Every car lease deal on every website has those funny numbers stamped on it. 9+23. 6+35. 3+47. They look like a riddle. They aren't — they're actually the most important number on the page after the monthly price. Here's the plain-English version.
What "9+23" actually means
It's just an abbreviation for the structure of the lease:
- First number = the initial payment, expressed as a multiple of the monthly payment
- Second number = the number of monthly payments that follow
So 9 + 23 means 9 months upfront, then 23 monthly payments after that. Add those together and you get the total term: 9 + 23 = 32 payments, but the term is described as 24 months (because the 9 months upfront cover 9 of the 24 months, and the 23 monthlies cover months 2 through 24 — you can see why the codes are shorter).
📋 The cheat sheet
1+23 = 24-month term, 1 month upfront, 23 monthlies. Lowest cash up front, highest monthly.
9+23 = 24-month term, 9 months upfront, 23 monthlies. Lots of cash up front, lower monthly.
12+23 = 24-month term, 12 months upfront, 23 monthlies. Even more cash up front, even lower monthly.
Common profiles you'll see
| Profile | Total term | Initial | Monthlies after |
|---|---|---|---|
1+23 | 24 months | 1 month | 23 |
3+23 | 24 months | 3 months | 23 |
9+23 | 24 months | 9 months | 23 |
3+35 | 36 months | 3 months | 35 |
6+35 | 36 months | 6 months | 35 |
9+35 | 36 months | 9 months | 35 |
12+35 | 36 months | 12 months | 35 |
6+47 | 48 months | 6 months | 47 |
9+47 | 48 months | 9 months | 47 |
Why this number matters more than people realise
The headline monthly price changes dramatically based on the profile. Same car, same term — different profile, different monthly.
Take a Peugeot e-408 Allure on a 36-month / 5,000 mile lease. The total cost of leasing it is fixed (call it £9,886). What changes is how that total is split between your initial payment and your 35 monthly payments:
| Profile | Initial | Monthly | You pay total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 + 35 | £275 | £275/mo | £9,887 |
| 3 + 35 | £780 | £260/mo | £9,887 |
| 6 + 35 | £1,447 | £241/mo | £9,887 |
| 9 + 35 | £2,022 | £225/mo | £9,887 |
| 12 + 35 | £2,524 | £210/mo | £9,887 |
Notice what happens: putting 12 months down drops the monthly by £65 vs putting just 1 month down. Total cost is the same — but the cashflow shape is completely different.
Which profile is right for you?
Pick a lower initial (1 or 3 months upfront) if:
- You'd rather keep cash in your pocket and pay a higher monthly
- You're moving job or are between bonuses
- You want to use the cash for something else (deposit on a house, etc.)
Pick a higher initial (9 or 12 months upfront) if:
- You've got cash sitting in a current account and want the lowest possible monthly
- Cashflow management matters more than total liquidity
- You want a "show-off" headline figure — most car ads quote the lowest monthly possible, which comes from the highest initial
💡 A common mistake: paying more upfront doesn't save you money overall in a lease (unlike a mortgage or a loan). The total cost is the same. You're just reshuffling when you pay.
Three myths about initial payments
1. "Bigger initial = better deal." Not true. The total cost is fixed. A bigger initial just lowers the monthly headline — it's identical money overall.
2. "It's a deposit I'll get back." No. The initial payment is exactly that — a payment, not a refundable deposit. Once paid, it's gone.
3. "Lower initial means cheaper credit." Also no. Lease finance is structured as fixed monthly rentals; the profile just changes the schedule, not the interest.
Next time you're configuring a deal
On any deal page on Car Leasing Online you can swap between profiles and watch the price recalculate in real-time. Try a few — see what mix of cash-up-front and monthly figure feels right. There's no "wrong" answer, just the one that fits your bank balance.
🚗 Try it now
Open any deal on our site and tap between 1× / 3× / 6× / 9× / 12× initial payment buttons. The numbers move live so you can see exactly what each combination costs.