numbers of all vehicles you paid. This helps us to follow everything up and process your payments more quickly. As soon as your payments are received and processed, you will receive a confirmation email and all related invoices will be available online in ‘My Account’.

Important: We only accept payments coming from a bank account registered on your company’s name and from the country where your company is registered. In addition, the payment should be made in full. In case of partial payments for one vehicle, we shall charge additional fees.

According to our T&C, we do not accept cash payments or payments from companies with an invalid VAT number. A refund of a received payment will result in a cancellation of the purchase and we shall charge additional fees.

When a vehicle is not paid on its due date, it will give us the right to postpone any further delivery of goods/and or services.

For fast accurate communication about your vehicle, please always include its reference number or chassis number. You can find the entire buying process here.

The best way to follow up on your purchases is in ‘My orders’. When we have received your payment, you can easily see it here. Your invoice will also appear under ‘My orders’.

You will also receive an email from us as soon as the payment has been confirmed by our bookkeepers and your invoice has been processed.
For cars that have been delivered, the invoice will appear as a PDF file in ‘My orders’.

Registration? Free. Bidding? Free. Customer support? Free. In fact, OPENLANE does not charge you anything unless you are successful in purchasing or selling a vehicle. A good deal? We think so.

If you do win an auction, certain mandatory fees apply. These include country-specific import fees, auction fees and fees for the related customs documentation. Please always remember to take these costs into account when calculating your bid.

The auction fee depends on how much you eventually pay for a vehicle. However, we guarantee high-quality personal service no matter how much you pay. For every vehicle purchased also incurs a country fee. The fee depends on which country the vehicle is sold in. You will always find it listed on the car details page.

Additionally, for a limited number of sellers, we charge extra costs. For full transparency, these appear under ‘Seller specific fee’ on the car details page. This is mainly applicable for sellers who are offering their vehicles exclusively on openlane.eu.

* EU Rates are applicable as from 01/07/2026 – UK Rates are applicable as from 01/01/2026

Fees for export documents

Transport fees
Don’t forget that when you order transport with us, a transport fee will be charged. This depends on your location and the location of the vehicle you purchase. You can find out more about transport here.

IMPORTANT: The fee for the Optimo service appoints to €160.

Who choose to organise international transport themselves, a pickup fee of €85 will be charged to cover the costs of handling and administration. For domestic transport, and vehicles or destinations for which OPENLANE does not offer a transport solution, the pickup fee will not be applicable.

IMPORTANT
1. In case you order transport at a later stage in the process, the pick-up fee cannot be refunded.
2. Transport cannot be cancelled after payment

We also offer margin cars: for these cars the VAT is included in the vehicle price. For these margin vehicles we provide an additional document, the “Margin Certificate”, which attests the VAT special margin regime for second-hand vehicles.

This certificate appears as .PDF files in‘ My account’ .

The rules relating to the Value Added Tax (better known as VAT) you pay on a vehicle are influenced by a number of factors. Where did you purchase the vehicle and where will you be selling it? Are you going outside the EU? Are you staying in the country of purchase? What is the VAT qualification of the vehicle you have purchased? It’s a complex area.

Our platform offers vehicles under normal VAT rules (normal VAT vehicles) and vehicles under margin scheme (margin vehicles). The prices of vehicles under normal VAT rules are VAT excluded while for margin vehicles VAT is included in the price of the vehicle.

In the table below, we give you an overview of the rules and regulations you will face based on the details of your vehicle.

(*) Costs = all costs (country-specific costs, auction fees, transport costs, costs for paper invoice) except for the price of the vehicle.

The vast majority of Dutch vehicles are subject to a domestic vehicle tax called BPM, which is related to the CO2 emissions of a vehicle. BPM is a Dutch abbreviation for “tax on passenger vehicles and motorcycles”.

For every new or imported vehicle that is registered in the Netherlands for the first time and that is subject to BPM, a gross BPM tax amount is due. This amount depreciates each month following the registration according to a fixed depreciation table, price list or valuation report.

The charging of residual BPM only applies for domestic sales, so if a BPM subject vehicle is sold to another Dutch owner and if it stays registered in the Netherlands.

In case of international sales (Dutch cars sold for export), the residual BPM will not be charged to the international customer.

In that case, OPENLANE Netherlands is the last Dutch owner who has to pay the remainder of the BPM amount and who has the option to get it refunded under certain conditions when de-registering and exporting the car.

More detailed info on BPM can be found on the site of the Dutch Tax Administration:

• English
• Dutch

To be able to make payments, you need to understand the various bank codes that are involved. The following is an explanation of what these codes stand for and which types of transactions they apply to.

IBAN (International Bank Account Number)
An IBAN is an internationally recognised, standardised number that’s used to identify a bank account. It contains up to 34 alphanumeric characters, beginning with a double-digit country code, followed by two check digits that confirm the validity of the IBAN, and ending with a BBAN (Basic Bank Account Number) that contains specific bank and account details. The format of the BBAN varies from country to country, but generally includes a bank code and branch code.

BIC (Bank Identifier Code), aka SWIFT code
BIC and SWIFT code refer to the same thing: a code of 8 to 11 characters that’s used to identify a specific bank in an international transaction. Each bank has a unique BIC/SWIFT code to ensure money transfers end up in the right place.

SEPA (Single Euro Payments Area)
SEPA is a pan-European network that enables people to send and receive payments in euros (€) between two bank accounts within the eurozone. With SEPA, transferring money within the eurozone is as easy as a domestic bank transfer. SEPA has 36 member states: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands and Vatican. The United Kingdom remains a SEPA country despite Brexit.

SHA (Shared)
SHA means that you only pay your bank’s outgoing transfer charge. We receive your payment minus the correspondent bank fee, i.e., intermediary bank charges.

With the new invoicing changes, Italian customers with VAT linked to VIES will now be responsible for the import process and VAT payment. The procedure differs depending on whether the vehicle is a Margin car or the VAT is excluded:

Margin cars

Step 1: Contact the Revenue Agency

• Locate the appropriate Revenue Agency office for your region.
• Request an appointment to unlock the chassis number by phone or online.

Step 2: Prepare the Required Documents At your appointment, present the following:

1. Original Registration Document: Proof of ownership from the country of origin.
2. Purchase Invoice: Details of the vehicle and price.
3. Proof of Payment: Evidence of payment (e.g., bank transfer receipt).
4. Margin Certificate: Provided by Openlane, confirming the vehicle was sold under the margin scheme (specific VAT regime).

Step 3: Provide Additional Documents if Requested
The Revenue Agency may ask for more documents (e.g., customs clearance, Certificate of Conformity).

Step 4: Attend Appointment
Present all documents, and the Revenue Agency will unlock the chassis number.

Step 5: Complete Vehicle Registration
Register the vehicle with the Motorizzazione Civile (motor vehicle authority), pay taxes, and obtain Italian plates and insurance.

Guide to Importing Foreign Vehicles into Italy (VAT excluded Vehicles)

Step 1: Make VAT Payment

• Calculate the VAT due for the vehicle.
• Pay VAT using the F24 form. Complete the payment via bank transfer or other accepted methods.

Step 2: Request CED Receipt

• Submit the following documents to your local Revenue Agency to request the CED receipt:
• Purchase Invoice: The original invoice detailing the vehicle purchase.
• F24 Form and Payment Proof: Completed F24 form and proof of the VAT payment.

Step 3: Check for Chassis Block During Registration
If the vehicle’s chassis is blocked when attempting registration, check your tax drawer (Cassetto Fiscale) on the Revenue Agency’s online portal.

Step 4: Resolve Chassis Block (only necessary if blocked)
If the chassis is not matched or shows insufficient payment, contact the Revenue Agency to request unblocking.

Step 5: Complete Registration
Once unblocked, proceed with vehicle registration through the Motorizzazione Civile, including paying any other fees and obtaining Italian license plates.

6.9.1. What are the benefits of viewing and paying in my own currency?
You save on bank transfer fees and avoid expensive currency conversion charges. Moreover, you can pay with local currency directly on OPENLANE, helping you complete purchases in less time. No need to convert your customer’s money into euros.

Please be aware that by changing your preferred currency, you commit to paying all future invoices in that currency for as long as your selection remains set to that currency.

6.9.2. Do all countries have access to local currency?
Availability may depend on your region. If the feature is available, you’ll see the option during one of the supported moments:

• During registration
• Through our banner on top of your screen
• From the “My Account” section
• During the order completion steps

6.9.3. Who can choose the currency for my company account?
Only the main contact of your company can select the preferred currency. Once chosen, the selected currency applies to all bidder contacts under the account. The setting will be the default from then on.

6.9.4. When can I choose my preferred local currency?
You can set or update your currency preference:

• During registration
• Through our banner on top of your screen
• From the “My Account” section
• During the order completion steps

6.9.5. Can I switch to my local currency later?
Yes. The main contact can activate the chosen currency at any time, as long as the platform rules and payment setup allow for it. Contact Customer Service if you have questions related to this.

6.9.6. Does this affect how prices are displayed?
Yes. Once your preferred currency is selected, all vehicle prices, fees, and taxes will be shown in that currency alongside the price in €.

Please be aware that by changing your preferred currency, you commit to paying all future invoices in that currency for as long as your selection remains set to that currency.

6.9.7. Does using my local currency affect buyer fees or taxes?
Your currency selection does not change the underlying buyer fees or taxes. It does reduce your bank or conversion charges, depending on your financial institution.

6.9.8. Will real-time exchange rate fluctuations affect my payment?
OPENLANE updates exchange rates daily in line with international foreign exchange markets. Once an auction begins, the applicable exchange rate is locked and remains fixed throughout the auction and transaction process.

This means that the amount displayed in your selected currency when the auction ends is the exact amount you will pay. Exchange rate fluctuations that occur between purchase confirmation and payment will not affect the final amount due. The same fixed exchange rate will also apply to any related vehicle transactions, including claim reimbursements and cancellation refunds.

By paying directly in your local currency, you may avoid additional currency conversion costs and bank transfer fees that can arise when purchasing euros through a bank or other financial institution. When paying in your local currency, make sure to select international payment with your bank, as these payments cannot be made via SEPA.

6.9.9. Will this affect payments I’ve already made?
No. The local currency setting applies to future bids and payments. However, previously confirmed auctions should still be paid in their original confirmation currency.

6.9.10. Is paying in my local currency more cost-effective?
In many cases, yes. Paying directly in your local currency can help you avoid currency conversion fees, exchange rate markups, and additional transfer charges that banks or other financial institutions may apply when converting funds into euros for payment.

When paying in your local currency, make sure to select international payment with your bank, as these payments cannot be made via SEPA.