Auto dealers are heading into 2026 with stronger sales volume, but far less certainty across day-to-day operations.
Margins remain tight. Consumer expectations continue to rise. Risk is shifting in ways that are not always obvious on the surface. As a result, many dealers are using this year’s NADA Show as a checkpoint, not just a trade show.
Why dealers come to NADA in the first place
Dealers attend NADA to work on the business, not just in it.
The show brings together owners, general managers, fixed ops leaders, and OEM partners to focus on:
- Improving operational efficiency across departments
- Evaluating technology and vendors side by side
- Understanding where cost, risk, and complexity are increasing
- Gaining insight into consumer behavior and regulatory pressure
- Setting priorities for the year ahead
These conversations are practical. They are tied directly to cash flow, customer experience, and long-term stability.
That context matters, because many of the challenges dealers are discussing are interconnected. Payment risk is one of them.
Payment risk is no longer limited to one lane
Payment exposure used to feel contained. Showroom transactions carried higher dollar amounts. Service lanes focused on speed and volume. Parts and delivery followed their own processes.
That separation no longer holds.
Today, payment risk shows up across the dealership:
- In the showroom, where large-dollar transactions still rely on checks or bank payments
- In the service lane, where speed can override verification
- In parts and delivery, especially when transactions happen remotely
The issue is not the payment method itself. It is uncertainty around whether funds are truly protected once the transaction is complete.
Debit and bank payments are often assumed to be lower risk, but that assumption is breaking down
Debit and bank payments have long been treated as dependable options. In practice, the risk picture has changed.
Fraud liability has steadily shifted toward merchants. Unauthorized transactions, returned payments, and disputes tied to debit and bank payments increasingly land on the dealer, not the bank. In many cases, the exposure is not obvious until the loss occurs.
As a result, payment strategy has moved out of the back office and into leadership discussions.
Flexibility still matters, but certainty matters more
Consumers want choice. Dealers want to move transactions quickly and close deals without friction.
Offering flexibility without protection, however, introduces risk that quietly erodes profitability. A single loss may seem manageable. Repeated exposure across departments adds up over time.
That is why more dealers are reassessing how payments are handled across their operations. The goal is not to reduce options, but to wrap certainty around them.
Guarantees. Risk controls. Clear reporting.
The question has shifted from “How many ways can a customer pay?” to “Which of those payments are actually protected?”
Where CrossCheck fits into this shift
CrossCheck works with dealers who want flexibility without taking on unnecessary risk, particularly when it comes to bank payments.
ACH continues to grow across dealership operations, from down payments to service and parts. Traditional ACH, however, can leave dealers exposed to returns, disputes, and timing issues that impact cash flow and reconciliation.
That is where CrossCheck changes the equation.
From the showroom to the service lane, CrossCheck helps dealers:
- Accept bank payments through Guaranteed ACH, reducing exposure to returns and unauthorized transactions
- Continue offering check payments with guarantee, including large-dollar transactions
- Provide flexible payment options without shifting risk back onto the dealership
- Gain real-time visibility into payment status, exceptions, and performance
Instead of choosing between speed and protection, dealers can offer bank payments with confidence and consistency across the operation.
The goal is not to replace customer choice. It is to ensure that when funds are accepted, they are protected.
Heading into NADA with clarity
Payment risk does not announce itself. It shows up quietly, transaction by transaction.
Dealers who are getting ahead are not limiting customer choice. They are putting guardrails in place to protect revenue while keeping operations moving.
CrossCheck will be attending NADA at Booth 2554W. We have been part of this industry for nearly three decades, working alongside dealers as payment methods, risk profiles, and customer expectations have evolved.
The conversations may change year to year, but the objective stays the same: help dealers accept payments with confidence and protect cash flow across the operation.
If you are attending the show, we would welcome the opportunity to connect.
