Spread the cost of an automated storage and retrieval system from £200,000 to £3,000,000+ with flexible finance options. HP, lease, or refinance, compare rates from 40+ lenders.
Yes, automated storage systems are financed as a standard asset purchase, usually on hire purchase or a lease, with the machine itself acting as the security. UK prices typically run £200,000 to £3,000,000, and most deals are written over 60–120 months with a deposit of around 20–25%. Decisions typically take 3–6 weeks. Used machines are financeable too, usually with a shorter term.
Typical Cost
£200k – £3000k
Approval Speed
3–6 weeks
Treated as a project finance decision
Rates From
5.9% APR
Your estimate
Indicative only. Not a quote and not an offer of finance.
Pre-filled with a typical automated storage system price. Indicative only, not a quote.
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Check EligibilityOn a purchase price of £700,000: a 10% deposit of £70,000, then 48 monthly payments of £14,767 at 5.9% APR representative (fixed). Total amount payable £778,816, including the deposit. The rate you are offered depends on your business and the asset.
Guide prices for sizing a finance agreement, not quotes. Manufacturers in this market mostly price on application, so where a current UK list price could not be confirmed the row describes a specification class rather than naming a model. Your supplier quote is what the agreement is written against.
| Machine or specification | Guide price | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Mini-load automated storage and retrieval shuttle system | £200,000 – £600,000 | Mini-Load AS/RS |
| Mid-scale pallet AS/RS with multiple aisles | £700,000 – £1,500,000 | Mid-Scale Pallet AS/RS |
| Full high-bay automated warehouse installation | £1,500,000 – £3,000,000+ | High-Bay Automated Warehouse |
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Check EligibilityThe racking, shuttles or stacker cranes, and control systems within an automated storage and retrieval system are plant and machinery, qualifying for the Annual Investment Allowance and letting a business deduct the full cost from taxable profits in the year of purchase, up to £1,000,000, under Hire Purchase. Where the racking structure supports the building roof, as in a high-bay clad rack building, an accountant should confirm how much of the project sits within plant and machinery rules versus being treated as part of the building.
Larger distribution operators, third-party logistics providers, and retailers with high SKU counts buy automated storage and retrieval systems to increase storage density and picking speed beyond what conventional racking and manual picking can achieve. Finance is standard for equipment at this scale, since an AS/RS installation is one of the biggest single capital projects a business will undertake, and spreading the cost over a longer term matches the many years these systems typically stay in productive use. Replacement or expansion is generally driven by SKU growth outstripping storage density, throughput demands increasing with order volumes, or a business relocating to a new, larger facility. Because these systems are built into a specific building and racking structure, there is very little market for a complete used system, though shuttles, stacker cranes, and control hardware occasionally get refurbished and redeployed within the same operator's network.
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