Guides and Resources
Recession-Proof Your Dealership: How Surcharge Programs Drive Profit in 2025
How Pass-the-Fee Models Help Dealers Stay Profitable During Economic Uncertainty Why This Matters: As the auto industry faces tightening margins, slower inventory turnover, and cautious consumers, many dealerships are bracing for a new kind of financial pressure. Interest rate hikes, inflationary costs, and shifting buyer behaviour are creating a storm…
Customer Choice vs Hidden Fees: Why Transparency Wins in 2025
In 2025, transparency isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s a competitive edge – and for many businesses, a survival strategy. As consumers become more informed, connected, and values-driven, the old game of hidden fees and fine print is losing traction. Instead, a rising wave of behavioral economics and generational preferences point…
Pass-the-Fee Starts Here: Why Fixed Ops is the Best Launch Point
For dealerships implementing pass-the-fee or upgrading their payment systems, some of the most impactful changes start not at the front desk or showroom floor, but in the back-where margins are protected and customer loyalty is earned. Launching in the Parts and Service departments – where transactions are frequent, lower ticket,…
5 Steps to Launch a Compliant Pass the Fee Program in your Dealership
When done right, a pass-the-fee program is one of the most straightforward, high-impact ways for dealerships to protect their margins. But success isn’t just about flipping a switch – it’s about launching with confidence, compliance, and clarity. From legal obligations to staff preparation, this is your go-to checklist for rolling…
How One Dealer Group Saved $366,886 with a Pass the Fee Rollout
For modern dealership groups, margin compression is a constant challenge. Between rising operating costs, credit card fees, and pressure to maintain CSI scores, profitability is often dictated not by how much you sell, but by how efficiently you operate. That’s why one national dealer group made the decision to implement…
Is Your Surcharge Program Compliant? Here’s What Dealers Need to Know
Running a dealership means managing thin margins, rising operating costs, and complex vendor relationships. For many dealers, a compliant surcharge program offers a smart way to recover credit card processing fees without raising prices. But there’s a catch: non-compliance can cost you more than the fees ever did. Visa and…
Smart Margin Growth for Dealerships: Recover Revenue Without Raising Prices
Raising prices isn’t always an option. Sticker shock can lose sales, damage reputation, and slow down volume. Yet margin pressure never disappears. For dealerships serious about protecting profitability, the real opportunity isn’t just in selling smarter-it’s in operating smarter. That means finding hidden costs, recovering lost revenue, and improving the…
The True Cost of Credit Card Processing for Dealerships – and How to Reclaim It with a Pass-the-Fee Programs
Profitability isn’t just about selling cars anymore. For dealerships today, real performance is measured in operational precision – and every overlooked cost adds up faster than ever. While fixed operations have traditionally been a dependable source of gross profit, even these departments are feeling the strain of rising operating expenses…
Chargebacks: What You Can (Actually) Do to Prevent Them
Rescue Payments understands the full risk picture, not just your processing fees. When businesses think about payment processing, the conversation usually starts with fees. And that makes sense – for many businesses, payment processing represents one of their largest monthly operating expenses. But behind the scenes, there’s another important consideration:…
Credit Card Surcharge Notice: Examples and Templates for Canadian Companies
If you’re considering adopting a pass-the-fee model, one of the most important aspects to get right is how you communicate it to your customers. Card networks like Visa and Mastercard have strict rules around how and where surcharge notices must appear – and failing to follow them can result in…
