A professionally fitted Scorpion tracker from OJB Autocare starts at £150 supply and fit for the Scorpion S7-ALS and £350 supply and fit for the Scorpion S5-VTS. With an annual monitoring plan added, the first year comes to £289 for the S7-ALS and £505 for the S5-VTS.
These are starting examples based on published prices checked on 7 November 2026. Your final fitted price and plan terms come from a written quote for your vehicle. A much lower figure online may cover the device alone or a self-fit unit, which is a different way of buying a tracker. Current prices are on our Scorpion tracker and subscription table.
What makes up the cost of a car tracker
Most tracker prices combine three parts. When you know which parts a price includes, you can avoid comparing a device-only figure with a fully fitted, monitored setup.
- Hardware. This is the tracking unit itself, plus any driver recognition tags that come with the model.
- Fitting. This is the labour to install the unit in your vehicle. OJB's S7-ALS and S5-VTS prices cover supply and fitting together.
- Monitoring plan. This is the subscription that keeps the service running. For Scorpion trackers it includes active monitoring and app access, and it is priced separately from supply and fit.
Some offers bundle a first period of service into the upfront price. Check whether yours does, so you don't count the same year twice.
App-based trackers and monitored trackers
An app-based self-fit tracker usually shows the vehicle's location on your phone and leaves you to decide what to do. Some of these units charge for data or extra features separately, even when the app itself is free. This self-fit product page is one example of a free app with a separate required data plan.
A professionally fitted monitored tracker has a device and fitting cost, plus the plan its service needs. With Scorpion, the subscription covers active monitoring and app access. Whichever route you choose, ask who responds when an alert is raised and what happens next.
What to ask before accepting a fitted quote
Two fitted quotes with the same headline price can cover different things. The difference usually comes down to two points.
- What the package includes. One price may cover the device, the installation labour and any driver recognition tags, while another covers less. Ask the fitter to list each item in writing.
- Whether the first plan term is bundled. Some quotes include a first period of monitoring in the upfront price and others charge for it separately. Ask which term the quote assumes and what it costs, so you don't count the same year twice.
OJB's displayed prices cover supply and fitting for the named models. Your written quote confirms the exact figure for your vehicle and postcode, and the quote checklist below covers the other details to confirm.
Tracker totals over one and three years
The table adds OJB's starting supply and fit price to Scorpion's published annual and prepaid three-year plans. Prices were checked on 7 November 2026 and the totals include no extras.
| Model | Supply and fit | First year with annual plan | Three years with prepaid plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scorpion S7-ALS (Thatcham S7) | £150 | £289 (£150 + £139) | £479 (£150 + £329) |
| Scorpion S5-VTS (Thatcham S5) | £350 | £505 (£350 + £155) | £695 (£350 + £345) |
The first year carries the one-off supply and fitting charge. Each later year on an annual plan covers the subscription alone, which is £139 for the S7-ALS and £155 for the S5-VTS at today's published rates. Check the price whenever a term comes up for renewal, because future rates may differ.
Three annual terms compared with one prepaid term
The figures below compare three separate annual terms over the same three years, with today's annual rate held constant. They are an illustration only.
- For the S7-ALS, £150 + 3 × £139 = £567. That is £88 more than the £479 prepaid total.
- For the S5-VTS, £350 + 3 × £155 = £815. That is £120 more than the £695 prepaid total.
Work out the total for any quote
Use this simple formula with figures from any provider.
Total cost = supply and fit + (plan price × number of terms) + any other charges listed on the quote
For the S7-ALS on a prepaid three-year plan, that gives £150 + (£329 × 1) = £479. For a self-fit unit, use the device price in place of supply and fit, then add any data or feature plan.
Car tracker quote comparator
Enter one or two written quotes to compare the cash each needs over the first 12 and 36 months and to see which costs are still unknown. No email or registration is needed.
Each charge counts in the period when it is paid. Charges at fitting count in both periods. A charge due exactly at month 12 or month 36 falls outside that period.
The comparator needs JavaScript. You can apply the same method by hand using the worked totals in this guide.
Cash totals by period
Payments year by year
Each bar groups payments by the date they are charged, on one shared scale for both quotes. A prepaid term sits in the year you pay it, even when it covers later years.
- Upfront and one-off charges
- Separate initial plan payment
- Scheduled monitoring payments
Check three things before comparing price
A lower total only helps if both quotes meet the same requirement and cover the same work. Work through these three checks in order, starting with any tracker condition written into your insurance policy.
Start with your policy requirement
Read your insurance schedule or ask your insurer whether a tracker is required and which category applies, such as S5 or S7. Confirm any model, installer, paperwork or activation conditions with the insurer before treating a quote as suitable.
Match what each quote covers
Check that each quote names the device, category, supply, fitting and VAT, plus any activation charge. Note how many months of monitoring are included and whether recovery support is part of the service, so both quotes describe equivalent work.
Then compare payments and terms
Enter the upfront amount, any separate initial plan payment and each renewal fee with its billing interval. Compare the 12-month and three-year cash totals alongside the minimum term, cancellation and transfer terms in each provider's written conditions.
See how payment timing changes the totals
Each example loads made-up figures into the comparator to show one pricing pattern you may see on real quotes. None of these figures are OJB prices. Use your own written quotes for a real comparison.
Annual billing vs a prepaid term
Quote A costs £240 upfront plus £120 billed each year from fitting: £360 in the first 12 months and £600 over three years. Quote B costs £180 upfront plus £350 prepaid for 36 months: £530 for both periods. B needs £170 more in year one but £70 less over three years. Its renewal at month 36 sits outside both totals.
Monthly vs annual billing
Both quotes charge £200 for fitting. Quote A bills £12.50 a month: £350 in the first 12 months and £650 over three years. Quote B bills £140 a year: £340 and £620. Annual billing costs £10 less in year one and £30 less over three years here, but the payment interval alone does not tell you the minimum term or cancellation conditions.
Bundled first year, renewal unknown
Quote A costs £300 upfront including 12 months of monitoring, with the renewal price unknown. Quote B costs £240 upfront plus £120 a year: £360 and £600. A is £60 cheaper in year one. Over three years only £300 of A is known, so no difference is shown. A stays cheaper only if its year-two and year-three renewals total less than £300.
Is each quote ready to compare?
Tick each item once both quotes answer it in writing. Your ticks are not saved or sent anywhere.
Help with entering a quote
What if a quote shows VAT separately?
Add the VAT so the upfront figure shows what you will actually pay. If a quote lists supply or fitting plus VAT, ask the installer for the VAT-inclusive total in writing, and check monitoring fees the same way. Comparing a price with VAT against one without it can make the wrong quote look cheaper.
How do I enter monitoring that is already included in the price?
Choose the option for an initial term that is paid or included, then enter the number of months it covers. If that monitoring is already part of the fitted price, keep it in the upfront figure and enter £0 as the separate initial charge, so the same cost is never counted twice. Enter a separate initial charge only when the quote lists it as its own line. The first renewal starts when the initial term ends.
Who charges the subscription?
It depends on the quote. The installer may collect it, or the tracker provider may bill you directly after fitting. Ask who takes each payment, how it is collected and when the first one is due. The comparator only needs the amount and interval, but knowing who bills tells you who to contact about renewals.
Why does a prepaid plan show its whole cost in year one?
The comparator counts cash on the date you pay it. A fictional £350 prepayment for 36 months adds £350 to year one, not about £117 a year. That shows how much money each quote needs early on. Over three years the full amount still counts once, so the longer totals remain directly comparable.
What does an unknown renewal mean?
Keep any included term as entered, then leave the renewal amount or interval blank if the quote does not state it. The comparator shows the payments that are known, marks each affected period as incomplete and shows no difference for that period. Ask the installer or provider for the renewal fee and billing interval in writing, then enter them to see a complete three-year comparison.
What if my policy and a quote show different S5 or S7 labels?
The comparator flags any difference between the labels in words and keeps each category exactly as entered. A matching label confirms only that the labels match. Your insurer decides which tracker your policy accepts, so ask them to confirm the category, model, installer and any proof they need before you book.
Renewal charges stay at the amounts entered. Charges are counted when paid, without proration. No refunds, discounts or premium savings are included. Billing frequency does not determine cancellation rights.
When you are ready, request a fitting quote. Have your vehicle's make, model and registration to hand, along with your insurer's tracker requirement and the written quotes you have compared.
Monthly, annual, prepaid and lifetime plans explained
- Monthly. You pay in smaller instalments. Scorpion lists monthly plans at £12.49 for the S7-ALS and £13.49 for the S5. Twelve payments at those rates come to £149.88 and £161.88 in subscription charges alone, against £139 and £155 for the annual plans.
- Annual. One payment covers a year of monitoring and app access.
- Prepaid three-year. One payment covers three years. At £329 for the S7-ALS and £345 for the S5-VTS, it costs less than three annual terms at today's rates.
- Lifetime. Scorpion's lifetime cover applies to the original customer's ownership of the subscribed vehicle. It doesn't move to another customer or another vehicle.
Monthly payment is about how often you pay, and it can still sit within a minimum term. The Scorpion user guide describes a 12-month minimum. Ask Scorpion for the current minimum, renewal and cancellation terms before you choose. Full plan details are on Scorpion's subscriptions page.
Plan transfer and hardware transfer
Moving a plan and moving the hardware are separate questions. A lifetime plan stays with the original owner and vehicle. Whether the unit itself can be moved, or re-registered to a new keeper, is something to raise with the provider. Scorpion's support page covers its ownership process.
Matching the tracker to your insurance
Thatcham defines Category S5 as vehicle tracking and Category S7 as asset location, as set out in its security certification definitions. The Scorpion S5-VTS adds automatic driver recognition tags.
If your insurer asks for a tracker, use the exact policy wording to check the model or category, installer, activation, certificate, deadline and subscription it requires. Which trackers an insurer recognises, and any effect on your premium, depends on the individual policy. Our guide to insurance-approved S5 and S7 trackers helps when a policy decides the category for you.
OJB sets out the fitted price for the Scorpion S5+ and its subscription as separate items on your individual quote. Our public tariff table covers the S7-ALS and S5-VTS only.
Quote checklist
Have these details ready, or confirm them in writing, before you compare quotes.
- The exact model and its Thatcham category, matched to your policy wording
- Your vehicle make and model, and the postcode where it will be fitted
- What the price includes, such as the device, fitting and any tags
- Whether VAT is included and whether any travel, activation or other extras apply
- The plan type, its term and price, and whether a first period is bundled
- How and when you receive proof of activation or a certificate for your insurer
Get a quote for your vehicle
OJB Autocare offers mobile tracker fitting in Yorkshire by postcode, and fitting at our Pollington workshop by appointment. Send your vehicle details and your insurer's wording through our tracker fitting page, or contact us for a quote.
Car tracker cost questions
Can I get a car tracker without a subscription?
Yes, some self-fit devices are sold without a monthly plan. What Car?'s GPS car tracker roundup lists some devices without ongoing fees, while other self-fit units, such as this Ubee product, need a separate data plan. Before you buy, check what data or service is included, how long it lasts, and whether your policy requires active monitoring. A self-fit device won't necessarily meet an insurer's condition, so check the exact policy wording. Scorpion's subscription covers its monitoring and app access.
Does paying monthly mean I can cancel at any time?
Monthly payment and the minimum term are separate things. The Scorpion user guide describes a 12-month minimum. Ask Scorpion for the current minimum and cancellation terms before you sign up.
What happens to the plan if I sell the car?
Scorpion's lifetime cover applies to the original customer's ownership of the subscribed vehicle and doesn't move to another customer or vehicle. For questions about transferring the hardware or the account, contact Scorpion through its support page.
When can I get proof of installation for my insurer?
Scorpion's certificate becomes available once the subscription is paid and activated. Ask your insurer which documents it needs and by what date. Scorpion's support page explains how to get the certificate.
