Lease Here Pay Here Payment Performance
Education Guide for Used Car Dealers
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Improve portfolio health and reduce avoidable losses with focused lease here pay here payment performance education tailored for used car dealers. This page explains the metrics that matter, field-tested processes, and practical tools that help customers pay on time while strengthening long term relationships. From onboarding and payment option design to reminders, late stage collections, and data driven monitoring, you will find clear guidance you can put to work quickly in your operation. Explore real world best practices for customer communication, risk controls, compliance awareness, and technology integration that support consistent, predictable cash flow. Whether you are launching lease here pay here, optimizing a mature program, or training a growing team, use this resource to build a disciplined approach that aligns customer success with dealership profitability and portfolio stability.

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This education hub distills the fundamentals of payment performance for lease here pay here dealers into repeatable steps, scorecards, and coaching tips. Learn how to set expectations, remove payment friction, and act on early risk signals. For deeper dives and related topics, visit the internal links provided below.

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2023 Conference Photo
2023 Conference Photo
2023 Conference Photo
Sales Techniques
Advanced Marketing Strategies
Underwriting Best Practices
Collections Management
Smart Inventory Control
Service & Reconditioning
Human Resources
AI Dealership Integration
... and much, much more!

What payment performance means in lease here pay here

Payment performance is the consistent, on time customer behavior that keeps lease obligations current over the full term. In a lease here pay here model, you control the customer experience, underwriting, servicing, and account management inside your store or centralized team. Strong performance reflects the quality of your deal structure, customer fit, onboarding, communication cadence, and loss mitigation processes. It also reflects your culture and coaching. When these elements work together, you see higher current rates, lower delinquency, faster roll rates back to current, fewer charge offs, and healthier cash flow.

Why it matters to used car dealers

Reliable payments support reconditioning, payroll, inventory acquisition, marketing, and growth. A small improvement in on time rate compounds across your portfolio, raising effective yield while stabilizing operations. It also enhances customer satisfaction. Clear expectations, convenient options, and empathetic outreach help customers succeed and recommend your store. That reputation improves lead quality and long term unit economics.

Essential performance metrics and targets

Use a concise scorecard to keep teams aligned. Track daily and weekly, review monthly, and coach continuously. Define targets in your policy manual and train to them.

  • Current rate - percent of accounts 0 to 7 days past due. Goal: as high as possible, often above 85 percent depending on portfolio mix.
  • Delinquency buckets - 8 to 14, 15 to 29, 30 to 59, 60 plus days. Goal: keep 30 plus days low and shrinking month over month.
  • Roll rate - percent moving between buckets each week. Goal: higher cures to current, lower progression to deeper delinquency.
  • Promise kept rate - promises to pay kept within 48 hours. Goal: above 80 percent with disciplined follow up.
  • Extensions or modifications - volume and impact. Goal: use as a structured retention tool with clear rules and documentation.

Design the deal for payment success

Great collections start at the desk. Align payment schedule, due date, and first payment timing with the customer cash flow. Offer multiple low friction ways to pay, and eliminate avoidable barriers. Present choices, confirm understanding, and document acceptance.

  • Payment cadence fit - weekly, biweekly, or semi monthly aligned to paydays. Avoid odd cycles that create confusion.
  • Due date selection - provide a due date picker within policy limits. Reinforce the exact next due amount and date at delivery.
  • First payment timing - reduce first gap to 7 to 14 days where allowed to build the payment habit early.
  • Convenience options - online portal, mobile app, recurring ACH, text to pay, in store kiosk, and staffed window.

Onboarding that sets clear expectations

Use a scripted delivery and a simple welcome kit. Reinforce how and when to pay, contact paths, and what to do if a problem arises. Clarity up front reduces skipped payments and avoids disputes later.

  • One page payment guide with QR codes to the portal and app, store hours, and phone numbers.
  • Consent capture for text, email, and phone under applicable rules. Store in the customer record.
  • First week check in call or text confirming registration in the portal and payment method on file.

Daily collections rhythm

Consistency beats intensity. A simple daily rhythm that your team can repeat drives better outcomes with less stress. Most accounts cure with early, respectful contact and easy payment options.

  • Queue by risk, not alphabet. Prioritize new delinquencies and broken promises first.
  • Multi channel touch - text, call, email within consent rules. Keep messages short, specific, and action oriented.
  • Same day follow through - update notes, schedule reminders, send links, and confirm promises in writing where allowed.

Messaging that earns action

Customers act when the path is clear and respectful. Use short scripts that ask for a specific action and provide an easy way to complete it now.

  • Example first late text - Hello from [Dealership]. Your payment of [Amount] was due [Date]. You can pay now at the portal link or reply for help choosing a time today.
  • Example promise confirmation - Thanks, we have a promise for [Amount] by [Date Time]. Here is your quick pay link. Please reply Paid when complete.

Technology that removes friction

Integrate your DMS, CRM, payment processor, and communication tools so the team works from a single queue with current balances and contact preferences. Automation should supplement, not replace, human judgment. Track outcomes for each touch type and time of day, then adjust rules to improve cures without over messaging.

Compliance guardrails

Payment performance must live inside clear, written compliance policies. Train and test your team regularly on fair debt collection, credit reporting, electronic consent, privacy, and state specific repossession and reinstatement requirements. Keep audit ready documentation and retain call and text records as permitted.

  • Documented policies with sign offs and refresh training cadence.
  • QA reviews of account notes, call recordings, and letter templates.
  • Vendor due diligence for processors, dialers, and data tools.

Loss mitigation and late stage strategy

Not every account will go as planned. Create structured paths for hardship, extensions, deferrals, and reinstatement offers that balance customer outcomes with portfolio economics. Set thresholds for field visits, starter interrupt use when allowed, and repossession referral. Measure outcomes by path so you can refine what works.

  • Hardship menu with documentation, proof requirements, and clear expiration dates.
  • Reinstatement matrix with amounts due, time frames, and vehicle condition standards.
  • Vendor scorecards for repossession, skip tracing, and transport.

Team structure and coaching

High performing teams have clear roles, daily huddles, and visible scoreboards. A player coach model keeps quality high as you scale. Hire for empathy, resilience, and follow through. Train for compliance, systems, and tone. Coach to the numbers and to behaviors you can hear on calls and see in notes.

  • Standard operating procedures for every bucket and scenario.
  • Daily 10 minute huddles and weekly one to one coaching with call listening.
  • Incentives tied to cures, promises kept, and quality metrics, not just contact volume.

Analytics and continuous improvement

Monitor vintage curves, seasonality, pay channel mix, and regional patterns. Segment performance by salesperson, underwriter, vehicle type, and payment plan to learn what combinations predict success. Test one change at a time, measure for at least two to three cycles, then document the new standard if results hold. Keep a change log to preserve learning as your team evolves.

Customer experience that retains and refers

Customers who feel respected and supported pay better. Small service touches go a long way. A thanks after each on time payment, a friendly reminder the day before, and quick help when issues arise create trust. Handle disputes fast and fair. Publish simple guides and videos that show how to use your portal or set up autopay.

Multi store and centralized servicing

As you grow, centralize account management to standardize quality and leverage technology. Store teams can still build relationships and gather references, while the central unit runs queues, analytics, and training. Use shared dashboards so each store sees how their deals perform after delivery.

Helpful internal resources

Explore related training and insights across the site to deepen your lease here pay here payment performance strategy.

Getting started checklist

Use this quick checklist to align your team around a stronger payment performance plan this month. Adapt to your store, document in your SOPs, and track outcomes on your scorecard.

  • Update delivery scripts and welcome kit with portal links and consent capture.
  • Map payment options and remove friction. Add autopay and text to pay where allowed.
  • Build a daily queue driven by risk and promises due. Start each day at 8 to 14 days late and broken promises.
  • Install a weekly coaching rhythm with call listening and note reviews. Track promises kept.
  • Stand up a monthly portfolio review covering buckets, roll rates, and channel performance.

Frequently asked questions

Start with onboarding and friction removal. Confirm portal registration and a default payment method within the first week. Align due dates with paydays and add text to pay or recurring ACH. Then install a disciplined early contact routine at 1 to 3 days late.

Recurring ACH is the most reliable for many dealers. Mobile app and portal payments follow, especially when you send one tap links. In person and phone payments still matter for some customers, but you should promote low friction digital options first to increase consistency and reduce cost.

Capture date, time, and amount. Send a written confirmation when allowed, with a direct pay link. Follow up the same day the promise is due. Track promises kept as a team metric and coach to script quality and realistic dates. Limit rolling promises without a payment.

Focus on fair debt collection rules, consent and opt out for texts and calls, credit reporting accuracy if you report, data privacy, and state specific repossession and reinstatement requirements. Keep policies, training records, and QA reviews current and audit ready.

Use extensions for short, documented hardships that preserve long term performance. Require a good faith payment when possible, define the exact terms and dates, and track cure outcomes. Avoid stacking multiple extensions that mask deeper affordability or vehicle issues.

Explore more topics across the site

For broader operations, leadership, and compliance insights, you can review additional resources across the site.

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