Your dealership’s digital storefront needs to be transparent, engaging, and designed to move anonymous visitors to committed buyers. But behind the scenes, your sales team is often spending hours sifting through low-quality internet leads that are basically just form submissions from shoppers who don't even know if they can afford the vehicle they were viewing.
That’s exactly the problem Payment Preview and Payment Calculator were built to solve.
These two new Virtual Retailing (VR) features go hand-in-hand to bring upfront vehicle pricing and payment information directly to your online shoppers. By allowing customers to see exactly what they want to see without needing to jump through hoops, you’re showing you’re committed to delivering the best possible shopping experience.
What Are Payment Preview & Payment Calculator?
These features transform your website's Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs) into active, self-service retail tools:
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Payment Preview automatically displays estimated monthly financing and lease payments right on the VDP without requiring a form submission first.
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Payment Calculator adds a customizable "Customize Payments" button. With one click, shoppers can open an interactive window to adjust variables like credit score tiers, down payment amounts, and terms across finance, lease, or cash scenarios.
Once a customer builds a monthly payment that fits their budget, clicking "Continue" seamlessly pushes their exact customized terms directly into the VR deal flow to complete the transaction.
Dealerships can customize the name of the button, choose to only display estimates after a ZIP code is entered, or hide additional discounts until a lead form is finalized.
Why That Matters for Dealerships
Dealership sales teams handle a massive volume of digital inquiries, but high volume doesn't always equal high profit. A shopper's number one question is usually, "Can I afford this car and what is the payment?" and to get the answer, they’re usually forced into a lead form, which can either stall them or even drive them away.
By giving buyers the upfront payment details, likely the main reason they visited your site, you’re standing ahead of the competitors that make it complicated, and your resulting leads are quality opportunities.
We’ve seen these strategies drive results firsthand at Ken Garff Auto Group, learn more in our latest
case study.
Make Every Opportunity Count With Virtual Retailing
Maximize your team's time where it matters most. By letting the VR platform handle routine payment exploration with customizable lead gate options, your dealership can protect its lead volume while ensuring your sales team is focused on ready-to-buy shoppers.
Payment Preview and Payment Calculator are now live for VR customers. Contact your Client Success Representative (CSR) to set them up today!
Interested in seeing what Virtual Retailing can bring to your dealership? Check it out
here and schedule a demo!