Study: UltraCare Prepaid Maintenance Plans Boost RO Upsell
According to a recent study from MediaTrac, dealers using UltraCare Prepaid Maintenance are cashing in on additional revenue with each RO.
SAN RAMON, Calif. — MediaTrac announced results of a 48-dealership study. This study examined how dealerships market and benefit from the sale of prepaid maintenance plans to their customers.
On average, dealers using the auto loyalty and retention program provider’s UltraCare PrePaid Maintenance services receive $102 in additional revenue per repair order. Dealers also enjoy strong plan renewal rates, the study found.
“Our retention rate is in the 50 percent range,” said Jim McAfee, parts and service director for Ancira Winton Chevrolet in San Antonio, Texas. “Our average customer up-sell on customers owning our prepaid maintenance plan is about $80 per repair order, which has generated $577,982 in additional parts and labor revenue over three years.”
Prepaid maintenance programs offer customers future oil changes, tire rotations, car washes and other services at a discount price. Most dealers sell the plans at their cost. Dealers sell these plans through F&I as well as the service drive.
Sames Ford in Corpus Christi, Texas just started selling the UltraCare plan. “Our first month we sold 22 plans through service and F&I sold 22 as well,” noted Yancy Rodriguez, service manager. “These plans keep customers coming back. They increase our opportunity to upsell additional needed services to them when they do.”
According to dealers in this study, three-year-term programs sell best in F&I. Purchasers buying these plans are less concerned about the plan’s cost, as the price is rolled into their finance or lease term. Those more price-sensitive service customers choose one-year plans.
Average plan retail prices for dealers in the study were:
One year: $118.01
Two year: $254.46
Three year: $368.82
Three-year plans are most popular, at 64 percent of plans sold by dealers in the study — again, through F&I.
Some other notable study findings:
81.2 percent of the dealers in the survey sell the plans in service as well as F&I.
63 percent of all plans sold are in F&I.
37 percent of all plans are sold in the service lane.
Almost 95 percent of all plan holders purchase additional services beyond those included in the plan.
Plan holders visit their service department three times as much as do customers not owning such a plan.
The average service up-sell to plan holders is $102 per RO.
More F&I
Trust Is Personal
Technology, no matter how efficient, can’t replace what the human F&I manager can do, which is to bridge the divide between cyberspace and the in-store experience.
Read More →
Amplify 2026 Billed as Turning Innovation Into Results
Reynolds and Reynolds says its annual retail summit will connect dealers with practical strategies, peer insight, and technology-driven ideas.
Read More →
Own Your Outcome: F&I in the Digital Customer Journey
Finance has historically been the last step in the car-buying process, but it doesn’t have to be. The customer’s journey starts long before they arrive at the dealership, and so should F&I’s involvement.
Read More →
Tariffs Could Raise Insurance Premiums
As U.S. import tariffs affect repair costs, consumers might find it more affordable to replace a damaged vehicle, according to recent Insurify tariff analysis.
Read More →
Smaller Loans, Longer Terms
The youngest generation of car buyers is more likely to finance less expensive vehicles, more than half of generation Z consumers borrowing less than $25,000.
Read More →
New Lifetime Battery F&I Product Meant to Drive Dealer Traffic
EFG Cos. offering is intended to create lifetime auto dealer engagement with customers.
Read More →
The Psychology Behind Menus That Increase Add-On Sales
There is a science to crafting a menu that gives customers confidence in the choices presented, and moving the process outside the F&I office can further boost results.
Read More →
Why Your F&I PVR Is Misleading You
Here’s a handy checklist of the numbers to track in 2026 instead.
Read More →
Auto Consumer Anxiety Presents Opportunity
A survey of U.S. drivers found the majority are concerned about finances and the economy, but those fears make many ready to buy vehicle-protection products.
Read More →
Humble and Hungry: 12 Rules for an F&I Life
Dustin Gingerich, with a decade in the F&I business under his belt, shares his thoughts on leadership, building trust with customers, and the importance of learning and innovation.
Read More →