How are profits calculated?

2 min read·Updated April 2026

Every car in scan results shows two numbers: estimated profit (in £) and margin (%). Both come from the same simple maths — here’s exactly how we work them out.

The formulas

Profit = AT Retail Value − Buy Price (the auction reserve or highest bid)
Margin % = Profit ÷ AT Retail Value × 100

Worked example

A BMW 3 Series with reserve £14,200 and AT retail £17,800:

Profit = £17,800 − £14,200 = £3,600
Margin = £3,600 ÷ £17,800 × 100 = 20.2%

Profit-bucket colours

Row colours mirror the profit thresholds set on the filter. The defaults are Quick Flip £1,500+, Main £2,500+, and Luxury £4,000+ — but every threshold is per-filter, so you can tune them per stock category. A £2,000 profit on a Corsa is a win; on a 5 Series it isn’t.

These figures are gross before-cost margin. They don’t include VAT, prep costs, transport, MOT or repair work, finance costs, or sale-fee deductions. Always layer your own cost model on top before bidding.

Why some cars show no profit

Missing AT retail — no AutoTrader subscription connected and the spec was a Tier F miss for the Scan Auctions engine.
Missing buy price — some platforms hide the reserve until you place a bid.

Filter by minimum profit to skip the noise. Most dealers don’t chase anything under £1,500 gross — once costs come off, there’s nothing left.

What is the AT Rating?How to create a filter What is Scan Auctions Valuation?

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