Dealer Pay
Dealer Pay is a cloud-based payment processing and software platform purpose-built for automotive dealerships, integrating in real time with major DMS systems to unify card, ACH, mobile, and crypto payments across sales, service, and F&I; founded 2018, acquired by Vehlo in 2025, processing $4B+ annually.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersSt Louis, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Dealer Pay does
Dealer Pay is a St. Charles, Missouri-based payment processing and software platform built exclusively for automotive dealerships. Founded in 2018 and operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Vehlo since its May 2025 acquisition, the company delivers a web-based, cloud-connected payment platform that integrates in real time with the dominant dealership management systems (CDK Global, Reynolds and Reynolds, Tekion, Dealertrack/DMS+, Auto/Mate, DealerBuilt, Autosoft, Lightspeed, Dominion Vue, and PBS), auto-reconciling card, ACH/check, fleet card, mobile wallet (Apple Pay, Google Pay), and cryptocurrency transactions directly into deal jackets, repair orders, and customer records.
The product is structured as four tiered subscriptions — DP CORE, DP PLUS, DP PRO, and DP ELITE — under three-year contracts, with revenue derived from interchange and transaction processing fees, surcharge and cash-discount programs that let dealers pass up to 3% of card costs to customers, and add-on services such as hosted pay-by-text/email links, recurring billing, the DP Moves mobile terminal, fraud scoring through Kount, and PCI-DSS-compliant tokenization. Distribution combines a direct enterprise sales motion (with a "Request a Demo" funnel and named contacts at 636.442.4901 and 888.848.3812) with channel partnerships through DMS providers and a growing roster of state dealer associations (NYSADA as Preferred Payment Systems Vendor, alongside IADA, KADA, MADA, OADA, WATDA, DATDA, and others), reaching both single-location independents and multi-rooftop dealer groups across the United States and Canada.
The platform processes over $4B in annual transaction volume, claimed to reduce dealers' payment processing costs by 75% and transaction time by 40% (to under 10 seconds), and was recognized on the Inc. 5000 list in 2025 (#891) with reported 433% three-year revenue growth. Leadership is led by founder and CEO Julie Douglas, with COO Shannon Wischmeyer, CTO Nathan Ratcliff, SVP of Sales Travis Siebert, and directors overseeing partner and dealer relations.
Dealer Pay firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Dealer Pay
- Legal name
- Dealer Pay LLC
- Website
- https://dealer-pay.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Dealer Pay is a cloud-based payment processing and software platform purpose-built for automotive dealerships, integrating in real time with major DMS systems to unify card, ACH, mobile, and crypto payments across sales, service, and F&I; founded 2018, acquired by Vehlo in 2025, processing $4B+ annually.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Dealer Pay industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Automotive Payment Processing Software
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle and Parts Dealers (441)
- SIC
- Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations (5500)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management) (FSAMABAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus) (FSAMABAC), Merchant Payment Gateways (API/Hosted Checkout) (FSAMACAA), Smart Routing, Cascading & Payment Optimization (FSAMACAJ), Recurring Billing, Subscriptions & Tokenized Payments (CRAFALAH)
Keywords
Where Dealer Pay is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- St Louis
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Dealer Pay business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Payment Processing Fees: Dealer Pay earns revenue through interchange optimization and transaction processing fees. Dealers can pass up to 3% of credit card processing fees to customers through compliant surcharge programs (Pay Share) or offer cash discounts (Consumer Choice).
- Surcharge and Cash Discount Programs: Dealer Pay enables dealers to recover revenue by implementing compliant surcharge (Pay Share) programs where up to 3% of credit card fees are passed to customers, or cash discounting programs offering discounts for cash/debit payments.
- Subscription Platform Fees: Multi-tiered platform subscriptions (CORE, PLUS, PRO, ELITE) with varying feature sets. Contracts are 3-year terms with 60-day cancellation period after onboarding. Early termination incurs a fee equal to 3 months of software fees.
- Add-on Services: Additional fees may apply for on-site installation, check image fees, mobile cellular fees, token transfer fees, gift card import fees, POS rental or purchase fees, authorization fees, OCR image fees, and banking fees.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | CORE: All-in-one platform to accept cards, checks & more—online or in-store. Includes transaction management, fraud prevention, and rate optimization. |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PLUS: Adds automation with pay-by-text/email, stored payment data, recurring billing, mobile, and real-time fraud deflection. |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | PRO: Connects it all with DMS integrations, RO/Deal syncing, smart reconciliation, gift/rewards, and dashboard analytics. |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | ELITE: Enterprise-ready with dealer-branded financing, payables, vendor portal, crypto exchange, virtual kiosks, and intelligent reporting. |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
Dealer Pay product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Dealer Pay is a cloud-based payment processing platform purpose-built for automotive dealerships, integrating directly with major DMS systems (CDK, Reynolds, Tekion, Dealertrack, Auto/Mate, and others) to process credit/debit cards, checks/ACH, fleet cards, mobile wallets, and cryptocurrency. The platform automates reconciliation by posting transactions into deal jackets and repair orders, and offers surcharge (Pay Share) and cash discount (Consumer Choice) programs that allow dealers to pass up to 3% of credit card fees to customers. Its four-tier subscription (CORE, PLUS, PRO, ELITE) is sold under 3-year contracts with white-glove onboarding and PCI-compliant security including Kount fraud scoring.
Product overview
Dealer Pay is a multi-tiered payment platform built exclusively for automotive dealerships, offering a modular architecture across four product tiers: DP CORE (base payment acceptance), DP PLUS (automation features), DP PRO (DMS integration and compliance), and DP ELITE (enterprise capabilities). The platform unifies payments across sales, service, parts, F&I, and back-office operations through seamless DMS integration with CDK, Reynolds, Tekion, Dealertrack, Auto/Mate, and other systems. Key modules include streamlined payment processing, profit recovery tools, security and compliance tools, transaction management, mobile solutions, advanced reporting and analytics, and expert support and training. The platform is designed to connect every department, automate reconciliation, and pass up to 3% of credit card fees to customers while maintaining PCI compliance.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 75% reduction in payment processing costs
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Dealer Pay
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Dealer Pay technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration18 records
Feature6 records
Dealer Pay partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- DriveCentriccoreStrategic partnership integrating Dealer Pay's compliant payment collection into DriveCentric's CRM workflows. Enables dealerships to complete the workflow from conversation to revenue without disconnected systems or manual handoffs. DriveCentric is a modern automotive CRM and engagement platform. Joint keynote-style session presented at NADA 2026.
- CrossCheck, Inc.coreStrategic partnership combining Dealer Pay's cutting-edge POS solutions with CrossCheck's advanced check, ACH, Remote Deposit Capture, and risk mitigation services. Creates a robust and seamless ecosystem for automotive dealers. CrossCheck's proprietary technologies fit strategically into Dealer Pay's POS platform.
- Auto/MatecoreDealer-Pay's payment acceptance platform integrated with Auto/Mate DMS through the Open/Mate integration program. Syncs real-time data from Auto/Mate including consumer information, repair orders, parts tickets, deal details, and amounts owed. Customers can pay in person, through text/email hosted links, and online.
- New York State Automobile Dealers Association (NYSADA)coreDealer Pay named Official Partner and Preferred Payment Systems Vendor for NYSADA. Provides member dealerships with exclusive access to integrated payment solutions, dedicated customer support, and special member programs. Sets new standard for payment processing across New York's automotive dealerships.
- CDK GlobalcoreIntegration partnership with CDK Global DMS enabling real-time data exchange for dealers using CDK's dealer management system.
- Reynolds and ReynoldscoreIntegration partnership with Reynolds DMS enabling seamless data sync and auto-reconciliation for Reynolds dealer customers.
- TekioncoreIntegration partnership with Tekion's cloud-native DMS platform enabling modern dealership integration.
- Dealertrack/DMS+coreIntegration partnership with Dealertrack DMS providing data connectivity for Dealertrack dealer customers.
- IADA (Illinois Automobile Dealers Association)coreAssociation partnership with IADA providing co-marketing, webinars (Uncover Hidden Payment Costs), and member referrals.
- Iowa Automobile Dealers AssociationminorAssociation partnership for dealer referrals in Iowa.
- KADA (Kansas Automobile Dealers Association)minorAssociation partnership for dealer referrals in Kansas.
- MADA (Multiple state associations)minorAssociation partnerships with Maryland, Massachusetts, and/or Minnesota automobile dealer associations.
- NNCTDA (Northern Nevada Car Truck Dealers Association)minorAssociation partnership for dealer referrals in Northern Nevada.
- OADA (Ohio Automobile Dealers Association)minorAssociation partnership for dealer referrals in Ohio.
- WATDA (Wisconsin Automobile Truck Dealers Association)minorAssociation partnership for dealer referrals in Wisconsin.
- DATDA (Delaware Automibile and Truck Dealers Association)minorAssociation partnership for dealer referrals in Delaware.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Dealer Pay competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Strengths5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Dealer Pay social profiles
Digital presenceDealer Pay compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
Dealer Pay financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Dealer Pay leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Dealer Pay funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Dealer Pay M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Dealer Pay
What does Dealer Pay do?
Dealer Pay is a cloud-based payment processing platform purpose-built for automotive dealerships, integrating directly with major DMS systems (CDK, Reynolds, Tekion, Dealertrack, Auto/Mate, and others) to process credit/debit cards, checks/ACH, fleet cards, mobile wallets, and cryptocurrency. The platform automates reconciliation by posting transactions into deal jackets and repair orders, and offers surcharge (Pay Share) and cash discount (Consumer Choice) programs that allow dealers to pass up to 3% of credit card fees to customers. Its four-tier subscription (CORE, PLUS, PRO, ELITE) is sold under 3-year contracts with white-glove onboarding and PCI-compliant security including Kount fraud scoring.
Is Dealer Pay a public or private company?
Dealer Pay is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Dealer Pay founded?
Dealer Pay was founded in 2018. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Dealer Pay based?
Dealer Pay is headquartered in St Louis, United States, in the North America region.
How does Dealer Pay make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Payment Processing Fees are the primary driver. The others are surcharge and Cash Discount Programs, subscription Platform Fees and add-on Services.
Does Dealer Pay have an API?
Yes. Dealer Pay Connect API enables integrations with DMS providers and allows pushing information and closing repair orders into DMS systems. The API is referenced in the Terms of Service as enabling data extraction and system integration capabilities for DMS or service lane technology integrations. Developer documentation is at docs.dealer-pay.com.
What industry is Dealer Pay in?
Dealer Pay's product category is Automotive Payment Processing Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSAMABAF, Marketplace / Platform Acquiring (PayFac & Sub-Merchant Management), with a secondary code of FSAMABAC, Card-Present Acquirers (Retail & POS Focus). Its NAICS code is 441 and its SIC code is 5500.